Desiree Azizoddin, PsyD

This quote came from an interview, likely on the Huberman Lab Podcast (hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-s…), where I was discussing the science of pain. Taken out of context, I understand it sounded dismissive or upsetting. We’ll do better to provide full context in the future. Pain isn’t just signals from the body — those are nociception. Pain is how your brain interprets those signals. It’s a subjective, whole-person experience — and that’s what we treat. In that interview, I explained the complexity of pain: how it begins as signals in the body, is shaped by processing in the spinal cord, and ultimately becomes the experience of pain in the brain. Why does this matter? Because our treatments target different parts of this system. Take shoulder pain, for example: NSAIDs (like ibuprofen or naproxen) act on inflammation in the shoulder, but also alter signaling in the spinal cord and brain. Duloxetine, an FDA-approved treatment for some pain conditions, mainly affects the brain and brainstem. Opioids do not act directly in the shoulder — they target spinal cord and brain circuits that process pain. This framework also applies to physical rehabilitation, mind-body treatments, procedures, and more. The most effective approach often combines multiple treatments tailored to the person. Understanding pain pathways is essential to developing safer, more effective treatments. That’s what drives our work. Our mission is to reduce pain and its impact — together, with you.