Back in Control with David Hanscom, MD

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his talk with filmmaker and chronic pain sufferer Michael Galinsky about his documentary on the life and work of Dr. John Sarno.  He discusses the key ideas behind Dr. Sarno’s approach: especially the inextricable link between mind and body, and how suppressed emotions can impact pain and healing not only in the present family context but across generations. He shares how making the film inspired him to investigate his own family’s history and its impact on the health of family members. Most importantly, Sarno helped him believe he could heal from chronic pain.

Michael Galinsky is a filmmaker, artist, writer and musician based in North Carolina. For the past 25 years he has made films with his wife Suki Hawley. In 2000 they joined forces with David Beilinson and have made 8 documentary feature films together, including a film called All the Rage about the life and work of Dr. John Sarno. For more information visit the website: https://www.alltheragedoc.com

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with filmmaker and chronic pain sufferer Michael Galinsky about his documentary on the life and work of Dr. John Sarno.  He shares how the skepticism of the medical community about Sarno’s work forced him to change the metaphor of the film from being about clinical studies to his own (and his family’s) story of chronic pain and his experience as a patient of Dr. Sarno. As a result, the film became a more compelling look at why Sarno’s approach to healing has proven so powerful.

Michael Galinsky is a filmmaker, artist, writer and musician based in North Carolina. For the past 25 years he has made films with his wife Suki Hawley. In 2000 they joined forces with David Beilinson and have made 8 documentary feature films together, including a film called All the Rage about the life and work of Dr. John Sarno. For more information visit the website: https://www.alltheragedoc.com

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with physiatrist and pain management specialist David Clawson, MD.  He discusses how the physiologic, emotional and social factors that have contributed to an individual’s threat load need to be addressed so they can move to a place of safety and heal from disease. At this point, they ca reformulate a new personal narrative to help them stay healthy.

Dr. David Clawson is a Physiatrist, based in Seattle, with backgrounds in neurologic, cancer, spine and sports rehabilitation, and pain management. He is interested in the different physiologic states that underpin illness and disease versus wellness and health, as determined by whether we are in threat versus safety.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with physiatrist and pain management specialist David Clawson, MD. He explains the concept of threat load and its role in the healing process. He details how threat - accumulated over a lifetime from physical, emotional and social sources - can interfere with the body’s immune response to disease, make us more vulnerable to disease and impede the healing process.

Dr. David Clawson is a Physiatrist, based in Seattle, with backgrounds in neurologic, cancer, spine and sports rehabilitation, and pain management. He is interested in the different physiologic states that underpin illness and disease versus wellness and health, as determined by whether we are in threat versus safety.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with eminent neuroscientist, Dr. Tor Wager.  He discusses how expectations are a fundamental driver for how you respond to the experience of chronic pain. The expectation is created in the prefrontal cortex and the response is driven from the brainstem. Pain Reprocessing Therapy, a technique his lab has pioneered, helps patients create a new narrative about their pain and a belief that they can heal from chronic pain.

Tor Wager is the Diana L. Taylor Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience at Dartmouth College, and the Director of Dartmouth’s Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience laboratory, the Dartmouth Brain Imaging Center, and the Dartmouth Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. Professor Wager’s research centers on the neurophysiology of affective processes—pain, emotion, stress, and empathy—and how they are shaped by cognitive and social influences. More information about Dr. Wager and his lab’s activities, publications, and software can be found at http://canlab.science.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with eminent neuroscientist Dr. Tor Wager about the neurophysiology of pain. He shares how persistent activation of the acute pain system can cause sensitization and pain avoidance behavior. The brain essentially encodes an expectation of pain when certain triggers or actions occur. The patient’s beliefs about their pain can amplify it or resolve it.

Tor Wager is the Diana L. Taylor Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience at Dartmouth College, and the Director of Dartmouth’s Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience laboratory, the Dartmouth Brain Imaging Center, and the Dartmouth Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. Professor Wager’s research centers on the neurophysiology of affective processes—pain, emotion, stress, and empathy—and how they are shaped by cognitive and social influences. More information about Dr. Wager and his lab’s activities, publications, and software can be found at http://canlab.science.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with world renowned surgeon and best-selling author, Bernie Siegel, MD.  He discusses the relationship between a patient’s belief in their ability to heal and their response to treatment. He shares stories that illustrate these insights and approaches he used to get patients to tap into their innate healing power – e.g., visualization. He also highlights the importance of listening and caring to establish a strong relationship with patients.

