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B.C. filmmaker examines new ways to treat chronic pain and illness

"Sometimes that trauma goes back to childhood and it keeps materializing with chronic pain or chronic disease," says the Vancouver documentary filmmaker.

A Vancouver documentary filmmaker is bringing his latest film to Kelowna's Mary Irwin Theatre later this month.

'On a Scale of 1 to 10' is the new film from the team behind 'Your Second Fifty,' and 'To Life, Death and Beyond'.

The film from Laurent Goldstein and executive producer Jennifer Unruh focuses on chronic pain and features Kelowna doctor Grant Pagdin.

"The motivation to make the film is to show people a different path to regain their quality of life," said Goldstein. "While chronic pain in some cases might never be totally overcome, there are modalities, therapies, approaches, that can make a substantial difference in people's lives."

He said the film explores ways to treat pain beyond prescription opioids, over the counter pills, and surgery.

"It takes you to clinics and wellness centres that are treating pain patients using new diagnostic tools, innovative research and advanced products and therapies."

The film follows patients suffering from chronic pain, and features interviews with some of the top experts in the field, including Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. Daniel Amen, and local Dr. Grant Pagdin, an M.D. who does stem cell rejuvenation work at the Pagdin clinic.

According to Goldstein, chronic pain affects one out of five people in North America, and in extreme cases, some people can find themselves misunderstood, isolated and depressed.

"My hope is that people will come to the event, and leave with a smile on their face because they'll see that there is hope for them."

The movie took two and a half years to produce. Along the way, Goldstein says he discovered that for many, chronic pain is a result of past trauma.

"Sometimes that trauma goes back to childhood and it keeps materializing with chronic pain or chronic disease. So unless that trauma is addressed, and that can be done in many ways, the chronic pain keeps coming back. It does not matter how many times you get a massage or how many times you get a cold, if you haven't resolved the core reason why the pain is there, it doesn't get better."

Goldstein hopes the evening, also featuring a question and answer period, will help those suffering from chronic pain and illness.

"This is the kind of information that is empowering, that people will be able to leave the event with actual tools and things they can implement in their lives, changing their nutrition."

Goldstein, who suffers from chronic pain himself, says the reason he keeps working in this field is the look on people's faces when they find answers to their questions.

"People at the end of the event, they come to me and they say thank you. You know, I learned something and I'm inspired to change. This is really what motivates me the most, it's a great feeling," Goldstein says.

The event goes May 29, for more information click here.