One-Minute Pain Science Prompts

Small shifts. Big insights. Delivered in 60 seconds or less.

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🔹 Purpose: To help clinicians introduce key pain science concepts quickly—during treatment, between sets, or when attention is limited.

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🔹 Why This Matters: Clinics are busy. Attention spans are short. But sometimes a single sentence can change how a patient thinks about pain. This tool gives you concise, repeatable prompts to drop into real-time care.

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🌀 Prompts to Use in Conversation:

🔄 Reframing Pain

🔸 “Pain doesn’t always mean something is damaged—it can also mean your system is being cautious.”

🔸 “Your brain’s just trying to protect you, even if nothing’s actually wrong right now.”

🔸 “What you feel is real—but what’s causing it might not be what you think.”

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🔄 Normalizing Experience

🔸 “This kind of pain response is actually common after injury—it’s your system staying on guard.”

🔸 “Many people feel stuck, not because they’re weak, but because their system has learned to be overprotective.”

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🔄 Empowering Change

🔸 “The cool thing is, the nervous system can learn—it can change how it responds over time.”

🔸 “Every safe movement is a signal to your system: ‘This is okay.’”

🔸 “You don’t need to push hard—you just need to show your system it’s safe again.”

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🔄 Inviting Curiosity

🔸 “Let’s see how your system reacts to this—no pressure, just information.”

🔸 “Does that feel more like tension or threat?”

🔸 “What if this was just your body learning, not failing?”

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💡 Pro Tips:

✅ Pair prompts with calm tone + eye contact.

✅ Use as conversational bridges, not lectures.

✅ Repeat often—repetition builds new mental models.

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🧠 Final Insight

Healing isn’t always loud or linear. It often shows up in quiet shifts—less bracing, more movement, a deeper breath. This tool helps both you and your patient notice the nervous system’s way of saying, “I’m starting to feel safe again.” Celebrate those signals. They’re not small—they’re everything.

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.