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Outsmart The Pain is an inaugural podcast curated to explore the realities of persistent pain. Join physician and pain specialist Karsten Ahlbeck, as he conducts informative and inspiring solo episodes as well as interviews with individuals and experts who understand what it’s like to live with long-term pain. Examining key themes such as symptoms, types of pain and how to receive an honest diagnosis. One in five people suffer with persistent pain, many in silence. It’s time to end the stigma and raise awareness. Listen to alter your perspective and ignite your curiosity. And to just to lift your spirits with off-pain topics as well!
Episodes

Sunday Sep 18, 2022
Outsmart the pain S3E2 - Insight: Energy and some pain
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
An insight episode - the shorter version with some extras!
If you haven’t listened to the last episode about energy you can listen to this short recap to get a glimpse! And I even make a connection to persistent pain. And it’s not ‘lack of energy’ or anything else that obvious.
Making you curious? Just 15 minutes of insight. You can do it.

Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
Outsmart the pain - Energy explained by the expert !
Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
Season 3 of Outsmart the Pain is finally out there!
Energy is on everyone´s mind right now. In Sweden, there is a lot of politics involved in dealing with high prices and what to do about it.
But from a non-political view - what is it all about? How are the prices set? What on earth do the Amish have to do with horse power? And how can all energy on earth be nuclear?
Many questions answered in this episode. Everyone interested in energy really needs to listen to this one! Without politics involved :-)

Sunday Jul 10, 2022
Insight episode - what can the psychologist do?!
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
This is a short conclusion + my own thoughts around the last two episodes with psychologist and associate professor Rikard Wicksell.
What can be done if "everything has been tried" ? And what can be done in society in the future to get things going, and going better?
This is the last episode for Season 2 - thank you for listening! It has been a great pleasure having you, and I am looking forward to next season starting in August. Today you will get a little teaser on what is there waiting for you.
Have a splendid summer and please tell your friends to listen to this pod!

Sunday Jul 03, 2022
Outsmart the pain - we can do more!
Sunday Jul 03, 2022
Sunday Jul 03, 2022
Part 2 since my talk with Rikard Wicksell was so long. Listen to the previous episode first!
Why are some people not getting better in their pain although healthcare is throwing them all different kind of medication?
And society itself, does it do enough in the fight against pain? Well, that was of course a rhethorical question, but what to do about it?
This and a lot more in today´s episode.
Be my guest!

Sunday Jun 26, 2022
Outsmart the pain - what can the psychologist really do?
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
Meet clinical psychologist and associate professor at Karolinska Institutet, Rikard Wicksell!
When medication is not the whole solution, or any solution at all, what can you do about your pain (or actually any other condition as well) ?
What is the true problem when not reaching the treatment goal?
We talk about what the psychologist can do. Is there a "golden" therapy like cognitive behavioural therapy, or ACT, or anything else? And how did it all start, actually?
Why does Rikard not like when we tell the patient to lose weight?
What was that thing about Mozart.....?
You will definitely enter a new world of thinking if you join me in this episode. Since we had so much to talk about, my interview will actually be divided in two parts. This is the first one, next one next week!

Sunday Jun 19, 2022
Outsmart the pain - who or what is actually crazy?
Sunday Jun 19, 2022
Sunday Jun 19, 2022
Today I will be talking about when somethings seems crazy.
Could be that pain - jumping around the body. Getting worse after that surgery that was supposed to help. Or something else.
Could be the patient. Or at least the doctor (or relatives) think something crazy is going on, because s/he is describing something which can not be understood.
Could be the doctor. Why on earth does s/he recommend weight loss when it has nothing to do with my pain?
I will explain why it seems hard to explain, and how to actually do it. And what to do about it. With true patient stories that also are crazy, but then it is probably because I am the one to tell them.
Come join me! And send me mail commenting on it!

Sunday Jun 12, 2022
Outsmart the pain -Professor Henrik about prostate cancer
Sunday Jun 12, 2022
Sunday Jun 12, 2022
Another episode, another subject.
This time I talk with Henrik, an oncologist and professor who developed the Stockholm 3 test, which seems to revolutionize the prostate cancer screening possibilities in Sweden. That is why he won the award "cancer researcher of 2022".
But we do not only talk about this, but about prostate cancer in such.
I had no idea prostate cancer is well abundant in the Western world, but is also the most common cancer in some countries in Africa. And very rare in Asia. We don´t know why.
Why does pain not seem to be a big problem any more regarding prostate cancer? Why did Henrik succeed at his current hospital? And what is he talking about with hospitals in Malaysia?
He plays golf; I said you should not hire someone with a low handicap. And I also said you shouldnt recruit a researcher for clinical work. He did not flinch.
Follow me in this very interesting episode of Outsmart the pain!

Sunday Jun 05, 2022
Insight Pill Shaming
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
An interesting but maybe difficult subject on "pill shaming" - there is some shame to taking tablets. Even if you need to, and the physician has prescribed them.
The most important thing about this subject is to be able to reason if it is right or not. And not all people - including health care personel - do this reasoning. They already made up their minds. And if a patient "wanting" to take pills, and the health care "refusing" presciptions - how can they eventually understand each other?
Through information. And hopefully this episode will shed some light on things or at least raise some interest. Even including a very practical morphine-based example to show how you need to think in two completely different directions depending on the situation.
Also, a short teaser on next week´s episode with Henrik Grönberg, a professor and oncologist who was awarded "cancer researcher of the year 2022", who will talk about prostate cancer.
If you have 20 minutes to spare - join me in this episode!

Sunday May 29, 2022
Outsmart the pain - Pillshaming!
Sunday May 29, 2022
Sunday May 29, 2022
We physicians give patients pills. And we hope for the best.
Sometimes it works, maybe not perfect but it is better than not taking the pills.
And we are satisfied with that.
But then there is pill shaming.
The own feeling that ”this is not good”. And on top of this the surroundings - that is relatives, friends, coworkers and so on, experts on their own who say you should not really take the medication.
In this episode, Carin Hjulström and I talk about the chapter in Överlista smärtan/Outsmart the pain, about medication and the passage about pill shaming.
This is a kind of a two-part medication episode where I next week will continue with my own thoughts, recommendations and patient examples. So be sure to listen to this one to get ahead of next week´s talk as well!
As always, I am so grateful you listen to my pod. Follow me, and tell your friends to listen as well!

Sunday May 22, 2022
Outsmart the pain - Anesthetic Life & Death
Sunday May 22, 2022
Sunday May 22, 2022
Being an anesthetist before I turned 100% pain, I met a lot of different challenges during my time at the ICUs, surgery and more, both in Sweden and in the U.K.
I noticed people enjoy these strange stories...so why not make a short episode about this today?
There are some sad stories, so keep out of this episode if you don´t want to hear it today. But I also tell you about the guy who tried to swallow a pair of glasses, and about the one who thought I was trying to find an axe in his leg.
Whether you like it or not - let me know at karsten@karstenahlbeck.com!
If you like it - make sure to tell your friends to listen as well.
Come join me.
Episode image: photo by Kate Stone Matheson on Unsplash