TS03: ADVANCED PRACTICE How Curiosity Plays a Key Role in Persistent Pain Recovery

Presenter bio: Amber Kyliuk, RK, E-RYT 200

This session will dive right into the complexity of living with persistent pain, whether that experience relates to a particular area of the body, is part of widespread chronic pain, or comes with a chronic illness.

We’ll consider the neuroplastic, biopsychosocial, and psychological basics of pain alongside outdated structurally based views. Unfortunately, newer conceptions of pain are not the black-and-white biomechanics we’re used to. This shift has translated to messages that “pain is in the brain,” which can be demeaning to clients.

How can we talk with people about the possibility that their pain experience is not entirely structural? We will look at the importance of language and how it helps or hinders pain recovery. We will also discuss the mental load of living with pain to help yoga therapists understand the deeper meaning beyond the basic idea of using a pain scale.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the main differences between previously held and contemporary views of pain as articulated by Noigroup.
2. Relate the basics of somatic tracking used in pain reprocessing therapy to yoga’s mind-body connection.
3. Understand how to use curiosity and build clients’ confidence and innate ability to re-build their quality of life.