About The Pain Deck

Like many clinicians, I was taught that “pain education is important” – but not how to do it when you’ve got 30–45 minutes, a complex history, and a full clinic list.

Over the years, working primarily in pelvic health, helping people with chronic pelvic pain, I found myself reaching for the same metaphors and explanations, over and over again.

I also knew the evidence: pain neuroscience education is most effective when it’s:

  • Personalised

  • Repeated over time

  • Linked to meaningful action

  • Delivered in a way that feels safe and collaborative

The Pain Deck grew out of that gap between theory and reality. It’s the tool I wanted on my desk: structured enough to keep me on track, flexible enough to fit different people, and simple enough to use on a busy Tuesday afternoon.

Who is The Pain Deck for?

The Pain Deck is designed for clinicians who work with people living with persistent or recurrent pain, including:

  • Physiotherapists and physical therapists

  • OTs and rehab professionals

  • Pain clinicians and specialist nurses

  • Anyone else working with people with persistent or recurrent pain

You don’t need to be a “pain specialist” to use it. You just need to care about the quality of your conversations.

What you’ll get

  • A deck of durable cards organised by theme, ready to use in clinic. 20 are starter cards, 3 are decision cards and 10 are strategy cards.

  • An evidence-informed clinician guide with potential session structures, example dialogues and suggested activities.

    Keen to find out more?

    The Pain Deck launches January 5th

    Be on the waiting list to be the first to have an opportunity to purchase The Pain Deck



Each card gives you:

  • a single focused concept

  • a metaphor, explanation or prompt

  • questions to open up two-way discussion

  • ideas for linking education to action

    The cards aren’t a formal outcome measure — they don’t replace screening tools or questionnaires.
    Instead, they act as a simple, structured way to explore the thoughts, worries, and patterns that shape each patient’s experience of pain.

    Then the strategy cards help you turn those themes into a treatment plan: whether that’s reframing pain concepts, building movement confidence, improving regulation, supporting sleep, or addressing unhelpful coping strategies.

Themes include:

  • Nervous system sensitivity

  • Threat, safety and context

  • Beliefs, expectations and fear

  • Flare-ups, pacing and load

  • Movement, avoidance and behaviour change

  • Sleep, stress and recovery