Chronic Pain

Ryan Wexler, ND, MSCR, is a naturopathic physician-scientist and Assistant Professor at the Helfgott Research Institute at the National University of Natural Medicine. His research focuses on developing and evaluating multicomponent, mind-body interventions for patients with chronic pain, with particular emphasis on conditions involving nociplastic pain and central sensitization, such as chronic back pain and lumbosacral radiculopathy. Dr. Wexler uses mixed methods to examine how mind-body interventions affect physical function and psychosocial outcomes – including motivation, autonomy, and self-efficacy. His work also utilizes objective assessments including inertial measurement units, quantitative sensory testing, and actigraphy. He is particularly interested in the potential of digital health tools to increase accessibility and scalability of mind-body therapies. His research centers community and patient engagement by integrating stakeholder feedback throughout the research process from intervention development to dissemination.