Why does Rachel Zoffness use Usain Bolt to explain the difference between pain and damage?

Rachel Zoffness says Usain Bolt had scoliosis severe enough that one leg was about half an inch shorter than the other, yet he felt little pain and won eight Olympic gold medals. If damage on scans caused pain, she argues, he would be disabled. She uses the case to separate hurt from harm, and adds that in endometriosis the amount of tissue overgrowth does not predict how much pain a woman feels.

• Zoffness says there is no such thing as fake pain, even when scans look normal.
• She says surgery and medication can save lives but are not the only or best answer for chronic pain.

▸In their words

“Pain is always real.” Rachel Zoffness · at 1:15:42 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Hidden Brain (2026-10-19). Read the whole episode summary →

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