Bernie S. Siegel, MD, is a well-known proponent of integrative and holistic approaches to healing that heal not just the body but also the mind and soul.  He attended Colgate University and studied medicine at Cornell University Medical College. His surgical training took place at Yale–New Haven Hospital, West Haven Veterans Hospital, and the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. In 1978 Bernie pioneered a new approach to group and individual cancer therapy called Exceptional Cancer Patients (ECaP), which utilized patients’ drawings, dreams, and feelings, and he broke new ground in facilitating important patient lifestyle changes and engaging the patient in the healing process. He is the best-selling author of Love, Medicine & Miracles and The Art of Healing.  For more information, visit: berniesiegelmd.com.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with world renowned surgeon and best-selling author, Bernie Siegel, MD. He shares stories that illustrate the importance of the doctor-patient relationship. He stresses the key role of understanding the patient’s story – their life situation, challenges, motivations and fears – to the healing process. He expresses his belief that listening to the patient ad helping them tap into their innate ability to heal is the real business of medicine.

Bernie S. Siegel, MD, is a well-known proponent of integrative and holistic approaches to healing that heal not just the body but also the mind and soul.  He attended Colgate University and studied medicine at Cornell University Medical College. His surgical training took place at Yale–New Haven Hospital, West Haven Veterans Hospital, and the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. In 1978 Bernie pioneered a new approach to group and individual cancer therapy called Exceptional Cancer Patients (ECaP), which utilized patients’ drawings, dreams, and feelings, and he broke new ground in facilitating important patient lifestyle changes and engaging the patient in the healing process. He is the best-selling author of Love, Medicine & Miracles and The Art of Healing. 

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with patient advocate, global health coach and best-selling author Chris War. He explains the specific steps he took his self healing journey from surgery for stage 3 colon cancer. He was inspired to take these steps by reading about others who had taken a similar approach and achieved full recovery. He changed his diet radically to be less inflammatory, engaged in regular exercise, detoxified his home environment and embarked on a journey of self-exploration to get rid of his anger and forgive those he was angry with. He emphasizes the importance of believing you can heal and taking full responsibility for your healing,

Chris Wark is a young adult cancer survivor, bestselling author, and patient advocate. Chris was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2003, at just 26 years old. After surgery, Chris made the decision to go against his doctor’s advice, opted-out of chemotherapy and chose to use nutrition and natural therapies to heal. Six years later, in 2010, Chris began sharing his story of faith, courage, and determination, and his message of hope that chronic diseases like cancer can be prevented and reversed with a radical transforma tion of diet and lifestyle.

Chris is the author of the national bestseller Chris Beat Cancer: A Comprehensive Plan for Healing Naturally, published by Hay House in 2018. His second book, Beat Cancer Daily: 365 Days of Inspiration, Encouragement, and Action Steps to Survive and Thrive, was published by Hay House in 2020. His third book, Beat Cancer Kitchen: Deliciously Simple Plant-Based Anticancer Recipes will be published by Hay House on November 2nd, 2021.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with patient advocate, global health coach and best-selling author Chris Wark about the story of his diagnosis of stage 3 colon cancer at 26, his surgery and his decision to take control of his healing process which led to becoming cancer free. He shares the factors that led him to take this approach versus the standard chemotherapy treatments. Ultimately, what he discovered led him to become a patient advocate.

Chris Wark is a young adult cancer survivor, bestselling author, and patient advocate. Chris was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2003, at just 26 years old. After surgery, Chris made the decision to go against his doctor’s advice, opted-out of chemotherapy and chose to use nutrition and natural therapies to heal. Six years later, in 2010, Chris began sharing his story of faith, courage, and determination, and his message of hope that chronic diseases like cancer can be prevented and reversed with a radical transforma tion of diet and lifestyle.

In the last decade, Chris has become one of the most well known cancer survivors on the planet and reaches millions of people per year as a blogger, podcaster, speaker and global health coach through his books, social media and his website ChrisBeatCancer.com. Chris is the author of the national bestseller Chris Beat Cancer: A Comprehensive Plan for Healing Naturally, published by Hay House in 2018. His second book, Beat Cancer Daily: 365 Days of Inspiration, Encouragement, and Action Steps to Survive and Thrive, was published by Hay House in 2020. His third book, Beat Cancer Kitchen: Deliciously Simple Plant-Based Anticancer Recipes will be published by Hay House on November 2nd, 2021.