How the Brain + Pain Work: My Conversation with Lyndsay Soprano on The Pain Game Podcast

I recently joined Lyndsay Soprano on her Pain Game podcast to explore chronic pain through a neuroscience and trauma-informed lens, highlighting how ascending inputs, descending modulation, and the “chemical soup” of hormones and immune signals shape pain. Rather than focusing on posture or structure, the discussion emphasized compassion, relational safety, and adaptive nervous system strategies. It also introduced upcoming projects, including gamified pain models and expanded educational offerings, aimed at making pain science more accessible to both practitioners and the public.


Author

Dr. Mark Olson holds an M.A. in Education and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois, specializing in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuropsychology and Neuroanatomy. His research focused on memory, attention, eye movements, and aesthetic preferences. Dr. Olson is also a NARM® practitioner, aquatic therapist, and published author on chronic pain and trauma-informed care.  He offers a variety of courses at Dr-Olson.com that provide neuroscientific insights into the human experience and relational skill training for professionals and curious laypersons.

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Not All Somatic Work Is Trauma-Informed: A Framework for Clarity