Back in Control with David Hanscom, MD

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Norris Lewis, a trainer and physical conditioning specialist, about his work with individuals who suffer from chronic pain or injury. With a background in exercise physiology and the Z-Health methodology, he has developed an approach centered on understanding why the client is holding onto their pain and working with them to focus their brain on something other than the pain. He explains that the emotional component of pain is one of the key factors in healing. For example, he has found that laughter is one way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and accelerate the healing process. He believes that surgery should be the last approach to be considered. For more information, visit: https://backincontrol.com

Norris Lewis is an elite trainer at Fitness SF – Oakland. He specializes in pre- and post-surgery rehab and practices the Z-Health methodology which uses cutting-edge applied pain and performance neurology for health and fitness. He has a BS in physiology and a BA in social science from San Jose State University.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with David Allen, bestselling author of Getting Things Done, about the specific techniques you can use to: identify what’s on your mind and capture it; determine what each item means and whether it is actionable; organize and track each of your items; review and reflect on each of your items; and use all of these steps to stay engaged and make good choices about what you are doing. For more information, visit: https://backincontrol.com

One of the world’s most influential thinkers on productivity, David Allen’s 35 years experience as a management consultant and executive coach have earned him the titles of “personal productivity guru” by Fast Company Magazine and one of America’s top 5 executive coaches by Forbes Magazine. His bestselling book, the groundbreaking Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, has been published in thirty languages; and the “GTD” methodology it describes has become a global phenomenon. David, his company, and his partners are dedicated to teaching people how to stay relaxed and productive in our fast paced world.

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In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with David Allen, bestselling author of Getting Things Done, about how his approach can help you put steps into action once you've learned about chronic pain and are ready to take control of your life again. He explains the value of starting where you are and not where you should be, and using a step-by-step approach to get the day-to-day things under control first. He discusses how to organize your thinking, and build up an “external brain” - e.g., a computer app or a piece of paper - to capture what you need to do and stay engaged to get it done. For more information, visit: https://backincontrol.com

One of the world’s most influential thinkers on productivity, David Allen’s 35 years experience as a management consultant and executive coach have earned him the titles of “personal productivity guru” by Fast Company Magazine and one of America’s top 5 executive coaches by Forbes Magazine. His bestselling book, the groundbreaking Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, has been published in thirty languages; and the “GTD” methodology it describes has become a global phenomenon. David, his company, and his partners are dedicated to teaching people how to stay relaxed and productive in our fast paced world.

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In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Donald Cohen, a clinical psychologist specializing in family issues, about how family relationships can impact the experience of chronic pain.  He discusses how stress and anger can become “somaticized” and exacerbate chronic pain. The resulting tension can lead other family members to feel unsafe, causing them to shut down and become angry or defensive. He shares the necessity of treating the whole family when it comes to chronic pain and the importance of the patient’s attitude in improving or worsening the associated family issues. For more information, visit: https://backincontrol.com

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In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Donald Cohen, a clinical psychologist specializing in family issues, about the impact of aging and anxiety on the experience of pain. He has observed that the basic “mechanics of life” can cause more anxiety as we age, leading to altered sleep patterns which can intensify our experience of pain. He recommends meditation, reflection, engaging in creative activities, exercise, napping and expressing feelings as ways to counter the effects of aging and anxiety. For more information, visit: https://backincontrol.com

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In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with David Burns, MD, best-selling author of Feeling Good and Feeling Good Together, about how misunderstandings between couples can exacerbate the experience of chronic pain.  Dr. Burns shares examples that illustrate how hidden feelings in a relationship can result in pain that is used as a weapon against the other person. He describes tools that couples can use to better understand each other’s feelings and heal the relationship as well as the pain. For more information, visit: https://www.feelinggood.com

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In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Sharna Prasad, DPT, about her approach to treating chronic pain patients. She tries to understand from the patient what is going on in their life and how it is impacting their pain. She explains how she has adopted more of a coaching style in working with her patients, which has resulted in most patients getting much better. She discusses her work on an in-depth program for chronic pain patients called Movement, Mindfulness and Pain Science, as well as her work with local high schools to help students better understand aspects of pain science, healthy self-care and opioid abuse.  For more information, visit: https://www.backincontrol.com

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In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with his step-daughter, Jasmine Yohai, about her work as a housing coordinator for Bay Area Community Services helping homeless individuals find housing in Oakland. She points out that homelessness is a growing problem in many communities, but particularly in the technology hubs around the Bay Area. She shares the difficulties homeless individuals and families face, and how their situation complicates their efforts to heal from chronic conditions. 

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with David Burns, MD, best-selling author of Feeling Good and Feeling Good Together, about the evolution of his practice from biological psychiatry to using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a tool for helping patients with depression and anxiety. He discusses the powerful effect that negative thoughts have on how we feel and behave. Becoming aware of and changing those negative thinking patterns and getting to self-acceptance, often has immediate positive impacts, including on chronic pain. For more information, visit: https://www.feelinggood.com

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David D. Burns is a psychiatrist and adjunct professor emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the author of the bestselling books Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, The Feeling Good Handbook and Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety. He popularized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) when his books became bestsellers during the 1980s.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Sharna Prasad, DPT, about her 32 year career as a chronic pain specialist. She shares the story of her own battle with chronic pain and the insights it provided her in the evolution of her practice. She also discusses her role as a founding member of the Oregon Pain Science Alliance and its work helping patients heal from chronic pain. For more information, visit: https://www.backincontrol.com

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