Pain is one of life’s most universal and misunderstood experiences. This week on The Gold Mine, Chance and I sat down with Dr. Jesse Thompson, a pain management and sports medicine physician, to deconstruct the complex reality of “Pain.” The conversation moved beyond the simplistic idea of pain as damage, exploring it instead as a signal, a subjective experience, and a powerful teacher. We dove into the difference between acute injury and chronic pain, why avoidance can make things worse, and how a holistic, team-based approach is often the key to true healing.
This Week’s Guest:
– Dr. Jesse Thompson, MD: A pain management and sports medicine physician, BJJ practitioner, and athlete.
Key Insights from Our “Pain” Discussion:
1. Pain is a Signal, Not a Sentence
Dr. Thompson kicked things off by establishing that pain is, first and foremost, a signal. It’s information from our body designed to protect us. People born without the ability to feel pain often die young because they lack this critical feedback loop. This reframes pain not as an enemy to be silenced, but as a messenger to be understood.
2. The Misconception of “Fixing” vs. “Managing”
A major theme was the difference between problems that can be solved and conditions that must be managed. Dr. Thompson explained that his first step with any patient is to determine which category their pain falls into. This sets realistic expectations and shifts the goal from a mythical “cure” to a functional, sustainable quality of life.
3. The High Burn Rate of Chronic Pain
We discussed the immense psychological and emotional toll of chronic pain. I described how my own shoulder damage and pain have kept me off the jiu-jitsu mats for a while, not just because of the physical limitation, but because of the pain’s mental drain. Like sleep deprivation, chronic pain has a “burn rate” that slowly erodes your resilience, mood, and social connections.
4. Healing is a Journey That Never Ends
I pushed back on the idea of a finite “single end state” for healing. My own journey with acupuncture, for example, didn’t just “fix” one problem; it evolved into a multi-year continuous practice of optimization and longevity. Healing isn’t about arriving at a destination called “cured”; it’s an ongoing process of adaptation and improvement.
5. Don’t Just Turn Over Rocks, Know When to Stop
While it’s important to be curious and seek answers for your pain, Dr. Thompson raised a critical question: “When do you stop turning over rocks and start accepting what you’ve been dealt?” At a certain point, the relentless search for a cure can become its own form of suffering. Part of the healing journey is knowing when to shift from fixing to adapting.
6. Find Practitioners Who are Invested in Themselves
I argued that the best practitioners, like Dr. Thompson, are the ones with a deep, personal curiosity. They are constantly learning, questioning, and expanding their own toolkits. You don’t just want a doctor who is invested in you; you want one who is relentlessly invested in their own growth, because that curiosity is what will ultimately lead to better solutions for you.
7. Pain as a Familiar Partner
I described my own relationship with pain as that of a “familiar partner”—not a friend or an enemy, but a constant companion. Sometimes it’s a red flashing light on the dashboard telling me to stop, and other times it’s a signal that I need to push a little harder to discover my true capabilities. The key is learning to interpret the signal correctly.
8. Don’t Just Get Treatment, Get the Right Treatment
Dr. Thompson stressed that simply “getting physio” or “seeing a doctor” is not enough. He sees many patients who have gone through months of standardized, low-impact treatments with no improvement. The key, he argued, is to seek out high-calibre practitioners who are invested in finding the root cause of your specific problem, not just managing the symptom. A good practitioner will shoot you straight and won’t keep you in a cycle of ineffective care just because your benefits cover it.
9. The Brain Can Create Its Own Pain
Dr. Thompson introduced a fascinating and emerging area of pain science called “nociplastic pain.” This is where a traumatic event—like a car accident or a blast wave—can reprogram the brain to generate chronic, full-body pain, even when there is no ongoing physical damage. This highlights that pain is not always a direct result of tissue injury; sometimes, the problem is in the brain’s interpretation of signals, which requires a completely different approach to healing. I think this is an interesting consideration for veterans.
Final Thought: Pain is an invitation to listen more closely.
It forces us to pay attention, to understand our bodies, and to make more intelligent choices. It is not a sign of weakness, but a call for a deeper level of awareness. By learning to listen to what our pain is telling us, we can move from a reactive state of suffering to a proactive state of healing and adaptation.
What is your pain trying to teach you?
Listen to the full “Pain” discussion here: Pain
Keep listening,
Shaun & The Collective Crew
