Dr. Charlotte Small on pain management, chronic pain, and achieving pain-life balance: from RAF to NHS and Leva Clinic

Today we are thrilled to have Dr. Charlotte Small, Chief Medical Officer at the UK’s Leva Clinic, on the podcast. The Leva Clinic, based in the UK and integrated with NHS services, specializes in personalized chronic pain management, advocating for individualized treatment approaches tailored to each patient's needs. In this episode, Dr. Small shares her innovative work and stresses the importance of advocating for yourself. Dr. Small also discusses conditions such as fibromyalgia, certain types of migraines, and irritable bowel syndrome, where there is limited general social understanding and many misconceptions. She addresses myths about pain conditions being fabricated and emphasizes the importance of educating the public about these often misunderstood conditions. Dr. Small delves into the profound impact chronic pain can have on a person's life, highlighting how it affects mental well-being and the psychological aspects intertwined with pain management. Additionally, she explores the connections between pain and trauma, as well as pain in relation to neurodiversity, offering valuable insights into these complex relationships. Notably, 13 to 18 percent of the population in the UK will live with moderate or severe chronic pain conditions, underscoring the significance of the work being done at the Leva Clinic.

Dr. Small started her anaesthetics training in the Royal Air Force and was previously the Virtual Reality Lead within the Academic Department of Military Anaesthesia and Critical Care.

She was the Chair of the West Midlands Trainee Research in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Network and completed a PhD at the University of Birmingham and an MSc in Pain Management at Cardiff University.

She has experience in treating a range of chronic pain conditions and is the co-founder of the Skylark Project, improving access to care for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, alongside the Flying Child Project.

Learn more about Leva Clinic at https://www.levaclinic.com/ and connect @levaclinic on Instagram and Facebook

Featured resources from this episode:

Dr. Small recommends reading It's All In Your Head by Suzanne O'Sullivan for those experiencing or who want to learn more about chronic pain and misunderstood conditions.

Learn more about The Flying Child - UK-based, survivor-led, non-profit organisation, founded by Sophie Olson – a survivor of intrafamilial CSA.  Their aim is to normalise speaking about child sexual abuse, in society, in professional settings and within the survivor community itself.

Learn more about Skylarks - UK-based independent charity offering a range of activities for children with additional needs, their siblings and parents/carers, both online and face-to-face.

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Host: Jean Campbell 

Executive Producer: Jean Campbell

Producer: Sigourney Watson 

Post-Production Producer: Wicked Child Studio, Hailey Rovner Malach

Composer: Edoardo Vella