As medical practitioners and those in the allied health professions, we all practise on a spectrum between the older biomedical model and what we now call the biopsychosocial model.
The biomedical model is often called the Cartesian model after René Descartes whose illustration on the left above depicts a direct correlation between injury and the perception of pain.
Ever since Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall published their landmark paper in which they proposed the Gate Control Theory of Pain, we have learned that it is possible to have pain without injury and injury without pain. So we know the biomedical model is deficient and should be replaced with the more holistic approach of the biopsychosocial model. This is illustrate in the video above by moving our medical model to the right.
Unfortunately, many modern practitioners and big pharma still cling to the old model which justifies endless searches with investigations for the cause of pain, and heavy reliance on pharmaceuticals and surgeries.
Our mission is to assist practitioners in recognizing the limitations of the biomedical model and provide education and resources on a more whole person approach.
We partner with other organizations with a similar mission.
Dr. Visser is available to speak for Lunch & Learn sessions or for Healthcare Conferences, in-person or virtual. Use the Contact Us page.
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