Patients and physicians are frequently making illogical decisions regarding spine surgery. I have watched this phenomenon steadily worsen for over 30 years. One of the core problems is that there is little accountability. You would expect your surgeon to do everything he or she could do to optimize your chances … Read More
Objectives All of our actions this minute are determined by all of your past experiences up to this very second. Each of us has a unique perspective on life. Awareness involves seeing past your own personal biases and seeing the world more as it actually is. You cannot change anything … Read More
Overview Professionals in any arena focus on learning and repetition to attain the highest skill level. Why not focus this level of energy for developing life skills – processing stress and nurturing joy? Efficienting overcoming challenges is critical to for success. Yet we often are upset by adversity. Embrace adversity … Read More
Overview Repetitive Unwanted Thoughts (RUTs) are a source of much misery. The harder you fight them, the stronger they become. Learn four aspects of solving them, and go on to thrive. RUTs are solvable by allowing your body to heal. I did not quit practicing spine surgery to manage chronic … Read More
Abraham Maslow Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was a brilliant professor of psychology. He founded a branch of psychology known as “Humanistic Psychology,” which focuses more on psychological virtues or excellences rather than on psychological disorders. Maslow is best known for his conceptualization of “man’s hierarchy of needs.” This hierarchy is … Read More
Overview There is a clear link between being out of work and poor mental health. Modern medicine routinely fails to consider social factors when treating patients. Taking someone off work has considerable consequences. Addressing social factors must become a high priority–soon! In 2012, NBC News reported a haunting wave of … Read More
The Federal government has spent billions of dollars on combating the opioid epidemic. In 2022, 1.5 billion dollars was allocated to enforcement and treatment. Yet the death toll climbed 85,000 deaths a year in 2022 to 110,000 in 2023. The estimated cost to the US economy was over 1.5 trillion … Read More
Overview Our conscious brain interprets our internal bodily sensations. Since we are geared to survive, most of our time is spent in survival physiology. In this state, blood flow shifts away from our highest thinking brain, and we react more than we think. This scenario is the basis of most … Read More
Pain, The Gift That Nobody Wants is a book written by an orthopedic hand surgeon, Paul Brand. Through his work in India with lepers he discovered that the reason why they had such severe hand, facial, and foot deformities was that the bacteria resided in sensory nerves and destroyed protective … Read More
Overview Your survival reactions are meant to be deeply unpleasant, since they are protective danger signals. You have absolutely no control over them. Resisting strengthens them and fires up unwanted thoughts. As you train your brain to be less reactive to these unpleasant sensations, they will lessen. Creating “space” allows … Read More