This is a followup letter from a woman who emailed me about four years ago. I had never met her and she shared a this remarkable story of recovery. Stories like this have lead me to believe that essentially anyone can learn to rewire their brain around any pain circuits … Read More
I received this story in response to a request on my website to patients who had undergone failed spine surgery. When Surgery Makes Pain Worse My fusion surgery (L5/S1) was going to be scheduled in the fall of 2015 after two prior laminectomies had eventually lost their effectiveness. My surgery … Read More
I’m sharing a story submitted through my website about an unsuccessful spine surgery, which is, sadly, all too common. This issue even has a name: “failed back surgery syndrome” (FBSS). Most of these surgeries start with operating on normally aging spines that don’t actually cause pain. The data shows this … Read More
I quit my surgical spine practice in 2019 because I was seeing so much surgery performed on normally aging spines. They were causing severe damage to people’s spines and destroying their lives. Frequently, the impact was catastrophic. At the same time, I was witnessing hundreds of patients having their pain … Read More
For many years, I thought that for many patients there was a point of no return because the sheer magnitude of both physical and emotional trauma. I particularly felt this way with people who had undergone many failed surgeries. I was wrong and continue to hear stories of healing in … 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
DOC beginning The DOC (Direct your Own Care) program evolved after I discovered that, through a systematic approach that addressed all aspects of a chronic mental or physical problem, I could almost always help patients become more functional. What surprised me most was that not only would they improve, but … Read More
Rachel is a therapist, specializing in trauma. She reached out to me a couple of years ago to learn more about integrating healing concepts into her journey. She was developing her version, using her experience with horses as the foundation. Here is her story. Two Falls, Two Decades Apart My … Read More
Our medical and political system has failed. Employers have abused workers as long as there have been employers and workers. The intent of worker’s comp’s no-fault system was to both provide excellent medical care as well as improve worker safety. Although workplace safety has dramatically improved since the early 1900’s, … Read More
Please do not let this happen to you, your family, or friends. The downside of failed spine surgery can be catastrophic, and it is impossible for you, as a patient, to comprehend how bad it can be. Complications happen with every surgeon, including me. That is not the issue. The … Read More