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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness
@drzoffness.bsky.social
6.4K followers 1.6K following 300 posts
Pain scientist. Asst Clinical prof @ UCSF, lecture @ Stanford. Psychologist. Disruptor. Author📚 The Pain Management Workbook. Neuroscience nerd 🧠 #medsky #medtwitter #SciComm #neuroskyence zoffness.com
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · Nov 17
❌ There is no "pain center" in the brain.

🧠 Rather, pain is a diffuse neurological process involving MANY brain sites, including PFC (attention), cerebral cortex (thoughts) + limbic system, critical parts of our emotion circuitry💥

📣 Pain is *both* physical and emotional ALWAYS 👏🏼
#MedSky #psyscisky
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 7h
Hm. Welp, this is a free talk for anyone who wants to come. Zero forcing of anyone to do anything. None of my patients will be in attendance. And I don't wear a white coat. And this has nothing to do with opioids. Sounds like you are suffering and I hope you get well soon.
drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 11h
Eh?
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 22h
Upcoming talk for the disability & chronic pain community on the science of pain and how to heal with @birdability.bsky.social - talk is free & accessible to all 💥💥💥

When: Mon 10/20 @ 7pm ET/4pm PT
Where: birdability.org

Join us!! 🙏🏼
#medsky #neuroskyence #disability #scisky 🧪
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 1d
Woot!!! 🙏🏼💥
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
birdability.bsky.social
Birdability @birdability.bsky.social · 2d
Birdability Week starts in ONE WEEK! Join us a week from today to kick off Birdability Week 2025 with an insightful conversation w/ @drzoffness.bsky.social, pain scientist & thought-leader who is reshaping how the world understands and treats pain. Also PRIZES!

www.birdability.org/birdability-...
A dark blue graphic with two circular photos: Dr. Rachel Zoffness @therealdoczoff , a woman with long hair smiling outdoors, and Birdability Captain Jayme Boucher with a yellow @Nocs monocular up to her face and short bangs. There are diamond shapes in coordinating colors and a Birdability Week logo by artist @JennyGringer that is a linocut print with a bird and butterfly and flowers along with the words You Belong Here. Text announces an October 20, 2025, conversation about pain with the two of them.
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 13d
Oh my.
drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 13d
Jane Goodall was one of the reasons I decided to study animal behavior, biology & neuroscience. She was living proof that women DO and *WILL ALWAYS* belong in science. RIP Dear Dr. Goodall 🙏🏼♥️

www.latimes.com/obituaries/s...
Jane Goodall, trailblazing naturalist whose intimate observations of chimpanzees transformed our understanding of humankind, has died
Jane Goodall, the trailblazing naturalist whose intimate observations of chimpanzees in the African wild produced powerful insights that transformed basic conceptions of humankind, has died. She was 9...
www.latimes.com
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 19d
The secret to pain management?
👉🏼 Reduce fear, stress & anxiety.
👉🏼Engage the BRAIN & all 5 senses, including touch 🧠
👉🏼Distract.
👉🏼Help patients feel safe. Soothe.
👉🏼Lower the brain's danger alarm. 🚨

Kudos to doctors who employ strategies like therapy dogs to lower pain volume 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙌🏼
weratedogs.com
WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · 19d
This is Annie. She is a dental therapy dog. Her job is to help patients experiencing anxiety by providing emotional support. While dentists go through years of schooling to treat patients Annie is able to lower their blood pressure and reduce anxiety just by being there. 14/10 (TT: funny.bunny9215)
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 21d
This made lol, thank you
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
kiswanson.medsky.social
Kyle Swanson, MD, FAANS, FCNS @kiswanson.medsky.social · 21d
It is crazy that in America your lifetime risk of death from a firearm is higher than a car accident
Odds of Dying (2023 Data) - Injury Facts
Knowing the odds of dying is the first step in beating them. New 2023 data shows the risks from plane crashes, guns, falls and more.
injuryfacts.nsc.org
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 21d
totes. Still my favorite podcast of all time, shhhhhh 🤫
#dolorology
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 22d
Hi! I appreciate the passion but that's not what the studies show AT ALL. They simply show a correlation between poor sleep & fibro, which is well established. There is nothing in these papers to suggest that SDB *causes* fibro nor that treating SDB is the cure. Sleep is only part of the problem 🙏🏼
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 24d
Where do these "big three" symptoms come from, are they in the DSM, from research, or is this your observation from clinical work? It tracks for me as a clinician, but I've never heard this before...!
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 26d
Perhaps. But the points made in this book are a bit different. The author, one of the authors of the DSM, describes how we've expanded the definition of "depression" so significantly that it now encompasses NORMAL human experiences of sadness. We are literally medicating normal all the time now.
drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · 26d
Saving Normal by Dr. Allen Frances is the most important book I've read in a decade, hands down. Covers the definitions of "normal" & "abnormal" mental health, & the over-medicalization/over-medicating of society.

