Back in Control with David Hanscom, MD

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with film producer Dana Croschere about her healing journey through chronic pain. She first experienced chronic pain in 2017 and after two unsuccessful spine surgeries, she was in complete despair and saw no purpose to her life.  She finally realized she needed to start focusing on what steps she could take to feel better. Through a combination of techniques which she learned reading Back in Control and the community she found in the DOC Journey group sessions, she learned to calm down her nervous system, process her anger, let go and move her life forward.

Dana Croschere’s journey is an inspirational one, full of many obstacles including two unsuccessful spine surgeries in 2020. While still experiencing some level of chronic pain most days, Dana has been able to harness the power of her mind to accomplish things she once thought impossible. She now greets each day with a smile as she works hard to spread the message of LOVE HEALS, a documentary that she not only produced but is featured in as the main character.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Dr. Anthony Avellino, a pediatric neurosurgeon and author of Finding Purpose: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey of Hope and Healing.  He discusses the principles he used to recover from burnout and depression: Listen, Learn and Heal. Listening means discovering your life’s journey and not always focusing on “climbing the ladder.”  Learn means remaining coachable, recognizing failure and learning to improve. Heal refers to creating a vision for a purposeful life that can bring you joy and happiness.

Anthony M. Avellino is a highly regarded pediatric neurosurgeon, experienced healthcare administrator, and endurance ultra-runner. He started his pediatric neurosurgery career at Johns Hopkins University Hospital and is presently the Medical Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Valley Children’s Healthcare.  He was the Michigan State University assistant vice president for health sciences, chief clinical and medical officer, and interim director of athletic medicine from 2018-2021. He also served as chief executive officer for OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute from 2014 to 2018. In 2009, he was the first director of the UW Medicine Neurosciences Institute for the University of Washington Medicine and was also appointed chief of neurological surgery at the University of Washington Medical Center in 2011.  For more information, visit: https://findingpurposeavellino.com.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr. Anthony Avellino about his experience with physician burnout. For years, he battled with depression and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. At one point, he attempted suicide, but stopped when he had a vision of his young son. He took up endurance ultra running which helped him cope with his personal crisis. He healed by learning to have self-compassion and avoiding the perfectionist approach to life. He wrote a book called Finding Purpose: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey of Hope and Healing and today he is helping others deal with overwhelm and burnout.

Anthony M. Avellino is a highly regarded pediatric neurosurgeon, experienced healthcare administrator, and endurance ultra-runner. He started his pediatric neurosurgery career at Johns Hopkins University Hospital and is presently the Medical Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Valley Children’s Healthcare.  He was the Michigan State University assistant vice president for health sciences, chief clinical and medical officer, and interim director of athletic medicine from 2018-2021. He also served as chief executive officer for OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute from 2014 to 2018. In 2009, he was the first director of the UW Medicine Neurosciences Institute for the University of Washington Medicine and was also appointed chief of neurological surgery at the University of Washington Medical Center in 2011.  For more information, visit: https://findingpurposeavellino.com.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Dr. Terrie Wurzbacher.  She talks about the new understanding she developed about her pain which allowed her to believe she could heal herself. She discusses the tools that provided the greatest benefit in her healing journey, including: expressive writing, active meditation, letting go of anger, not obsessing about her pain, and getting better sleep. After years of debilitating pain, she took up long distance walking and walked 314 miles across the state of Tennessee.

Terrie Wurzbacher, D.O graduated from medical school (College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Des Moines, Iowa) in 1975.  She served 30 years active duty in the Navy in various capacities (Emergency Medicine, combat and disaster medicine and the physical disability system). She retired from the Navy in 2004 and went to work as a Department of the Army civilian physician in the Army's disability system.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr. Terrie Wurzbacher about her battle with chronic pain which included migraine, tinnitus and irritable bowel syndrome among other issues. She spent a great deal of her spare time researching potential cures – none of which worked. At one point, she contemplated suicide. She first encountered the notion of the mind body approach to chronic pain through Dr. Howard Schubiner and later discovered the tools that allowed her to conquer chronic pain through the DOC Journey.

