The Infinity PodCast

Professor Cormac Ryan on why 8 out of 10 people with no back pain show damage on a scan, and why what you're told about your scan matters more than the scan itself.

Show Notes

Had a scan for joint or back pain and the words on the report frightened you? You need to hear this.

Professor Cormac Ryan is Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation at Teesside University. He did his PhD in pain and has spent 20+ years researching people living with long-term pain. He's also part of the Flipping Pain campaign.

What we get into:

  • Why 8 out of 10 people aged 50 with NO back pain show "degenerative changes" on a scan
  • How being scanned with no red flags can leave you worse off, and what fixes it
  • Why hurt does not always mean harm
  • Pain as an alarm system that gets stuck on "too sensitive"
  • Why exercise is in every NICE guideline for long-term pain
  • The Harvard cream study that changed how we coach
  • Why a group that knows your name turns the alarm down

Chapters

0:00 Who Cormac is and why this one matters
4:19 What “persistent pain” actually means
8:19 When the alarm system gets oversensitive
17:45 You can’t see pain
18:44 What a scan can and can’t show you
22:38 8 in 10 with no pain show “degeneration”
28:19 Flippin’ Pain, and why hurt doesn’t mean harm
30:27 The scan that made people worse
40:46 Why exercise is in every guideline
43:51 Work, and why stopping usually backfires
51:58 Why how you’re spoken to changes your pain
1:01:05 Where to start moving when it already hurts
1:08:13 What expectation alone does to a result
1:18:23 The cleaners who changed nothing and got healthier
1:40:13 Your GP has 10 minutes
1:41:59 Why it takes 18 years to reach you
1:44:53 What to do while you’re on a waiting list
1:49:02 Where to go from here

Flipping Pain: flippingpain.co.uk

1,300+ people with bad knees, backs and hips. 12 years.
People who gripped the handrail on the stairs. People who couldn't get up off the floor. People who'd had surgery or a joint replaced.
I'm Warren. I get you trusting your body again.

Not medical advice. If you're unsure, have a word with your GP or physio.

What is The Infinity PodCast?

Hosted by Warren Nightingale. I want to help you look beyond fitness, fat loss and getting in shape. I'll share the lessons and experiences I've gained so that you can have your health, fitness and lifestyle on your terms.