PT528 – Chronic Pain and Inducing Neuroplasticity With Psychedelics, with Lynn Watkins, Retired USAF, and C.J. Spotswood, PMHNP

In this episode, Joe and REMAP Therapeutics Founder, Court Wing, host Lynn Watkins: medically retired USAF JAG & Ops Resource Mgmt Specialist; and C.J. Spotswood, PMHNP: principle psychiatric clinician at REMAP Therapeutics, and author of The Microdosing Guidebook: A Step-by-Step Manual to Improve Your Physical and Mental Health through Psychedelic Medicine. Watkins tells her story of 20+ years of chronic pain: from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome brought on by a severed nerve to multiple foot surgeries, chest pains, cognitive issues, the inability to move her toes, burning mouth syndrome, and more, which unsurprisingly resulted in depression, anxiety, and being unable to work. Wing and Spotswood talk about their initial assessment, how they figured out how to work with her and her multitude of medications, and the incredible success they saw when combining practiced techniques, neuromodulation, and regular assessments with neuroplastic windows brought on by psilocybin. They discuss: How much preparation was done before introducing psychedelics, and the importance of realizing that they were dealing with PTSD How often a history of chronic pain is related to a history of trauma, whether the patient realizes it or not Consequences and complications of medications, specifically Clonazepam in Watkins’ case The cascade of ailments and side effects that can happen from just one injury and more! For links, head to the show notes page.