Description

In this episode of Pain Coach, physiotherapist, researcher, and TEDx speaker Joshua Pate joins us to unpack the complexity of pain - especially how children and adults make sense of it and why our beliefs matter so much for recovery. Josh shares powerful metaphors, practical strategies, and inspiring patient stories that highlight the balance between short-term relief and long-term change.

We discuss how pain science can transform healthcare, everyday coping strategies, and even prevention - starting as early as schools. Whether you’re living with pain, supporting someone who is, or simply curious about how the brain and body work together, this conversation offers hope, validation, and tools to help you move from the backseat to the driver’s seat of your healing journey.

Resources 

• Pain Coach: Helping Clinicians Take The Guesswork Out Of Pain Treatment
• Connect with Lachlan on LinkedIn
• Book an appointment with Lachlan 
• Joshua Pate’s website & resources
• Zoe and Zac’s Pain Hacks children’s book series
• Josh’s TEDx: The mysterious science of pain
• The “One Thing” Project
  
  Key Topics & Timestamps
• 00:00 – Introduction
• 06:38 – Josh’s journey: From physiotherapy clinics to pain research and children’s books
• 10:48 – Myths about pain: Why pain isn’t just about “damage”
• 23:42 – Turning down the pain “volume”: The Lego Experiment 
• 40:47 – Validating pain: Why “hurt ≠ harm” isn’t always helpful
• 46:15 – Practical Tip #1: Making sense of your own pain and how others see it
• 49:26 – Practical Tip #2: Multidisciplinary support and short vs. long-term strategies
• 52:11 – The ladder analogy: Small wins build toward big change
• 55:25 – Inspiring patient story: From toilet-seat struggles to the Great Wall of China
• 58:47 – Driver’s seat vs. backseat: Balancing agency and support
• 01:03:08 – The “One Thing” project: Messages of hope for people in pain
• 01:05:00 – Closing reflections: The importance of curiosity, validation, and prevention