Painiac: The Podcast On Living Well Even When Life Hurts

Today we’re featuring a powerful painiac, Jennifer Lesea-Ames. Jen is a former triathlete and training coach, who lived an active life until congenital bilateral hip dysplasia caused her to be debilitated from pain. She’s the editor of Onward: Navigating through Hip Dysplasia, Periacetabular Osteotomy Surgery and Beyond. And she now manages the website and online community The PAO Project, which provide resources for those live with hip dysplasia and hip pain. She also designs and sells inspiring affirmation jewelry.

Let’s face it. Living with chronic pain or chronic illness isn’t “sexy”. Not only can living with pain make us feel uncomfortable in our daily lives, but especially in the bedroom and in our intimate relationships. Studies estimate that 75% of people living with chronic pain experience some form of emotional and sexual dissatisfaction, discomfort, or dysfunction. But it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s possible to have a satisfying sex life and healthy intimate relationships, even while living with pain. This week, Shelly talks with Kirsten Schultz of Chronic Sex. Together, they discuss common quality of life issues and challenges that painiacs face when it comes to cultivating and maintaining intimacy with ourselves and others. *This episode, while not graphic, does contain content that might not be suitable for young children.

Description: Living with chronic pain is not only challenging, but it's also often lonely. It can feel like no one "gets it" and that there isn't anyone to talk to.   That's why we invited painiacs to submit questions about pain management and living with pain, so that we can provide more support, guidance, and encouragement.  Listen to this week's episode to hear from some fellow painiacs, including a caregiver! 

Why is it so hard to take time for self-care? When living with pain, it can feel like all we do is think about how we want to feel better, but do we actually make caring for our bodies a priority? Unfortunately, self-care is often placed on the bottom of our to-do lists, which only results in an increase in pain. But it doesn’t have to be so hard. Join Shelly in this week’s episode for a conversation about self-care and self-love with Sarah Steckler, a creative self-love coach. This episode will discuss why it can be a challenge to make time for self-care, and will provide practical and easy to manage tips for making self-care a constant in your daily routine.

Living with chronic pain is hard enough, but when you add the typical strains of travel like jet lag, uncomfortable seats, unpredictable accommodations, and general exhaustion, pain can increase and be difficult to manage. Whether traveling for work or for fun, it doesn’t have to be so painful and worrisome and it doesn’t have to be impossible, either! Today we are talking about some easy tips you can do to help make your trip more manageable and enjoyable; all it takes is a little planning and preparation.

It’s rare when you meet a person with contagious optimism, a bright, big spirit, and riveting talent, but musician and disability rights advocate, Gaelynn Lea, is one of these rare and inspiring souls. Gaelynn Lea was recently named the winner of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. She has been playing violin for over twenty years. Gaelynn also regularly speaks publicly about disability, overcoming challenges, and the joy of music. She lives with a congenital disability called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or commonly known as Brittle Bones Disease. In recent years, she has used her music as a platform to advocate for people with disabilities and to promote positive social change. Gaelynn believes society must make accessibility a priority so people with disabilities can participate fully in their communities and use their talents and gifts without discrimination.

How to Talk with your Doctor about Living with Chronic Pain or Illness   Do you ever feel like your doctor isn't hearing you? It's a common challenge that many people face, not just painiacs. Communicating about pain -- and the emotional and mental struggles that come with it -- is hard to do. Listen to this week's episode that suggests simple, practical, and easy-to-remember tips about how to prepare for an office visit, effectively communicate about pain, and ultimately how to develop a partnership with your doctor so that you can start to get the results you want.

