From Frustration to Transformation: Becoming a Leader in Pain Management

[00:01:34] Mark Kargela: Welcome back to the Modern Pain Podcast. Today, I just wanted to discuss something I'm excited about that has been motivated by my journey and one that seems to be one you've all been through as well. Together, we'll explore the challenges in pain care, the gaps in our education as clinicians, and And how we can fill those gaps to create meaningful change.

Plus I'll introduce you to a program we're developing to empower clinicians to become the pain management leaders their communities need. Make sure you stick around until the end to find out how you can learn more and get involved. Let's dive in.

This is the Modern Pain Podcast with Mark Kargela.

[00:02:09] Mark Kargela: If you're a clinician working with people in pain, you've probably felt it.

That moment when you realize that the tools you've been given just don't seem to work for everyone. Early in my career, I was full of optimism, armed with evidence based techniques and protocols, but the reality of the practice hit hard. We can all likely remember that feeling of when we realized the clinical world was way more gray than the textbooks and majority of continuing education courses made it out to [00:02:34] be.

For some patients, the standard interventions worked well, but for many, they didn't. I saw people stuck in cycles of pain, unable to return to their valued lives. It was beyond frustrating, and it left me questioning whether I was truly helping. It brought me to multiple points in my career where I felt like an imposter and a failure, and maybe I just needed to quit and do something else.

Then seeing my mentors in manual therapy fellowship struggle with these very patients was further proof to me that we needed to do better. Continuing education courses promised answers, but they often focused on quick fixes. Techniques that work temporarily, but didn't address the deeper, more complex layers of pain.

I think if we are truly honest with ourselves, we can agree that no new manual therapy, needling, cupping, taping, or even exercise course is going to solve that. None of them are special and all are likely going to leave the same 10 to 20 percent of people in your practice who simply are not responding.

We need to do more. This is what stimulated me on a sometimes obsessive pursuit to learn or [00:03:34] create something that focused on lasting, meaningful change. Let's talk about the continued education scene. So much of it focuses on tools, manual therapy techniques, exercise prescriptions, even pain neuroscience education.

While these tools have their place, they often feel incomplete. Here's the hard truth. We're not trained to provide psychologically informed care. Sure, we're taught to use psychological and psychosocial screening tools, but most of us are left with superficial questions and vague answers. True psychologically informed care requires more.

It requires understanding the person behind the pain, their unique story, and their individual struggles. It requires the skills to ask difficult questions, have hard conversations, and get in the mud with someone who is struggling with pain. Even pain neuroscience education, as valuable as it is, has often become a scripted intervention.

It's delivered in a way that feels disconnected from the real human experiences of our patients. What's missing is the ability to integrate these [00:04:34] concepts seamlessly into everyday conversation to tailor our care to the individual in front of us. And then there's the bigger issue. The fact that entire communities are suffering because they don't have access to good pain care.

These are real people. Our neighbors, friends, and family members left to navigate a system that is not listening and often fails them. As clinicians, we feel this too. We see the gaps in care, but we're not always equipped to fill them.

It's not just about learning new tools. It's about transforming the way we think about pain and how we support our patients.

That's why I'm working with experts to create a comprehensive community based course that goes beyond simple lectures and techniques. This is a program designed to truly transform your practice and your impact on your community. Here's what makes it different. One structured program for individuals and groups.

You're going to gain access to a ready to use, evidence based program that you can directly deliver to individuals or groups. It's designed to make implementation seamless so you can start making a difference [00:05:34] immediately. You're going to get marketing materials to expand your reach. You'll receive materials to share with other healthcare professionals and to market your service directly to patients. These materials are created to build trust, establish authority, and grow your practice.

It's going to be more than just recorded lectures. This isn't a passive learning experience. You'll receive clinician manuals, patient handbooks, and step by step guides to ensure you feel confident and supported every step of the way. We'll also have video resources on acceptance and commitment therapy and pain neuroscience education that you can use to help people make sense of their situations and support the work you're doing in clinic.

You'll join a community of like minded clinicians who are also implementing and learning. Together we'll share insights, successes, and challenges. This is the best way to learn in my opinion.

Weekly live mentoring calls will provide you with expert feedback and guidance tailored to your unique questions and cases. You'll have access to live workshops and events led by experts in the field. These are designed to provide training that's unparalleled in both quality and depth.

We also want to know if this program is truly walking [00:06:34] the talk and getting outcomes. So we will be providing measures you can use to measure your impact. We will use this data in research to support the service to payers and to iterate as we see what is working and what is not working. This program isn't just about giving you tools.

It's about helping you become the pain management expert Your community desperately needs. It's about addressing the gaps in care that have left so many people suffering. And it's about empowering you to make a lasting impact, not just in your practice, but in your community. If this vision resonates with you, I invite you to be part of our transformation.

Our first cohort is launching in the next few months, and I'd love for you to join us. Head to modern pain care. com slash pain program to join the waiting list and stay updated together. We can redefine pain care and create a future where everyone has access to the support they deserve.

Thank you for being part of this journey. If this episode resonated at all with you, please share it with your colleagues, leave a review, and let's keep the conversation going until next time, take care and keep making a difference.

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