Your pain might not mean damage and that could change everything. In this episode of Take a Pain Check, we sit down with Vanessa Blackstone, Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center, to talk about Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) — a science-backed approach helping people move beyond “just managing” chronic pain. We break down how the brain can learn pain, why fear keeps symptoms stuck, and how safety, language, and emotional trust can unlock real recovery. If you’ve been told your pain is permanent, this conversation may completely change how you see your body.

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What happens when both a mother and daughter are diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis?In today’s episode, we sit down with USPORTS basketball athlete, advocate, and STEM Without Limits scholar, McKinley Penninga, and her mom Lisa Penninga, to talk about navigating life as a family living with the same chronic illness.Diagnosed years apart, McKinley and Lisa share:- how psoriatic arthritis shaped their mother-daughter bond- the early signs Lisa saw in McKinley based on her own lived experience- what it was like recognizing symptoms she personally knew all too well- how both supported each other through flare days, school challenges, and identity changesMcKinley opens up about staying in basketball, balancing varsity-level training with chronic pain, and proving that invisible illness doesn’t define your athletic ability. Lisa shares the parent perspective while managing her own health needs — something rarely talked about in chronic illness stories. Together, they discuss advocacy, youth voice in healthcare, the STEM Without Limits Scholarship, and how their shared experiences are shaping the healthcare provider McKinley hopes to become.Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...Our socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-checkhttps://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.

He could barely move at 15 and now he’s redefining strength. When doctors told Zac Spinosa he might never train again, he refused to accept it. Diagnosed with Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Macrophage Activation Syndrome, he refused to let that be the end of his story. Instead, he built Forge Fitness, a community where disability doesn’t mean limitation and pain becomes power. In this episode of Take a Pain Check, Zac opens up about hitting rock bottom and choosing to fight back, building a gym that truly includes people with chronic illness, the mindset shift that changed everything, and what strength really means when your body is working against you. If you’ve ever been told you can’t, this episode will make you believe you can. Watch now, get inspired, and rethink what strength looks like.Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.Our socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-checkhttps://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckZac's socials: @ZacTheArthritisCoach