# When Tests Are Normal But You’re Still in Pain Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-secrets-of-being-podcast-6712820/when-tests-are-normal-but-you-re-still-in-pain Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-secrets-of-being-podcast-6712820/when-tests-are-normal-but-you-re-still-in-pain.md Podcast: [The Secrets of Being Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-secrets-of-being-podcast-6712820) Published: 2025-11-19T10:00:21+00:00 Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/when-tests-are-normal-but-you-re-still-in-pain--68546035 Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdcn.co/e/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/68546035/dclarkecom.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-secrets-of-being-podcast-6712820/episodes/when-tests-are-normal-but-you-re-still-in-pain Duration seconds: 2262 ## Resource Welcome back to The Secrets of Being! On this episode, I’m joined by Dr. David Clarke—a physician whose groundbreaking work bridges the gap between emotional trauma and physical illness. Dr. Clarke opens up about his own awakening in medicine. After seven years of formal medical training, he still wasn’t equipped to understand what was truly causing some of his patients’ suffering—until one case changed everything. When a woman came to him with severe gastrointestinal issues that no medication could cure, he eventually learned that her symptoms were linked to childhood sexual abuse. With the help of a psychiatrist, she recovered in just three months—without any additional procedures or prescriptions. That experience transformed how Dr. Clarke practiced medicine forever. He shares how stress, trauma, and repressed emotions can create physical symptoms that mimic disease—a concept known as neuroplastic pain. From back pain to stomach issues, Dr. Clarke reveals how the mind unloads unresolved pain into the body when it’s not processed consciously. He teaches patients to recognize emotional triggers, write unsent letters to those who’ve hurt them, and bring awareness to hidden stressors from both the past and present. We also talk about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how childhood trauma can silently shape the body’s responses decades later. Dr. Clarke compares it to lava simmering beneath the surface—always there, waiting to erupt unless it’s addressed with compassion and care. What’s most profound about his approach is how simple it is: listening, talking, and validating patients’ emotional experiences can lead to physical healing. Less than one percent of doctors incorporate this mind-body model into their practice, but Dr. Clarke’s work is paving the way for… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-secrets-of-being-podcast-6712820/episodes/when-tests-are-normal-but-you-re-still-in-pain/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-secrets-of-being-podcast-6712820/when-tests-are-normal-but-you-re-still-in-pain.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.