This presentation explores how both research and lived experience contribute to a more holistic understanding of pain and its management. It traces the evolution from the traditional biomedical model—where pain was viewed primarily as a sign of tissue injury—to the contemporary biopsychosocial model, which recognizes the complex interplay among the nervous system, psychological factors, and social context.
Holistic Model of Pain Treatment
Speaker: Dr. Jasmine Kim, ND
This presentation explores how both research and lived experience contribute to a more holistic understanding of pain and its management. It traces the evolution from the traditional biomedical model—where pain was seen primarily as a sign of tissue injury—to the contemporary biopsychosocial model, which recognizes the complex interplay among the nervous system, psychological factors, and social context.
Chronic pain is reframed not as a marker of ongoing damage, but as a condition shaped by central sensitization, neuroplasticity, and the patient’s lived experience. Key themes include the impact of trauma, fear, and social invalidation on pain perception, as well as the broader societal context of inequities in access to care and the medical underrepresentation of diverse populations.
Therapeutic strategies discussed in this presentation include mindfulness-based approaches, vagus nerve stimulation, Pain Reprocessing Therapy, and lifestyle interventions focused on sleep, nutrition, and exercise.
The central message is that pain is not purely physical. It is shaped by biological, psychological, and social dimensions. Compassionate, integrative approaches can help patients reframe and reduce suffering while strengthening the therapeutic alliance and improving clinical outcomes.
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