Invisible Pain Explained: Movement, Nervous System Regulation & Real Recovery | Dasha Maslennikova
Sat Jan 31 2026
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Pain that no one can see can still define every hour of your day.
In this episode, we sit down with Dasha Maslennikova, a kinesiologist who spent 13 years navigating her own post-accident chronic pain. Together, we unpack how movement, mindset, and nervous system regulation can turn a stuck cycle into real, sustainable progress.
Rather than chasing quick fixes or waiting for a perfect test result, Dasha explains why active therapy builds resilience, how safety and trust quiet fear in the body, and what shifts when clinicians speak to human experience, not just charts and scans. We explore the bridge her studios create between physiotherapy and personal training, and why graded, evidence-based movement helps the nervous system update its threat response.
We talk candidly about invisible pain and the isolation it brings, the language gaps that leave patients feeling dismissed, and the limits of MRIs and lab work for something as subjective and real as pain. In the fibromyalgia segment, Dasha breaks down nervous system sensitivity and altered signaling without overpromising, instead pointing to practical levers such as pacing, strength training, emotional support, and consistency.
For older adults and caregivers, the fall-prevention conversation is a must-hear. Dasha explains why balance training alone isn’t enough, and how fast-twitch power and reaction time are essential skills for recovering from a trip or stumble, yet are rarely trained as we age.
We also explore how trauma and adverse events can prime the body for chronic pain, and why referrals to counseling or trauma-informed care can accelerate physical recovery. The throughline is hopeful and grounded: movement is medicine, change is possible, and the body often knows how to heal when given the right environment.
If you’re feeling stuck, unheard, or unsure where to start, this conversation offers clear steps and a new lens on what your body might be asking for. Listen, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and subscribe for more conversations that blend science, compassion, and real-world tools.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dasha-maslennikova-2547557b/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symmetrixvan/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SymmetrixVan
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Who Is Julie Fairhurst?
Speaker • Author • Business Strategist • Founder of Women Like Me
Julie Fairhurst is a force of nature disguised as a woman with a pen and a business brain built for impact. As the founder of the Women Like Me Book Program, she has opened the door for women around the world to share their truth, heal their past, and rise into their power. Since 2019, she has published more than 30 books and over 350 true-life stories — without charging a single writer a dime! Why? Because women’s stories deserve daylight, not gatekeeping.
With 34 years in sales, marketing, and successful business leadership, Julie knows how to turn storytelling into influence and influence into income.
Her mission is clear and unapologetic: break generational trauma one story at a time and help women elevate both emotionally and financially. She doesn’t just publish books, she builds brands, confidence, and possibility, giving women the tools to rewrite their futures, grow their businesses, and lift their families with them.
Julie's Website
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Send us a text Pain that no one can see can still define every hour of your day. In this episode, we sit down with Dasha Maslennikova, a kinesiologist who spent 13 years navigating her own post-accident chronic pain. Together, we unpack how movement, mindset, and nervous system regulation can turn a stuck cycle into real, sustainable progress. Rather than chasing quick fixes or waiting for a perfect test result, Dasha explains why active therapy builds resilience, how safety and trust quiet fear in the body, and what shifts when clinicians speak to human experience, not just charts and scans. We explore the bridge her studios create between physiotherapy and personal training, and why graded, evidence-based movement helps the nervous system update its threat response. We talk candidly about invisible pain and the isolation it brings, the language gaps that leave patients feeling dismissed, and the limits of MRIs and lab work for something as subjective and real as pain. In the fibromyalgia segment, Dasha breaks down nervous system sensitivity and altered signaling without overpromising, instead pointing to practical levers such as pacing, strength training, emotional support, and consistency. For older adults and caregivers, the fall-prevention conversation is a must-hear. Dasha explains why balance training alone isn’t enough, and how fast-twitch power and reaction time are essential skills for recovering from a trip or stumble, yet are rarely trained as we age. We also explore how trauma and adverse events can prime the body for chronic pain, and why referrals to counseling or trauma-informed care can accelerate physical recovery. The throughline is hopeful and grounded: movement is medicine, change is possible, and the body often knows how to heal when given the right environment. If you’re feeling stuck, unheard, or unsure where to start, this conversation offers clear steps and a new lens on what your body might be asking for. Listen, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and subscribe for more conversations that blend science, compassion, and real-world tools. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dasha-maslennikova-2547557b/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symmetrixvan/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SymmetrixVan Join the Movement - Women Like Me Community Who Is Julie Fairhurst? Speaker • Author • Business Strategist • Founder of Women Like Me Julie Fairhurst is a force of nature disguised as a woman with a pen and a business brain built for impact. As the founder of the Women Like Me Book Program, she has opened the door for women around the world to share their truth, heal their past, and rise into their power. Since 2019, she has published more than 30 books and over 350 true-life stories — without charging a single writer a dime! Why? Because women’s stories deserve daylight, not gatekeeping. With 34 years in sales, marketing, and successful business leadership, Julie knows how to turn storytelling into influence and influence into income. Her mission is clear and unapologetic: break generational trauma one story at a time and help women elevate both emotionally and financially. She doesn’t just publish books, she builds brands, confidence, and possibility, giving women the tools to rewrite their futures, grow their businesses, and lift their families with them. Julie's Website