Terrie Wurzbacher, D.O graduated from medical school (College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Des Moines, Iowa) in 1975.  She served 30 years active duty in the Navy in various capacities (Emergency Medicine, combat and disaster medicine and the physical disability system). She retired from the Navy in 2004 and went to work as a Department of the Army civilian physician in the Army's disability system.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion about consciousness and health with Dr. Bruce Lipton, a stem cell biologist and author of the best-selling book, The Biology of Belief. He explains how as much as 95% of our behavior is governed by unconscious processes. He shares how developing greater awareness of how this affects us and using tools like self-hypnosis can help us put consciousness between stimulus and reaction in our daily lives so we can have better health and really live the life we want.

Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., is a stem cell biologist and the bestselling author of The Biology of Belief, Spontaneous Evolution and The Honeymoon Effect.  He served as Associate Professor of Anatomy in the School of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, 1973-1982). His pioneering research on cloned human stem cells presaged today’s revolutionary new field of epigenetics. Dr. Lipton later served as a Research Fellow in the Department of Pathology in Stanford University’s School of Medicine (1987-1992). His groundbreaking research there revealed the nature of the biochemical pathways by which the mind (perceptions/beliefs) controls behavior and genetic activity. Learn more at: https://www.brucelipton.com

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr, Bruce Lipton, a stem cell biologist and author of the best-selling book, The Biology of Belief. He discusses how epigenetics, gene expression and cell metabolism show how we can use our consciousness to create better health. He also explains how sustained stress can derail cell growth, shut down the immune system and restrict blood flow to the parts of our brain that govern higher cognitive function, ultimately impacting our life and health.

Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., is a stem cell biologist and the bestselling author of The Biology of Belief, Spontaneous Evolution and The Honeymoon Effect.  He served as Associate Professor of Anatomy in the School of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, 1973-1982). His pioneering research on cloned human stem cells presaged today’s revolutionary new field of epigenetics. Dr. Lipton later served as a Research Fellow in the Department of Pathology in Stanford University’s School of Medicine (1987-1992). His groundbreaking research there revealed the nature of the biochemical pathways by which the mind (perceptions/beliefs) controls behavior and genetic activity. Learn more at: https://www.brucelipton.com

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with James Nestor, bestselling author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.  He explains how better breathing can quickly signal a sense of safety to the brain which then acts to lower things like blood pressure, heart rate and the level of stress hormones. He shares different breathing exercises and techniques that can be used to reduces stress, anxiety and the instance of panic attacks.

James Nestor is an author and journalist who has written for Scientific American, Outside, The New York Times, and more. His latest book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, explores how the human species has lost the ability to breathe properly--and how to get it back.  Nestor has spoken at Stanford Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, the United Nations, Global Classroom, and appeared on more than 60 radio and television shows, including Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He lives and breathes in San Francisco. For more information, visit:Mrjamesnestor.com.Pain, Chronic Pain, Healing,

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with journalist and bestselling author James Nestor about the physiology of breathing and its effect on our health. He shares his battle with respiratory illnesses, how it led him to explore the science behind better breathing and resulted in his recovery through breathwork. What he learned during his research led him to write the bestselling book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.

James Nestor is an author and journalist who has written for Scientific American, Outside, The New York Times, and more. His latest book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, explores how the human species has lost the ability to breathe properly--and how to get it back.  Nestor has spoken at Stanford Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, the United Nations, Global Classroom, and appeared on more than 60 radio and television shows, including Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He lives and breathes in San Francisco. For more information, visit:Mrjamesnestor.com.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with pain psychologist Les Aria about the upcoming Second Annual Chronic Pain Summit that they, along with Dr. David Clawson, are hosting February 26-27. They preview the expert speakers and the topics being presented at the summit. The focus of the summit is to deepen the understanding of the research into the common basis of chronic pain and chronic illness and the implications for the clinical realm. For more information or to register for the summit, please visit: https://www.opencenter.org/2nd-annual-chronic-pain-summit/

Les Aria, PhD is a Pain Psychologist, who has been practicing for the past 16 years with Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Inc. He served as the Lead Pain Psychologist for Kaiser Northern California to help incorporate modern pain science, mindfulness and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). Les specializes in treating psychophysiological disorders/persistent pain and medically unexplained problems. His passion for mind body interventions promotes a unique style to help patients relate differently to their suffering, and thereby shifting them into pain recovery and wellness.