Why is asking for help so hard? In this week’s episode, Shelly talks about the reality of what it means when we don’t ask for help when we really need it. She’ll help you determine how to effectively reach out and get the help you need to make living with chronic pain or illness more manageable. Although Shelly Jackson is a certified professional coach, she is not providing medical advice. The pain management information on Painiac the Podcast for Mindful Pain Management is provided by Peaceful Body Coaching solely for informational purposes as a public service to promote wellness, and to support people living with chronic pain. It is not meant to provide medical advice tailored to you in any way. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for proper medical care provided by a physician or other licensed healthcare practitioner. Shelly Jackson, Peaceful Body Coaching, and the guests on Painiac assume no responsibility for any circumstances arising out of the use, misuse, in

Join Shelly in a conversation with Mindfulness­based Stress Reduction (MBSR) facilitator and fellow painiac Cecily McGaw. M BSR and its curriculum integrates both seated and walking meditation, gentle movement, and simple body­awareness practices. T he MBSR program started in the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979 and is now offered in hundreds of hospitals and clinics around the world. MBSR is an inspiring tool for pain management because it emphasizes the need for a patient, practitioner partnership in healthcare. This approach allows the patient to tap into their own deepest inner resources for learning, growing, healing, and transformation, which ultimately can significantly empower people living with pain. Mindfulness has a hugely powerful impact on pain reduction. Researchers have found that mindfulness meditation reduces pain by activating the orbital frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, and these brain areas are associated with the self­-

Last week, we explored about what it means to change the vocabulary we use to talk about pain. Today, we’ll talk about the nitty gritty reality of limiting beliefs and the false truths we tell ourselves and how they keep us from doing what we are capable of. Fear not, Shelly will help you learn how to move beyond these unhelpful thoughts, expectations, and difficult emotions, so that you can start to feel better and more empowered to change your relationship to pain. Although Shelly Jackson is a certified professional coach, she is not providing medical advice. The pain management information on Painiac the Podcast for Mindful Pain Management is provided by Peaceful Body Coaching solely for informational purposes as a public service to promote wellness, and to support people living with chronic pain. It is not meant to provide medical advice tailored to you in any way. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for proper medical care provided by a physician or other lice

On this week’s episode, we’re discussing how our vocabulary can affect how our bodies perceive and experience sensations and pain. We’ll also talk about what it means to take back the story and rewrite your personal narrative, so that your story is less about pain and more about power and resilience. Although Shelly Jackson is a certified professional coach, she is not providing medical advice. The pain management information on Painiac the Podcast for Mindful Pain Management is provided by Peaceful Body Coaching solely for informational purposes as a public service to promote wellness, and to support people living with chronic pain. It is not meant to provide medical advice tailored to you in any way. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for proper medical care provided by a physician or other licensed healthcare practitioner. Shelly Jackson, Peaceful Body Coaching, and the guests on Painiac assume no responsibility for any circumstances arising out of the use, mi

Today we’re talking about what it means to manage pain mindfully, so that you can maximize your ability to reduce anxiety, lower stress, and shift how your mind and body respond to pain. Although Shelly Jackson is a certified professional coach, she is not providing medical advice. The pain management information on Painiac the Podcast for Mindful Pain Management is provided by Peaceful Body Coaching solely for informational purposes as a public service to promote wellness, and to support people living with chronic pain. It is not meant to provide medical advice tailored to you in any way. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for proper medical care provided by a physician or other licensed healthcare practitioner. Shelly Jackson, Peaceful Body Coaching, and the guests on Painiac assume no responsibility for any circumstances arising out of the use, misuse, interpretation or application of any information shared on Painiac the Podcast for Mindful Pain Management. A

Welcome to Painiac! In our inaugural episode you’ll learn more about this podcast and what you can expect from subscribing. Living with pain can be an isolating, frustrating, and exhausting experience. It can feel like no one understands and nothing helps. We understand what it means to live with pain, so we made a podcast about it. Join Shelly as she explores the reality of life as a painiac with healthy doses of confidence, humor, and grace. Although Shelly Jackson is a certified professional coach, she is not providing medical advice. The pain management information on Painiac the Podcast for Mindful Pain Management is provided by Peaceful Body Coaching solely for informational purposes as a public service to promote wellness, and to support people living with chronic pain. It is not meant to provide medical advice tailored to you in any way. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for proper medical care provided by a physician or other licensed healthcare practit