#225: The Chronic Pain and Diet Culture Connection Nobody's Talking About with DK Ciccone, Author of You're Meant to Move
In this week's episode, Abbie is joined by DK Ciccone — comprehensively certified Pilates instructor, pain reprocessing therapy practitioner, and author of You're Meant to Move — for a conversation that is both deeply personal and clinically rich.
They talk about what chronic pain actually is, why so many people have been dismissed or mislabeled, and what it looks like to rebuild a relationship with movement that isn't driven by fear, punishment, or diet culture.
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In this episode:
DK's journey with chronic pain and her past as a dancerHow chronic pain forms and why the pain is real even in the absence of ongoing tissue damage
The nervous system science behind pain sensitization — and why catastrophizing physically amplifies pain
Kinesiophobia: the fear of movement that develops after chronic pain, and how to work through it
Somatic tracking and pain reprocessing therapy as tools for understanding pain signalsHow to explore the difference between pain and discomfort
DK's "refuge and reach" framework for rebuilding a movement practice incrementally
Exploring functional movement versus "exercise"The research debunking weight loss as a solution for chronic pain
Why restriction and dieting actually increase chronic pain risk — and the clinical evidence behind it
How trauma and disconnection from the body compound the chronic pain experience
What embodied movement looks like when you're coming back from years of diet culture messaging
About DK Ciccone:
Dana Karen ("DK") Ciccone is a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor who helps people in pain improve strength, mobility, and well-being in a weight-neutral environment. She is trained in pain reprocessing therapy through the Pain Psychology Center and is the founder of Movement Remedies, a chronic pain–focused Pilates studio and movement coaching business. Her book, You're Meant to Move: A Guide to Conquering Chronic Pain, Increasing Stress Resilience, and Reclaiming an Active Life, was released in December 2023.
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