As a child, Benjamin Boyd spent hours sketching skeletons in his father’s pediatric physiatry office at Children’s Hospital Oakland. His fascination with the human body, coupled with a cousin’s muscular dystrophy diagnosis, inspired him to pursue a career in physical therapy. He uses art – creating storyboards to visualize his patients’ experiences – to help ease their pain and restore their independence. “I’ve always been artistic and use it to problem-solve and understand situations,” says Boyd.
Seeing the Whole Person
Boyd has over 20 years of specialized experience in pain management, including conducting research on neuropathic pain in people with diabetes and those recovering from breast cancer treatment. “In physical therapy, it’s essential to look at all factors that could influence the body, overall health, and mind,” Boyd says. “We need to look beyond the physical experience.” He integrates biological, psychological, and social factors to provide holistic care. Boyd is also the author of an influential book, Bodily Relearning,that reimagines pain management for both patients and clinicians. Drawing from his dual roles as a clinician and an academic, his work offers tools to incorporate whole-person care. “Many patients appreciate a holistic approach because … they’re not being treated just as a diagnosis or pathology,” Boyd says. “It’s important to validate their lived experience.”
Educating Next-Gen Pain Specialists
Boyd’s influence extends beyond the clinic to the classroom, guiding future health care professionals in evidence-based, compassionate pain management. “Physical therapists are at the forefront of helping people productively navigate their lives, and we should never lose sight of capturing the person in front of us.”
