The Lifestyle Levers That Influence Your Entire Pain System | Derek Griffin (PhD)

Lachlan Townend sits down with Derek Griffin (PhD), a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist (Pain) and pain researcher based in Tralee, Ireland, who has spent his career untangling the science of chronic pain without losing sight of the person in front of him. Derek shares why he sees pain as a fundamentally protective (sometimes overprotective) system, and why he refuses to get lost in debates about nociception, central sensitisation and nociplastic pain when a patient in front of him needs a real next step. The conversation covers the fatigue of being told "pain is complex" without ever getting something actionable, the shift from treating a joint to treating a whole person, why the simplest lifestyle levers such as sleep, exercise, social connection, psychological wellbeing and nutrition are most pivotal and Derek's honest take on the debate around hands-on therapy. Whether you're a clinician working in a multidisciplinary team, someone living with persistent pain trying to make sense of your own story, or somewhere in between, this episode is a grounded, evidence-informed and genuinely human look at what it takes to help someone recover their quality of life. RESOURCES: \- Pain Coach: Clinical software helping clinicians turn complex chronic pain into simple habit targets. Sign-up here: https://paincoach.co \- Derek Griffin's socials:  X | Instagram | LinkedIn \- Listen to Peter O'sullivan episode mentioned here KEY TOPICS: 00:00 — Teaser 00:54 — Medical disclaimer 01:41 — Interview starts: Derek's marathon running and PB (2:27:04, Valencia) 04:22 — Why Derek got into chronic pain: his PhD path 06:37 — What his PhD research found 08:42 — Derek's clinical role at Bon Secours Hospital 10:58 — Why multidisciplinary care matters 11:37 — How Derek explains pain to patients 12:01 — The "is pain a protector" debate 14:02 — The neuroimmune system, explained simply 16:34 — Where modern pain explanations go wrong 18:41 — Why pain education has to drive behaviour change, not just belief 21:19 — Navigating different beliefs inside a multidisciplinary team 23:52 — Zooming into the nervous system: nociceptive vs. neuropathic vs. nociplastic pain 30:39 — The "pain is complex" fatigue 34:57 — Why simple lifestyle advice can feel invalidating - the habit-change problem 37:57 — The biggest controversy in pain science: is nociception necessary for pain? 41:15 — Shifting from "joint health" to "person health" (knee osteoarthritis) 46:14 — The big five modifiable factors: sleep, exercise, social connection, psychological wellbeing, nutrition 47:31 — How sleep affects the neuroimmune system — and your pain 54:05 — Pain Coach ad 54:33 — Is hands-on treatment necessary? The telehealth debate 1:00:29 — Derek's advice for anyone currently in pain Disclaimer: This podcast is not personalised medical advice. Please consult a health professional before acting on anything discussed.