In this episode of The Pain Podcast, Tim Beames and Bart van Buchem explore a deceptively simple question: can assessment itself be therapeutic?

Drawing on clinical experience from both in-person and online practice, they unpack how physical examinations are never neutral acts. Every question asked, every movement explored, and every test performed can shape expectations, build trust, reduce threat — or sometimes unintentionally increase it.

Rather than viewing assessment as a box-ticking exercise, Tim and Bart discuss assessment as a shared process of sense-making. They explore:

• How validation, reassurance, and curiosity can emerge before any treatment begins

• The difference between testing and exploring

• Why over-testing can sometimes increase uncertainty or fear

• How assessments can update internal models and predictions about the body

• The role of safety, trust, and co-creation in early clinical encounters

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