Podcast
Unpacking Pain
Hosted by Holly Osborne and Megan Steele · EN
Unpacking Pain is a podcast about chronic pain - what causes it, how it affects our lives, and what we can do about it. Hosted by a pain scientist and a pain sufferer, it blends evidence-based science with lived experience to offer support, education, and empowerment.
If you’ve ever felt unseen in your pain journey, know that you are not alone. Join us on Unpacking Pain as we peel back the layers of the chronic pain experience - where science meets story, and where knowledge opens doors to healing.
Each week, Dr. Megan Steele, PT, DPT, PhD(c), and Holly Osborne, a chronic pain sufferer, sit down to explore the “three-legged stool” of chronic pain: the biological, psychological, and social. Together they demystify the science, share personal stories, and engage in candid conversations about the mind-body connection, treatment approaches, and the realities of living with and managing pain.
What makes Unpacking Pain different is its unique yin-yang approach: Megan brings deep expertise in pain research and clinical practice, while Holly offers the raw honesty of 26 years of lived experience navigating chronic pain. Together, they create a space that is empathetic, candid, and enlightening.
Topics include:
- The neuroscience of pain and why it isn’t “all in your head”
- Evidence-based pain management strategies that work in daily life
- Practical strategies for coping and thriving with chronic pain
- How stress, trauma, and emotions shape our pain journey
- Stories of resilience, breakthroughs, and hope
Whether you are living with chronic pain, supporting someone who is, or working as a health professional, this podcast offers insights that validate, educate, and inspire. Our goal is not just to explain chronic pain but to reframe it - making room for understanding, empowerment, and possibility.
Your voice matters, we would love for you to send us your questions or share your story with us at unpackingpain@gmail.com. Together we can shed light on the realities of chronic pain, unpack the issues, and discover new ways forward.
https://unpackingpainpodcast.com
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Unpacking: The Psychology of Pain
Feb 200:52:12Tap to summarizeWhy does chronic pain spread from one area of your body to another? And why does it often feel worse at night when you're trying to sleep?When pain persists for months or years, your nervous system doesn't just stay the same - it changes. Your nerves lose their protective coating, your spinal cord becomes more sensitized, and your brain actually develops structural changes that keep you locked in a cycle of protection and threat detection. Dr. Megan Steele walks you through the biological transformations happening in your body when pain becomes chronic, from peripheral nerve changes to decreased gray matter in areas responsible for memory and executive function.But here's where it gets counterintuitive: the path forward might involve turning toward your pain rather than away from it. Dr. Steele explains why constantly trying to ignore or push through pain can actually make it worse, and introduces somatic tracking as a way to bring subconscious protective mechanisms into conscious awareness. You'll learn why women are 70% more likely to experience chronic pain, how hormones play a role, and why your nervous system is wired for sameness - even when that sameness includes dysfunction.Holly shares her own experience of building an identity around pain and the fear that comes with imagining life without it. Together, they explore how life shrinks when pain takes over, and how it can expand again through small, graded steps that feel safe to your nervous system.If you've ever felt like your pain has a mind of its own, this conversation will help you understand what's actually happening in your body and brain - and why there's still hope for change.
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Unpacking: The Podcast
Feb 200:12:16Tap to summarizeWhat happens when a pain researcher teams up with someone who’s lived with chronic pain for decades?In this bonus conversation, meet the voices behind Unpacking Pain. Dr. Megan Steele, a physical therapist and pain science researcher, explains why evidence-based guidance is still hard to find and what the data actually says. Holly Osborne shares the lived experience side - what helped, what didn’t, and how to keep going when progress stalls. Together, they lay out why they started the show and how they hope to serve you.Listen to learn:How research and real life fit together to make sense of persistent painWhat you can expect from future episodes: clear explanations, practical tools, and steady encouragementSimple ways to become a better observer of your pain and talk about it with your care team and your circleHow to plug into a community that understands the invisible parts of this journey
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