I am sharing these letters from a former patient to explain why I continue to work to help people escape from pain. As a complex spine surgeon, much of my practice involved treating patients deeply in The Abyss who had lost hope of escape. What drives me is not just … Read More
I had a rough start living in a chaotic household with an angry mother who suffered from chronic pain. I did not figure out for 50 years that the migraine headache I suffered at age five would be the beginning of a lifetime filled with chronic pain. I eventually experienced … Read More
I am part of a documentary titled “Who is Luigi Mangione?” It will air this coming Monday evening, February 17th, at 8 pm ET on HBO Max. Many of you have heard about the shooting of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare. The shooter was Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old … Read More
Holding your hand over a hot burner triggers an immediate threat response (anxiety) and prompts action to address that threat. This sequence is part of the protective pain response known as the nociceptive pain system. Numerous danger cues activate this response. As your nervous system memorizes dangerous situations, this system … Read More
Dr. Doug Garland writes this post with some contributions by me. He is an orthopedic surgeon who was one of my mentors during my second year of orthopedic residency. Although I trained in Honolulu, HI, one of my rotations was at Rancho Las Amigos in Downey, Southern California. It is … Read More
There was a front-page story in the NY Times about the shooting of the CEO of United Healthcare. The suspect came from privilege and had a bright future. Unfortunately, he suffered from chronic LBP and did not improve with a surgical fusion of his lower back for a purported spondylolisthesis. … Read More
My wife and I started to play ping pong in our backyard about five years ago. We quickly discovered how relaxing it was, even for 10-15 min. It is also social and every level of player grabs the paddle and can keep the ball in play. I have played ping … Read More
Objectives Many of us become upset about the state of the world, which is definitely worrisome and disturbing. However, you have no control, your nervous system is fired up, and there is not an endpoint. We all have plenty of problems that we have to deal with without adding on … Read More
Gail is a woman who has been working with the DOC Journey concepts for almost a year. She had been suffering from multiple symptoms for over five years and they increased over the year prior to starting the process. She is beginning to break out of her pain cycle – … Read More
George was a 78 year-old businessman who acted and looked about half his age. He was pleasant and talked freely about his LBP and pain down the side of his left leg, which had been a problem for about six months. It was consistently more severe with standing and walking, … Read More