Your Hand Stuck Over the Stove

posted in: Recent, Stage 1, Stage 1: Step 1

I often encounter a perplexing situation: A patient experiencing severe chronic pain on my spine intake questionnaire rates him or herself as a zero on a 10-point scale with regards to anxiety, depression, and anger. They may have even undergone multiple failed spine surgeries. Yet upon further, almost intrusive, questioning … Read More

Video: Anxiety and It’s Demons

posted in: Stage 1, Stage 1: Step 1

I talk about how anxiety and stress can lead to certain obsessive tendencies. Some of the tools from the DOCC project are laid out, specifically those that can help break down the circuits that fuel anxious and stressful thoughts and behaviors. For more, see Your Demons are Robots. BF

Video 16/19: “White Bears”

posted in: Stage 1, Stage 1: Step 2

I talk about how the suppression of negative thoughts associated with chronic pain can really fire up the nervous system.  Dr. Daniel Wegner from Harvard published an elegant paper in 1987 demonstratng the impossibity of trying to suppress thoughts. I’ve talked about it before in White Bears and ANTS.   BF

Video 14/19: Chronic Pain: Pain Free is Not Only Possible, it’s Probable.

posted in: Uncategorized

I talk about how powerful the DOCC Project can be and how it can break down the doors of years of chronic pain. Through patient’s stories, the DOCC project is showing that pain free is not only possible, it’s probable. For more on this, check out Reversing Chronic Pain with … Read More

Back Pain vs. Mouth Pain

posted in: Stage 1, Stage 1: Step 1

I am a busy spine surgeon, yet I spend most of my time talking my patients out of surgery. When I do recommend surgical treatment, many, if not most, become apprehensive. They have heard that spine surgery never works and will relate stories to me about their friends, family, or … Read More

Video: Memorizing the Circuits: Phantom Pain

posted in: Stage 1, Stage 1: Step 1

Our brain has neurological circuits that can become memorized. In this video I discuss phantom pain, which is more the rule than the exception with amputations. This factor is a significant problem with any chronic pain situation.

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