5 stars. Recommend to everyone you know ⭐️ #medsky #psychsky #neuroskyence 🧪
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
silverpebble2.bsky.social
Emma Mitchell @silverpebble2.bsky.social · Sep 14
Younger daughter and I have been working on prototypes for the small portable museums that will be in my Etsy shop soon. We’ll be making a wooden grid in each tin for the finds & a booklet about the neuroscience of how collecting & arranging your finds alleviates anxiety & lifts mood #mentalhealth
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
ryanestrada.com
Ryan Estrada @ryanestrada.com · Sep 6
Just a reminder to check for your name in this list of books that OpenAI trained from. If your name is there, they probably owe you several thousand dollars.

OpenAI cried that if everyone eligible author files, the company will go bankrupt, so I'm alerting every author I have ever spoken to.
Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI
Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.
www.theatlantic.com
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
sutherlandphd.bsky.social
Stephani Sutherland @sutherlandphd.bsky.social · Aug 21
I’ve resurrected my monthly newsletter, Notes on Pain eepurl.com/jh0VaM
Notes on Pain Aug 2025
eepurl.com
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · Aug 25
I didn't even know you had this! So excited, will share.
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drzoffness.bsky.social
Dr. Rachel Zoffness @drzoffness.bsky.social · Aug 21
What a great example of the connection between brain and body!! 👶🏻🍼😁
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
nickngjournalist.bsky.social
Nick Ng @nickngjournalist.bsky.social · Aug 17
3 chronic #lowbackpain treatments have promising long-term results based on curent body of research:

🤾 Exercise
👩‍⚕️ Psychological treatments (e.g. CBT, ACT)
🤝 Self-management programs

A highlight of myths and what mostly works for cLBP.

#painscience #pain

massagefitnessmag.com/massage/chro...
Chronic low back pain: What sciences supports vs. what it doesn’t - Massage & Fitness Magazine
Key takeaways Chronic low back pain stems from multiple causes, including biological, psychological, societal, and environmental factors.  The current body of research points out that a multidisciplin...
massagefitnessmag.com
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
daniellebeckman.bsky.social
Danielle Beckman @daniellebeckman.bsky.social · Aug 13
Yesterday marked 11 years since we lost #RobinWilliams to suicide. A reminder that the brightest smiles can sometimes hide the deepest struggles. He was misdiagnosed with Parkinson's when he had Lewy body dementia (confirmed on autopsy). Check your friends 🖤 #MentalHealthMatters
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
jtrebach.bsky.social
Josh Trebach, MD @jtrebach.bsky.social · Aug 7
👋 medical toxicologist here and I am begging people to not take this gas station “wellness” drink

want to know why?? 🧵
Feel free classic Drink
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
scifri.bsky.social
Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · Aug 5
📚Calling all science book lovers!

Join the SciFri Book Club, an online community to connect with fellow readers, dive into science books, and attend events like author talks. This month, we’re reading “Our Moon” by Rebecca Boyle.

buff.ly/TMeMqL8
Cover of Our Moon book cover on the background there is a library
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Reposted by Dr. Rachel Zoffness
cfsresearch.bsky.social
ME/CFS research @cfsresearch.bsky.social · Jan 26
The mind/body revolution: how the division between ‘mental’ and ‘physical’ illness fails us all www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
The mind/body revolution: how the division between ‘mental’ and ‘physical’ illness fails us all
New research shows western medicine’s traditional split between brain and body is, in fact, far from clear cut – and could provide a breakthrough for many complex conditions
www.theguardian.com
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