Chronic Pain Isn’t What You Think It Is

About this episode

This episode discusses the misconceptions surrounding chronic pain and emphasizes the importance of understanding the patient rather than just the injury.

Chronic pain patients are some of the toughest cases in physical therapy—not because they’re complicated, but because they’re often misunderstood. In this episode, we break down why treating chronic pain like an acute injury leads to poor outcomes—and what to do instead. The shift is simple but powerful: stop focusing only on tissue and start understanding the person. If you run a clinic or treat patients daily, this matters because better conversations lead to better outcomes, stronger patient relationships, and more consistent retention. What you’ll learn: • Why chronic pain is different from acute pain • How to identify non-tissue drivers of pain • The role of therapeutic alliance in outcomes • Why listening is a clinical skill—not a soft skill • How to improve patient retention starting day one Guest Links: Website: megansteelept.com Instagram: @painscienceprof YouTube: Unpacking Pain Podcast Sponsors: SaRA Health — Helping clinics generate revenue between visits with remote monitoring EMPOWER EMR — Built for PTs who want faster, cleaner documentation U.S. Physical Therapy — Supporting PT careers and clinic growth nationwide

People in this episode

Host: Jimmy McKay

Guest: Megan Steele

Topics covered

• chronic pain
• physical therapy
• patient retention
• therapeutic alliance
• pain management

Keywords

• chronic pain
• acute injury
• therapeutic alliance
• patient relationships
• clinical skills

Sponsors

SaRA Health, EMPOWER EMR, U.S. Physical Therapy

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