Nir And Far: Business, Behaviour and the Brain

The Pain Paradox: How Fear of Pain Creates More Pain

Jul 7, 2025

Explore the intriguing 'pain paradox' that reveals how fear of pain can actually heighten suffering. Discover the transformative journey of a musician who overcame chronic pain through a remarkable shift in mindset. Learn about pain reprocessing therapy and its power to foster healing. This enlightening discussion merges personal experience with scientific insights, highlighting the mind's role in physical well-being. Join in to uncover how curiosity can break the cycle of fear and lead to recovery.

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ANECDOTE

Sophie’s Chronic Pain Journey

Sophie Hawley-Weld endured chronic migraines and back pain that disrupted her busy music career.
Traditional treatments failed, and injections worsened her fear and condition before she found relief.

INSIGHT

Pain Resides in the Brain

Pain exists in the brain, not just in damaged tissues.
Chronic pain often arises from the brain's overprotective predictions rather than current physical harm.

INSIGHT

The Pain-Fear Cycle

A conditioned brain response links neutral triggers to pain, escalating suffering without injury.
Fear of pain predicts worse outcomes even when initial pain is mild or short-lived.

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In the opening shot of the music video for “Throw Some Ass,” the camera scans a clinical white sign: “Sofi Tukker Center for Asses That Don’t Move Good.” Inside the mock hospital, a heart monitor flatlines—until the beat drops. Suddenly, the music video erupts into a NSFW riot of sensual movement. To fans, the song is a catchy ode to booty shaking, but to Sophie Hawley-Weld, one half of electronic music duo Sofi Tukker, it was a revelation of her journey through chronic pain and the power of the mind.

In 2018, Sophie and Tucker Halpern were in the middle of a whirlwind year—releasing their first (later Grammy-nominated) album, launching their own record label, and headlining tours—when Sophie began to have chronic migraines.

“We were full-time touring … there was so much happening,” Sophie explained on the podcast Like Mind, Like Body. “We were going out five nights a week. We were traveling way crazier than we are now … Because our career was so new, we said yes to every opportunity, and it put our bodies through a strain. I didn’t do the simple things as well, like take a walk and go get sunlight, all these things I’ve learned how to do since this [pain]. So my body was really confused.”

For the next year and a half, Sophie endured debilitating chronic migraines that forced her to retreat to dark rooms. “I was having to cancel shows, and nothing was working.”

Later, back pain created a destructive cycle when traditional medical approaches failed. She tried every drug and treatment she could find, but they didn’t work. Doctors recommended cortisone injections for her back, which only intensified her fear and worsened her condition—a phenomenon well-documented in pain studies.

As a performing artist, her inability to move without pain didn’t just affect her health; it jeopardized her thriving career.

Yet today, Sophie has been nearly pain-free for almost seven months. How did she get there?

You can read the Nir And Far blog post on: The Pain Paradox: How Fear of Pain Creates More Pain ⁠here⁠.

Nir And Far, a podcast about business, behaviour and the brain by Nir Eyal. If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe on iTunes and leave an iTunes review. It will greatly help new listeners discover the show. Please visit my website Nir and Far for other info about my writing, books and teaching: ⁠http://www.nirandfar.com/