From Bed-Bound to 98% Better: Overcoming Chronic Pain After Lyme Disease with Allie Chandler

How the Hypothalamus Affects Chronic Pain, Hormones & Stress | Deborah Maragopoulos Could a tiny part of your brain be playing a much bigger role in your chronic pain than you realise? In this episode of Beyond The Pain, Leigh Brandon is joined by Deborah Maragopoulos, an integrative family nurse practitioner and neuroendocrinology specialist known as the "Hormone Queen", to explore the fascinating relationship between the hypothalamus, hormones, stress and persistent pain. Deborah shares her remarkable personal journey, beginning with the birth of her premature child and the challenges that inspired her to investigate the complexities of the hormonal system. Together, Leigh and Deborah explore how the hypothalamus helps regulate the body's stress response, hormonal balance, metabolism and pain processing — and what might happen when these systems become disrupted. They also discuss the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the relationship between chronic stress and pain sensitivity, and why understanding the connections between the brain, body and emotions may be important for people struggling with persistent pain. In this episode, you'll discover: What the hypothalamus is and why it matters for pain.

What if persistent pain, fatigue and other unexplained symptoms aren’t simply signs that your body is damaged — but signs that your nervous system has become increasingly protective? In this episode of Beyond The Pain, Leigh Brandon speaks with Miguel Bautista, founder of CFS Recovery, about his extraordinary journey from being a highly driven 19-year-old personal trainer to becoming so unwell that he was bedridden, unable to feed himself and eventually admitted to hospital. After years of appointments, investigations and treatments failed to provide answers, Miguel met a doctor who introduced him to the idea of a hypersensitive nervous system and neuroplasticity. That encounter completely changed the way he understood his symptoms — and became the starting point for his recovery. Miguel and Leigh explore how fear, symptom monitoring, excessive Googling and constantly searching for the next diagnosis or treatment can sometimes reinforce a cycle of stress and symptoms. They also discuss why both pushing through symptoms and excessive rest can become problematic, and how gradually rebuilding activity may help people regain confidence in their bodies. Miguel explains his concepts of “adjustment periods” and “progress cycles”, why a flare-up doesn’t necessarily mean someone has gone back to square one, and how education can help reduce the fear surrounding pain, increased heart rate, fatigue and other physical sensations. They also discuss symptom rotation, Dr John Sarno’s “symptom imperative”, the importance of supportive communities, and why rebuilding trust in the body often begins with very small, manageable wins. In this episode, you’ll discover: Miguel’s journey from personal trainer to becoming completely bedridden

What role does the vagus nerve play in chronic pain, nervous system regulation and our ability to recover? In this episode of Beyond The Pain, Leigh Brandon speaks with biomedical engineer and StarSplit founder Jon Hacker about the emerging world of vagus nerve stimulation and neuromodulation. Jon shares how his own struggles with OCD and feeling unable to control his nervous system led him into the development of technology designed to influence nervous system function. He explains why his team moved from exploring direct brain stimulation towards the vagus nerve, and how they began investigating ultrasound as a non-invasive approach to neuromodulation. The conversation also explores some of the bigger challenges surrounding medical research. Jon discusses why study design matters, why published research should not automatically be accepted at face value, and how funding structures, commercial interests and academic incentives can influence which treatments are investigated and how evidence is produced. This episode offers a fascinating look at the intersection of chronic pain, nervous system regulation, neuroscience and emerging medical technology. In this episode, we discuss: How the vagus nerve may influence chronic pain The relationship between nervous system dysregulation and persistent symptoms Why Jon became interested in neuromodulation Vagus nerve stimulation versus direct brain stimulation The emerging use of ultrasound in neuromodulation Problems with the quality and design of some medical research How research funding can influence scientific progress The future of neurotechnology for chronic pain and nervous system regulation If you live with persistent pain, this conversation may help you better understand why pain involves far more than simply the area of the body where symptoms are felt. Connect with Jon Hacker: Website: https://zenbud.health/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zenbudhealth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenbudhealth TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zenbudhealth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-hacker/

What if your pain is completely real, but the explanation you’ve been given for it is incomplete? For decades, persistent musculoskeletal pain was largely viewed through a structural lens: if your back hurt, there must be something wrong with your back; if your neck hurt, the problem must be in your neck. But modern pain neuroscience paints a much more complex picture. In this solo episode of Beyond The Pain, Leigh Brandon explores why pain cannot always be explained by tissue damage, scans or biomechanics alone. He looks at how the nervous system, stress, sleep, emotions, beliefs and our wider environment can all influence the pain experience. You’ll also discover why two people with very similar findings on an MRI can experience dramatically different levels of pain, why symptoms can fluctuate depending on what is happening in your life, and why persistent pain does not necessarily mean that your body is continuing to suffer damage. Importantly, adopting a broader mind-body understanding of pain does not mean ignoring pathology, dismissing symptoms or suggesting that pain is imaginary. It means recognising that pain is a protective experience influenced by multiple systems within the body and brain. Leigh also explores the enormous impact persistent pain can have on work, relationships, exercise, social connection and even a person’s sense of identity — and why understanding pain differently may open up new possibilities for recovery. If you've been living with persistent pain and feel as though you've tried everything, this episode may help you start looking at your symptoms through a very different lens. Beyond The Pain explores the physical, biochemical, neurological and emotional influences that can contribute to persistent pain — and what you can do to participate more actively in your recovery.

What if persistent pain is not merely something to eliminate, but also something we can learn to understand? In this episode of Beyond The Pain, Leigh Brandon speaks with movement analyst, choreographer and somatic educator Alexandra Beller about the relationship between chronic pain, physical sensations, emotions and identity. Alexandra shares her journey from professional dancer to somatic educator and explains how movement became a way for her to better understand herself. Having lived with pain from multiple injuries, she also offers a deeply personal perspective on how persistent pain can influence the way we see our bodies, ourselves and the world around us. Alexandra describes somatic work as a form of “couples therapy for the mind and body.” By slowing down and paying attention to physical sensations, we may begin to access information and feelings that the conscious mind has overlooked or struggled to process. Leigh and Alexandra explore how pain can gradually become a filter through which we experience life—and why fighting, ignoring or resenting the painful part of ourselves may deepen the conflict within us. Alexandra compares this part to a distressed toddler who needs patience, safety and understanding rather than criticism or rejection. This compassionate approach can help us rebuild trust with the body and develop a different relationship with persistent pain. In this episode, you’ll discover: What somatic work is and how it connects the body and mind