Vinny Crispino on Efficient Golf Swings and Pain Reduction and Recovery

October 1, 2025·1 hr 2 min·1 clip

A man stepped on a nail, screamed in agony, needed sedatives—the nail went between his toes. No damage, all pain.

Host Mark Immelman welcomes Vinny Crispino, a former elite swimmer turned pain management expert, to discuss the mind-body connection in golf-related pain. Crispino founded the Pain Academy after a severe surfing injury led him to explore non-traditional recovery methods. He argues that pain is a real sensation but not always an accurate indicator of physical damage, citing a famous medical case where a construction worker experienced extreme pain from a nail that missed his foot entirely. Studies show 64% of people with zero back pain still exhibit disc bulges or herniations on MRIs, proving structural issues don't always cause pain. Crispino explains that chronic pain often stems from the brain's learned pathways, where repeated movements or fears condition the nervous system to expect discomfort. He highlights cultural influences on pain perception, noting Lithuania has no reported cases of whiplash due to differing societal beliefs. A German experiment with fake car crashes induced whiplash in 10% of participants simply because they expected it. University of Michigan research could predict chronic back pain with 85% accuracy by analyzing brain communication patterns, not physical injuries. Golf's repetitive, asymmetrical swings train the body unevenly, leading to compensations like one shoulder sitting higher that cause pain both on and off the course. Crispino describes how adrenaline during activity can mask pain, which often surfaces later when the nervous system calms down. His personal recovery involved "nervous system resets"—gentle, mindful movements to restore balance and retrain the brain away from pain associations. The episode is conversational and educational, blending personal anecdotes with scientific studies to demystify pain. Listeners struggling with chronic golf injuries or those skeptical of traditional medical approaches will find this discussion enlightening. Golfers solely seeking swing tips or quick fixes may find the psychological focus less immediately applicable.

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