Back in Control with David Hanscom, MD

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Rick Olderman, a sports and orthopedic physical therapist. He discusses his approach to treating chronic back pain by identifying and correcting three fundamental patterns: extension, flexion, and side-bending problems. He explains how these patterns are often caused by repetitive movements and compensatory behaviors, and how address...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Rick Olderman, a sports and orthopedic physical therapist, about his journey from discovering that conventional approaches to chronic pain management were ineffective to developing a unique systems-thinking approach that combines elements from Dr. Shirley Saruman's research, fascia studies, and Hanna Somatics. He explains that his new book, Pain Patter...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Grant Elliott, a chiropractic physician. He explains his online treatment approach to treating patients with chronic back pain which includes: unlimited patient communication, a detailed history and movement based evaluation, exercises to help patients regain the activities they have stopped due to pain, and helping patients “unlearn...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Grant Elliott, a chiropractic physician who transitioned from a brick-and-mortar practice to offering an online program focused on non-surgical treatment of back issues through evidence-based methods. Grant shares his personal experience with back pain and discusses his approach to treating spine-related pain through comprehensive rehabilitation plans...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Rachel Garfield, a therapist specializing in chronic pain and trauma.  She discusses the principles of healing, which she calls The Equina Way framework. The framework involves reflection, repetition, and release, which are based on the training principles of horseback riding. She highlights the significance of perseverance and havin...

Rachel Garfield, a therapist specializing in chronic pain and trauma, shares her journey through intense pain, and the healing principles she learned that helped her recover. Rachel Sydney Garfield is both a therapist specializing in pain and trauma as well as a competitive horseback rider with an amazing story of her own. She had a miraculous recovery in the aftermath of her back breaking horse f...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Miriam Gauci Bongiovanni, Pain Coach and MindBody Practitioner.  She explains her approach to treating patients with mind-body symptoms, emphasizing the importance of shifting focus from symptoms as enemies to understanding them as messengers. She described her initial strategy of building confidence in the mind-body connection and e...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Miriam Gauci Bongiovanni, Pain Coach and MindBody Practitioner.  She shares her journey with chronic pain, which began with a shoulder injury while rock climbing at age 28. Despite being diagnosed with a lesion that required surgery, she chose not to undergo the procedure after learning the surgeon couldn't guarantee a pain-free recovery. Her pain even...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Michelle May, LPC, chair of the Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) Core Training program at the New Washington School of Psychiatry. She shares her journey into Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and how it helped her overcome chronic intense migraines caused by adverse childhood experiences. She explains that traditiona...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Sachit Egan, an avid outdoorsman, runner, and weightlifter.  He talks about the physiological and psychological aspects of his pain and emphasizes what he learned about the body's ability to heal and the importance of maintaining a positive outlook. He also discusses the process he used for overcoming pain, including the role of pers...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Sachit Egan, an avid outdoorsman, runner, and weightlifter. He discusses his back pain and the various treatments he had undergone. He had been experiencing back pain for many years, with the pain becoming more severe in 2013. He had seen multiple doctors, including surgeons, who all recommended immediate spinal fusion. However, Sachit decided to wait...

In her follow-up interview with Dr. David Hanscom, Brenda Stockdale explores the profound impact of reducing chronic stress on healing and managing illnesses like cancer and autoimmune disorders. She shares insights from pioneers like Dr. Lawrence LeShan, whose approach encouraged terminally ill patients to live authentically and passionately, often resulting in unexpected recoveries. She highligh...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Brenda Stockdale, Director of Behavioral Medicine at regional and nationally recognized cancer centers. She explores her innovative work in health psychology, focusing on helping individuals manage chronic pain and overcome serious illnesses through techniques like psychoneuroimmunology. She discusses her involvement with Bernie Siegel’s Exceptional Ca...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Mags Clark Smith, a specialist in somatic work and mindfulness, and a contributor to a textbook on psychophysiological disorders. She highlights how guided movement can alleviate chronic pain by reducing fear and anxiety, which amplify pain responses. She emphasizes creating safety and trust to help individuals reconnect with their b...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Mags Clark Smith, a specialist in somatic work and mindfulness, and a contributor to a textbook on psychophysiological disorders. She discusses her unique approach to chronic pain and body awareness. Inspired by identifying her twin brothers through their gaits, she developed a fascination with movement, realizing early on how subtle physical cues can...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Dr. Susanna Calvert, founder and executive director of the Foundation for Family and Community Healing and Sanctuary of Earth. She explains the themes of healing, authenticity, and spirituality that her foundations focus on. She explores the significance of teaching self-regulation and emotional processing skills to children, to help...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr. Susanna Calvert, founder and executive director of the Foundation for Family and Community Healing and Sanctuary of Earth. She shares her personal narrative as a Chinese American who followed a traditional path to success, culminating in a tenure-track position at Virginia Commonwealth University. However, she faced a crisis of fulfillment upon ach...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Deborah Gray, therapist and business owner. She explains Rapid Transformation Therapy (RTT), a therapeutic modality that helps clients understand the sources of their issues, determine what needs to be done to heal, and actively engage in the healing process. She emphasizes how language influences thoughts and emotions, emphasizing t...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Deborah Gray, therapist and business owner. She shares her personal account of overcoming chronic neck pain and her path to achieving a pain-free state within 18 months. She discusses the various tools and techniques she employed, including stress management, sleep, and neuro-linguistic programming, as well as the role of education and stress managemen...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Vanessa Blackstone, a therapist and Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. She explains Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a therapeutic modality aimed at eliminating chronic pain by rewiring neural pathways in the brain. She emphasizes that it shifts the patient’s belief about their pain and helps them rewire their brain to...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Vanessa Blackstone, a therapist and Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. She candidly discusses her tumultuous childhood, entering foster care at a young age, and the normalization of the chaos in her life. She talks about how chaos came to feel comfortable and how she later learned that her brain created chaos as a way for her to feel com...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with chaplain and pain coach Bonnie Lester.  She explains the different techniques she uses to help herself and her clients. Examples of these approaches include getting better sleep, sensory stimulation, humor and play, planning to do things that will make you feel more comfortable during the day and social connection. All contribute to...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with chaplain and pain coach Bonnie Lester. She shares her experiences with chronic pain, delving into the profound impact it had on her life. She details the various experiments she tried with alternative approaches to find what would work after conventional medical treatment offered little relief. Her breakthrough came when she became acquainted with neur...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Senior Feldenkrais Trainer David Zemach-Bersin.  He discusses the two aspects of the Feldenkrais method, which include physical work in the office and lessons for home practice. He guides the listener through a movement exercise, emphasizing the importance of reducing effort, observing sensations, and maintaining a pleasurable experi...

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Senior Feldenkrais Trainer David Zemach-Bersin. He discusses the neuroscience behind anxiety and pain and how the Feldenkrais method addresses these. He explains the Feldenkrais emphasis on slow movements to engage the parasympathetic nervous system and promote calmness and a sense of safety. He talks about its ability to facilitate learning by leverag...