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In today’s episode, my guest is dr Laura Ricci. Laura is a doctor of physical therapy, women’s health advocate, essential oils expert, and an avid weight lifter.
Laura struggled with years of chronic migraines and for a period of time, they were literally a daily thing for her. Doctors had no answers for her, and she was close to signing up for surgery. She had already had 18 surgeries, one of them to remove a cancerous tumor from her abdomen and others to fix her hip pain, so she really didn’t want to have another surgery.
Watch our conversation here.
Find Laura here: https://www.instagram.com/drlauraricci/
The path to true wellness isn’t always a straight line—it twists, reroutes, and often asks us to let go of what we thought we knew. For Dr. Laura Ricci, healing didn’t come from another surgery or a stricter diet—it came from within.
After almost two decades of daily pain, 18 surgeries, and every health protocol imaginable, Laura discovered something that changed everything: her pain wasn’t structural—it was neurological. And from that moment on, she began the work of unwiring old beliefs, reclaiming her body, and stepping into a version of herself that is stronger, freer, and more alive than ever.
This is Laura’s story—a journey from chronic suffering to deep transformation, shared on the podcast “A Better Way with Kersten Kimura” and on Kersten's YouTube channel, “A Better Way with Kersten Kimura”.
Laura's battle with chronic pain began in 2004 with daily headaches and recurring migraines. Like many who live with unexplained pain, she tried everything—functional medicine, holistic therapies, dietary overhauls (gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, paleo), acupuncture, chiropractic care, and more.
When none of it worked, she turned to conventional medicine, enduring two and a half years of treatment at a specialized headache clinic. Even Botox injections became part of her routine.
Eventually, her doctors said: “We’ve done everything. Next step: migraine surgery.” It was a line in the sand. Having already undergone 18 surgeries, Laura couldn’t imagine another. As a health professional, she felt helpless. “I was at the end of my rope,” she admitted.
And that’s when something unexpected entered the picture: the Curable app, and a book that would change her life—The Way Out by Alan Gordon.
Through Gordon’s work, Laura discovered the concept of Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS)—pain that isn’t caused by structural damage, but by the brain misfiring protective signals. In other words: the pain is real, but the cause is neurological, not physical.
This was both shocking and freeing. As Gordon explains, brain scans of chronic pain sufferers often light up like a “Christmas tree”—but not because of injury. The brain has simply learned to perceive danger where there isn’t any.
Laura found herself straddling two worlds: her traditional training as a physical therapist, and her lived experience as a patient who had exhausted all structural solutions.
She dove deep into the work of mind-body pioneers like Dr. Howard Schubiner, began practicing somatic tracking, and noticed real change—fast. Her headaches started to decrease. Her husband saw it too, telling her: “Your spark is coming back.”
But just as her headaches faded, other symptoms stepped in. Laura’s nervous system, no longer triggering migraines, started experimenting with different ways to “protect” her: hip pain, SI joint discomfort, fatigue, anxiety, random shoulder pain.
At first, it felt like whack-a-mole. But through her growing understanding of the symptom imperative, she saw these shifts as messages—not threats. Each new sensation was her brain asking, “Are we still in danger?”
The more she responded with compassion and curiosity instead of fear, the faster the symptoms resolved.
One of Laura’s biggest healing moments came through food. For over 10 years, she had avoided gluten and dairy out of fear that they would trigger debilitating migraines. She packed her own food for family vacations and events—just in case.
But healing meant letting go of those fears. On a trip to New Mexico—surrounded by every trigger in her mental rulebook (mountains, barometric pressure changes, restaurant food)—Laura took a risk.
She ate real, authentic Mexican food—with gluten and dairy. And nothing happened.
That moment was huge. It gave her a “glimmer” of freedom—the realization that healing wasn’t just about feeling better, but about living better.
Laura’s transformation didn’t stop at pain relief. She took things further—into the gym.
Strength training became her next frontier, not just physically, but emotionally. At first, it was terrifying. She cried in her car before workouts. She “babied” her hips and legs due to lingering TMS beliefs, lifting just 30-40 pounds.
But little by little, she built trust. Her body didn’t break—it adapted. The gym transformed from a place of fear to a place of power. Now, she thrives in “the cave”—a basement gym full of squat racks and serious lifters.
Today, she’s deadlifting over 200 pounds—and loving it.
When her hips start “talking” to her mid-lift, she doesn’t panic. She gently reassures herself: “We’re safe. We’re strong. We’re doing deadlifts now, and that’s okay.”
That kind of inner dialogue is what rewires the brain—and rewrites the story.
When Laura first started weight training, she was unknowingly undereating—only 1,600–1,650 calories a day—and overtraining. Her mood was low. Depression crept in. She was even considering antidepressants.
Her trainer (that's me, Kersten!) gave her a radical prescription: “You’re going to eat more and train less.”
And it worked.
As she increased her calories (eventually over 2,000), her mental health improved. The depression lifted. She cancelled the antidepressant appointment.
She also discovered that eating more didn’t make her weak—it made her powerful. She felt better, lifted heavier, and finally let go of the old dieting mindset. Food became fuel, not fear.
Even as the number on the scale inched up—approaching a weight tied to difficult memories—she used self-compassion to stay grounded. “I had to remind my 27-year-old self: this weight means safety now. It means strength.”
To sustain this healing, Laura incorporates simple, powerful daily habits that tell her nervous system: You’re safe.
Morning rituals: No phone or social media right away. Just birdsong, warm food, and quiet presence.
Self-compassion: Mirror work, placing a hand on her heart, saying “I forgive you” when old thoughts creep in.
Slow living: Moving intentionally, taking phone-free walks in nature, pausing during the day.
Clear boundaries: Structured social media time, no phone after 8PM, essential oils and calming sounds for wind-down.
Emotional honesty: Choosing momentary discomfort over long-term resentment—saying “no” when her body says no, even after saying yes.
These small practices add up to a powerful sense of agency.
Laura’s journey is a reminder that healing is not about “fixing” yourself—it’s about learning to listen to your body, trust your inner wisdom, and challenge the fear-based rules you’ve lived by for too long.
“You are allowed to feel good,” she says. “You’re allowed to be strong, vibrant, and free.”
Through her story, we’re reminded that healing doesn’t just change your health—it changes your life.
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