Understanding Chronic Pain with Nicola Michell

In this episode on Inside the Box, we're diving deep into the multifaceted world of chronic pain, and how to treat it with both science and empathy. Our guest is Nicola Michell, the founder of City Physio in Sydney’s CBD, a titled Pain Physio who thrives on complexity, loves a challenge, and is on a mission to prevent chronicity where possible.

Nicola brings a rare mix of clinical insight, real-life experience, and passionate advocacy for better chronic pain management—especially for women. She’s also a mum to Audrey, chronically sleep-deprived, a strength-training junkie, black coffee lover, and still somehow finds time to keep up with Grey’s Anatomy.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• The Complex Nature of Chronic Pain
  What makes chronic pain so misunderstood—and so difficult to treat?

• Physio’s Role in Chronic Pain
  How can we, as physiotherapists, evolve our approach and better support patients in pain?

• Sleep & Pain: A Two-Way Street
  What we now know about the relationship between chronic pain and sleep disturbances

  • Nicola’s practical tips for helping your body access restorative sleep

• Pain on a Plate
  The impact of diet on chronic pain conditions

  • Nutritional insights for women’s pain management—what helps, what harms

• Perimenopause & Hormonal Shifts
  Why oestrogen plays a critical role in pain modulation, and how changing hormones in midlife can affect pain experience

• The Caregiver’s Burden
  How traditional female caregiving roles increase the emotional load—and how this intensifies chronic pain experiences

• The Science of Threat & Conditioning
  Classical conditioning, perceived threat, and how the brain “learns” pain

  • How this knowledge can reshape the way we talk to and treat people in pain

Whether you're a clinician looking to deepen your understanding, or someone navigating chronic pain yourself, this episode offers science-backed insights, honest conversation, and practical tools for a more holistic approach.

Connect with Nicola Michell
Instagram: @nicola_cityphysio
City Physio: cityphysio.com.au