Almost every patient of mine who is in chronic pain is also experiencing much adversity in the rest of his or her life. Chronic pain rips through every aspect of your life and there is no apparent escape. The stories I hear each day are mind-boggling. They include abuse, murder, … Read More
It is an almost universally held belief among surgeons and patients that a specific structural lesion is usually the cause of pain. If that lesion can be identified and repaired, the pain will abate. This seems plausible. A diagnostic test ought to be able to identify the source of intense … Read More
Pain is a perception that is affected by many factors. Our western medical culture has focused on the idea that there is always a direct physical source or “pain generator” that can be identified and fixed. You are Not a Machine “Pain-Generator” thinking takes the human body to be like … Read More
I don’t recall much about learning how to ride a bicycle. I remember the training wheels and taking a few nasty falls. I do know that my father wasn’t there to help me or witness it. He was a small town family doctor who routinely worked over a hundred hours … Read More
A letter from a case manager Dear Dr. Hanscom: You may not receive these kinds of letters from nurse case managers very often. I thought I would advise you of the above captioned patient that you performed a redo L5-S1 microdiscectomy about a year ago. Ron got quite discouraged when … Read More
When I began to witness patients becoming pain free, I thought that it would happen only for patients with diffuse pain, such as neck or back pain. I felt that more focal symptoms like arm and leg pain would not respond as well. I was wrong. I now have many … Read More
Crystal is a woman from the southern part of Washington. When I first met her, she was over 70 years-old and lived on her own. She had severe spinal stenosis in her lumbar vertebrae at multiple levels. Stenosis is a condition where bone and ligaments grow around the spinal canal … Read More
It has become clear that if a given patient engages in the principles outlined in this book, he or she has a high chance of experiencing a dramatic decrease in pain and improved quality of life at some point in time. The richness of this new life often exceeds anything … Read More
Mental Health Every injured worker should have access to some level of mental health support. I work with a veteran pain psychologist who is wonderful. 90% of her practice is caring for my patients. If she feels it is necessary, she will refer a patient to one of several psychiatrists … Read More
Self esteem involves endless judgment of comparing yourself to others around you. I discuss the negative impact that this concept has on us. For more, see The Myth of Self Esteem.