For Clinicians & Healthcare Professionals
A patient-facing, education-first program informed by contemporary pain neuroscience and behavioural science.
What is Painless?
Painless is a digital, self-guided program designed to help patients with chronic pain and functional somatic symptoms better understand pain mechanisms, reduce fear and threat responses, and gradually re-engage with activity and life.
The program helps patients:
- Understand modern pain mechanisms
- Reduce fear, threat, and hypervigilance around symptoms
- Develop emotional awareness and regulation skills
- Gradually re-engage with activity and daily life
The focus is on education, reassurance, and behavioural change rather than symptom suppression.
What Painless is Not
Painless is not:
- A diagnostic tool
- A replacement for medical assessment or treatment
- A claim that pain is "imaginary" or "all psychological"
- A guarantee of symptom resolution
- A substitute for physiotherapy, psychotherapy, or medical care where indicated
Patients are repeatedly encouraged to seek appropriate medical evaluation, particularly where red flags or diagnostic uncertainty are present.
Clinical Rationale
The program is informed by well-established models in pain science and behavioural medicine, including:
Nociplastic Pain
Central sensitisation frameworks and nociplastic pain models
Fear-Avoidance
Threat-based pain amplification and fear-avoidance cycles
Cognitive Processes
Attentional and cognitive processes in pain perception
Emotional Awareness
Emotional awareness and expression approaches
Graded Exposure
Behavioural re-engagement through graded exposure
Pain Neuroscience
Education rooted in contemporary pain neuroscience
The content emphasises that pain is real, biologically mediated, and influenced by central nervous system processes — without minimising patients' lived experience.
Evidence Base
Painless is informed by a growing body of peer-reviewed research demonstrating that education-based and behavioural interventions can meaningfully reduce pain and disability in selected chronic pain populations.
Relevant research areas include:
- Pain neuroscience education
- Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
- Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)
- Fear-avoidance and exposure-based pain models
- Cognitive and affective modulation of pain
A curated list of supporting studies is available on our Evidence & References page. Painless itself is not presented as a standalone, clinically validated treatment, and no outcome claims are made beyond those supported by existing literature.
How Clinicians Might Use Painless
Clinicians may consider Painless as:
Adjunct to Treatment
A complement to physiotherapy or psychological therapy
Educational Resource
A structured resource for patients struggling with fear, catastrophising, or symptom hypervigilance
Waitlist Support
A supportive option for patients awaiting specialist care
Low-Intensity Option
A self-guided resource for patients with limited access to services
The program is designed to integrate alongside existing care rather than compete with it.
About the Creator
Painless was created by Tony McShane, a software engineer and chronic pain patient with lived experience of long-term symptoms and recovery.
The program is shaped by that lived experience alongside careful engagement with contemporary pain science literature and established therapeutic frameworks.
It does not claim clinical authority and does not position lived experience as a substitute for professional care.
Ethics & Safety
Painless is designed with the following principles in mind:
Clear encouragement of medical assessment and red-flag awareness
Explicit rejection of pain invalidation or blame
Emphasis on patient autonomy and pacing
Avoidance of abrupt changes to medication or treatment
Guidance to seek professional support if symptoms worsen
Safety messaging embedded throughout the program
Standards & Governance
Painless is being developed with awareness of UK digital health best-practice principles, including patient safety, transparency, and evidence-informed design.
No formal endorsements or certifications are currently claimed.
Collaboration & Feedback
Clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals who wish to review the program, provide feedback, or discuss collaboration are welcome to get in touch.
Contact Us