Pain Coach

"When Tasha speaks about pain, everyone should listen" - Merv Travers (previous guest and pain researcher) In this episode, Professor of Clinical Pain Neuroscience, Tasha Stanton translates the current science of persistent pain into practical reasoning. Tasha explains that pain is a protective system that can become over-sensitive - in her words, "a system that's working too well." She's candid a...

Could the key to easing chronic joint pain lie in how you sleep? In this episode, Lachlan Townend talks with Associate Professor Michelle Hall from the University of Sydney's Musculoskeletal Research Hub. They unpack what osteoarthritis really is, why your X-ray often doesn't match how you feel and why myths like "bone on bone" and "exercise wears the joint out" don't hold up. Then they turn to sl...

For decades, pain care has run on a simple question: what's wrong with you? Risk factors, deficits, pathology, problems. It's well-intentioned but could the deficits focus being making things worse? In this episode of Pain Coach, Lachlan sits down with Dr Niamh Moloney and PhD candidate Barry Moore from Curtin University to unpack a quietly radical reframe in persistent pain research: stop leading...

Dr Millie Mardon is a pelvic pain researcher at Western Sydney University with her own lived experience of the condition. Diagnosed with endometriosis at 14 after years of debilitating period pain, Millie navigated surgeries and a complex healthcare system — and is now happy to say she is pain-free. That experience became the foundation of her entire research career. RESOURCES:  Try Pain Coac...

If you've been told your pain is "all in your head" or that it's purely a problem with structures in your body - this episode will challenge both of those ideas. Dr Merv Travers is a physiotherapist, PhD researcher and strength & conditioning coach based in Perth, Western Australia. He's a Senior Research Scholar at the University of Notre Dame Australia, working in the areas of low back pain,...

Dr. Rachel Zoffness (PhD) is a pain psychologist and author who has devoted her career to understanding why we suffer with pain and what we can actually do about it. We discuss: The childhood experience with chronic pain that sparked her obsession with understanding suffering.  The "biopsychosocial" truth about pain that medicine has known for 65 years but never tells patients.  Why the...

Is what you eat making your pain worse? In this episode, I sit down with Chloe McLeod, founder of Verde Nutrition Co, Accredited Practising Dietitian, and Advanced Sports Dietitian with over 16 years of experience. Chloe is one of Australia's leading experts in gut health, food intolerance, and autoimmune conditions. Chloe  has been featured in Women's Health, Body & Soul, and House of We...

Dr. Dan Bates, is a sports and exercise medicine specialist, director of the Back, Neck and Joint Clinic in Melbourne, and former head doctor for both Melbourne and North Melbourne AFL teams. Dr. Bates has developed an innovative, algorithmic approach to chronic pain that's helping patients reclaim their lives. In this episode, we tackle one of the most controversial topics in pain management: wha...

In this episode, Lachlan Townend sits down with world-renowned pain researcher and clinician Professor Peter O’Sullivan - a man whose work has completely reshaped how we understand and treat back pain.  If you’ve ever been told your spine is fragile, your core is weak, or your pain always means damage - this episode will change the way you see back pain forever.  Peter’s research and cli...

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 dis...

In this episode, Lachlan Townend is joined by Professor Mark Hutchinson to explore the complexities of pain from the cellular level through to lived human experience. Mark shares his personal journey with chronic back pain, including the challenges of navigating healthcare as both a patient and a pain scientist. He discusses his cutting-edge research into how blood biomarkers could transform pain...

In this episode, Lachlan talks with Jerar (@thepainillusion), an Exercise Physiologist who used to deal with long-term back pain. He shares what he learned from his own struggles and why pain doesn’t always mean something is badly wrong. They talk about why scan findings can be unnecessarily alarming, how some advice from health professionals can actually hinder recovery and why getting stronger d...

Today on Pain Coach , we’re joined by Jessica Maguire. Jessica is a trauma-informed physiotherapist, TEDx speaker, and author of The Nervous System Reset . Jessica has helped over 20,000 people understand and regulate their nervous systems. Her mission is to create true freedom from nervous system dysregulation and all its painful side effects. Resources: Jessica Maguire's Website Lachlan's Pain R...

“To say that many surgeries we do shouldn’t be done is a bold statement”—and today’s guest stands firmly behind it. In this episode of Pain Coach , we’re joined by Dr. Howard Luks, a leading orthopaedic surgeon specialising in shoulders and knees. Dr. Luks brings decades of clinical experience and personal insight to a conversation that challenges conventional thinking around pain, aging, and the...

In this powerful episode of Pain Coach , Lachlan Townend sits down with Dr. David Clarke, a pioneer in treating chronic pain without a clear visible injury. They dive deep into the world of neuroplastic symptoms — real, often debilitating pain driven by changes primarily in the nervous system rather than structural damage. Dr. Clarke shares groundbreaking insights from decades of work with over 7,...

Oliver Crossley is an integrative Physiotherapist for complex pain and invisible illness. Oliver is the founder of Yogic Physio, where he blends ancient practices and modern science-backed rehabilitation to provide a holistic service. Oliver is a yoga and meditation teacher who is passionate about bringing these ancient practices into modern pain care.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educati...

Dr. Jonathan is a Pain Medicine Specialist from Western Australia, the author of the blog The Healthy GP , and a TEDx speaker on The Spiritual Dimension of Medicine. In this episode we discuss: The nurse that shifted his pain paradigm The multidimensional nature of pain  Spirituality and pain  How we should relate to suffering The pain pyramid and why it is often inverted Why the future...

In this episode, Shane shares his personal journey with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks the spine. Diagnosed at a young age, Shane used a combination of meditation and pain science education to recover and reclaim his life. As the founder of The Calm Potential , Shane now teaches meditation and breathwork to help others manage pain and cultivate a deeper sens...

In this episode of Pain Coach , we sit down with Ray Chen, an integrative physiotherapist who takes a holistic approach to pain management. Ray’s personal experience with pain following a traumatic bike injury in Thailand has profoundly shaped his clinical practice. We dive into topics such as: Ray’s personal journey with pain and recovery The power of mindfulness and meditation in managing pain U...

In this episode, we’re joined by Anjelo Ratnachandra, who turned personal tragedy into a mission to help others overcome chronic pain. Anjelo’s journey began when he was innocently hit by a Molotov cocktail due to mistaken identity in gang wars, leading to severe burns and chronic pain. This traumatic experience sparked his deep determination to reclaim his life and to lead others beyond pain. Anj...

Lauren Cannell is a story of hope for the 3.6 million Australians living with chronic pain.  Lauren shares her journey from being an active, high-achieving individual to facing daily struggles with pain that shrank her world. She discusses the emotional and physical toll of her experience with pain and challenges within the healthcare system. Lauren's turning point towards recovery was learni...