Biopsychosocial Lens Checklist

See beyond the tissue. Treat the whole experience.

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🔹 Purpose: To help clinicians assess and address the broader drivers of pain—biological, psychological, and social—in a structured but flexible way.

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🔹 Why This Matters: Pain is rarely caused by one thing. Yet in a busy clinic, we’re trained to focus on tissue. This checklist keeps clinicians grounded in a whole-person view without overcomplicating things.

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🌀 How to Use:

Scan this before or during an evaluation. Use it to inform your treatment plan, language, and pacing.

🔸 BIO (Body) – What’s happening physically?

▫️ Injury, strain, or structural finding

▫️ Protective posturing or movement avoidance

▫️ History of pain in this area

▫️ Sleep disturbances

▫️ Coexisting medical issues

▫️ Medication reliance or recent change

🔸 PSYCHO (Mind) – What’s happening emotionally/cognitively?

▫️ High fear of pain or re-injury

▫️ Beliefs that body is “broken” or “fragile”

▫️ Pain catastrophizing or hopelessness

▫️ History of anxiety, depression, or trauma

▫️ Low self-efficacy (“I don’t think I can get better”)

▫️ Hyper-focus on pain/symptoms

🔸 SOCIAL (Life) – What’s happening environmentally/contextually?

▫️ Work-related stress or pressure

▫️ Financial concerns tied to recovery

▫️ Caregiving responsibilities

▫️ Lack of social support

▫️ Cultural/family beliefs around pain and injury

▫️ Language barriers or healthcare mistrust

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✅ Clinician Lens Questions:

▫️ What’s the protective logic behind this pain?

▫️ What’s the story the system might be telling itself?

▫️ Where’s the best entry point for building trust?

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#️⃣ Treatment Implication Tags (Optional)

▫️ Pain neuroscience education

▫️ Movement exposure

▫️ Relaxation/breath work

▫️ Cognitive reframing

▫️ Referral for psychological support

▫️ Goal-setting + empowerment strategy

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🧠 Final Thought:

Pain isn’t just about what’s wrong—it’s about what’s going on. When we pause to consider the whole context, we don’t just treat a symptom. We meet a person.

This resource is part of The Wondering Clinician Toolkit. It’s not medical advice—just a tool to support learning, reflection, and healing. Always consult your clinician when needed.