Pain is NO joke.

Science builds understanding.
Play builds safety.

Guess what? So does creativity. And education. And curiosity. And connection.

That's why we're putting them all together!

Pain Is No Joke is the first-of-its-kind group coaching program that combines modern pain science with creative strategies to treat pain.

The in-person session is currently ongoing! You can still join the virtual waitlist.

Join The Group

Pain makes life feel dull.

Fewer hobbies, outings, activities, & adventures. Less time laughing with your favorite people. Too many 'no's and 'maybe next time's.

And yet, many programs treat pain as something to manage, to deal with.

This one treats it as something to understand and respond to with new options.

When people understand how pain works and discover safety again, something important happens: Fear drops. Confidence grows. Movement becomes possible again.

Life finds it's way back in.

This is for you if...

→ Chronic pain is interfering with your life

→ You're curious about a different approach to pain

→ You are afraid or cautious with movement

→ You're open to learning something new

This series is especially supportive for people whose pain has been present for a long time, doesn't make sense, or comes and goes without pattern.

Ready to discover a different way to treat pain?

Your investment: $319

Add your name to the virtual waitlist

"When she invited me to try [the series], I expected to learn more about the connection between the brain and pain and to gain a few new tools for managing discomfort.

What I did not expect was how much fun it would be. Our group of six quickly felt at ease, and Jen made the experience enjoyable from the start. We played games that naturally incorporated lessons, so it never felt like a lecture. It also was not like a forced leadership retreat where you worry about saying or doing the wrong thing.

It was a great experience!"

Here are some specifics:

• We include 6 sessions in this series. Every Tuesday for 6 weeks, we meet in person as an intentionally small group for coaching.

• Each session will include: education on how pain works, interactive exercises that train flexible thinking, gentle movement through games and activities, and time to chat with other people who get it.

• This isn't a series of lectures. This series is designed to help you get curious about pain, alternative strategies, and your nervous system.

• Everything we do is optional and modifiable.

• Two things you can expect to get out of this series are laughter and understanding.

Designed using the EMP framework

Education

↓

Research shows that learning about pain reduces the intensity and frequency of pain.

That's why each session begins with pain education around modern pain science and strategies.

We use interactive stories to make complex ideas understandable and relatable.

Motion

↓

Motion is lotion. Movement gets blood flowing and calms nerves down.

No workouts! Just interactive activities that invite gentle movement, all within your control.

Our goal is to teach your nervous system that movement can feel safe again.

Power Down

↓

Powering down the nervous system. Rediscovering safety.

For many people, persistent pain indicates an overprotective nervous system.

Movement, laughter, and connection help to calm the nervous system, re-teaching it to feel safe.

Add Me To The List

"Jen has an amazing way of helping us learn how pain works."

- K

"Jen has such a novel approach to dealing with pain."

- Tanya

Meet your facilitator!

Jen Uschold, PT

Fellow of Pain Science

Physical Therapist, pain science educator, and improvisational practitioner.

Jen combines modern Pain Neuroscience Education with improvisational exploration to help people rediscover safety, movement, and possibility in themselves.

More about Jen

Is there research supporting this approach?

Improv itself hasn’t been studied as a direct “pain treatment.” What is well-supported in Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) research is combining education, movement (“motion is lotion”), and powering down the nervous system.

Improv for Pain is a structured way to bring those three research-supported strategies into one experience, while also leveraging play, laughter, and connection (which have their own supporting evidence).

How does education help ease pain?

Decades of Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) research support teaching people how pain works often leads to less fear, more movement, less medical care, and better
function.

A key takeaway in modern pain science is that pain is an output of the brain and nervous system. Pain does not always equal tissue damage. Each session begins with a focused PNE theme, followed by guided improv exercises that help you explore and integrate that theme. Education is not just delivered, it’s experienced.

How does improv support movement?

Movement (motion is lotion) helps the body and nervous system through something very relatable: blood flow and circulation, and your nervous system loves blood flow and movement, which creates less sensitivity.

Improv supports movement because it invites:
● intentional choice to move
● position changes
● expressive physical exploration
● options to scale intensity and pace in the moment and as you choose

All activities are modifiable. No performance pressure. No pushing.

Is laughter actually helpful for pain?

Yes. Research links laughter, and humor with improvements in well-being, easing pain, and decreased stress levels. In PNE, humor can be an option to calm and power down the nervous system.

Laughter creates safety.

This series is not just another treatment to try out or a program that asks you to push through.

It's a structured, science-informed experience designed to help you understand your pain, move with more confidence, and find a little more ease in your days.

It will shift how you understand pain, how you relate to movement, and how your nervous system responds - all changes that research shows make a real difference.

It is intentionally capped at 12 participants to ensure everyone is comfortable and learning remains possible.

Not in the DMV area or missed out on the current in-person group?

Join the waitlist here to be notified first about the next start date:

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