Behaviour, Motivation & Chronic Pain

Transcript available here
https://www.pallasphysiotherapy.com.a...

Why is it so hard to actually change your behaviour… especially when you’re living with chronic pain?

In this video, I break down behaviour change and motivation from a nervous system / pain science perspective – no fluff, just biology and lived reality stitched together in a way that makes sense.

We’ll cover:

What your brain and body are really trying to protect (safety, predictability, viability)

How pain works as a behaviour-change alarm, not just a damage meter

A reductionist overview of motivation and behaviour change (predictions, dopamine, habits)

Four big reasons people get stuck:

Learned helplessness

Threat-driven reflexes (freeze/avoid/push-through)

Identity stories (“I’m broken”, “I never stick with exercise”)

Allostatic load and low capacity

How this all shows up in persistent / chronic pain

Practical principles to create small, sustainable changes in movement and rehab

This video is for:

People living with ongoing or recurring pain who feel stuck, frustrated, or “unmotivated”

Physios and health professionals who want a more compassionate, evidence-informed lens on behaviour change in pain

Anyone curious about how stress, pain, motivation, and habits actually fit together


💬 If this resonates, let me know in the comments:

What part of behaviour change feels hardest for you right now?

If you’re a clinician, where do your patients most often get stuck?

👍 Like / subscribe / share if you want more content on pain science, movement, and making change feel actually doable.

⚠️ Disclaimer:
This video is for education only and is not medical advice. It doesn’t replace an individual assessment with a qualified health professional who knows your specific situation.

00:00 - Intro – “Why can’t I just do the thing?”
00:14 - What your system is trying to protect
00:31 - Pain as a behaviour-change alarm
01:40 - Behaviour change & motivation (reductionist overview)
03:23 - Why people get stuck
05:28 - Behaviour change in chronic pain
08:53 -Practical principles for patients & clinicians
10:04 - Key takeaways & wrap-up