The Mind-Body Code to Beating Chronic Pain

Is chronic pain really “in the body”… or in the brain’s predictions about the body?

Today on the Crackin’ Backs Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Jorge Esteves, PhD, DO—an osteopath, educator, and researcher whose work reframes low back pain, sciatica, and other MSK issues through the lens of predictive processing, active inference, and interoception. Dr. Esteves explains why pain is more than a physical signal: it’s shaped by mood, memory, context, and environment—and how the right mix of smart touch, simple movement, precise language, and meaning can rewrite faulty predictions and dial down threat in the nervous system.

We explore what he calls “smart touch”—the affective, well-timed, well-paced contact that improves therapeutic alliance, entrains breath and rhythm, and helps the brain feel safe enough to update its story about the spine. We also unpack fresh imaging work suggesting hands-on care can influence connectivity in pain and interoceptive hubs, including the insula—right where body-signal meaning is made. You’ll leave with a 5-minute daily recalibration (breath cue + one gentle movement + one self-touch drill) to keep predictions aligned with reality—especially during a flare.
 

What You’ll Learn

  • Pain ≠ damage: Why back pain often persists due to over-protective predictions and how to nudge them toward safety.
  • Smart touch, real change: How affective touch, pacing, and breath cues shift interoceptive processing and calm threat.
  • Therapeutic alliance matters: The first 10 minutes that build trust—and the phrases clinicians should avoid because they raise threat.
  • Brains on hands-on care: New imaging insights on how manual therapy may modulate brain connectivity in chronic low back pain.
 

Learn More / Contact Dr. Esteves

 

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.
 

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

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