Here we explore the mind/body connection with pain, and the mechanism of chronic pain, with a spine specialist surgeon who has over 30 years experience in the care of chronic back pain. He advocates something he calls DOC, which stands for Direct Your Own Care, and he only performs surgery on patients he feels are certain to find relief through surgery. He is the author of Back in Control: A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain.

Tags: David Hanscom, chronic pain, adrenalized nervous system, adrenalin, cortisol, anxiety, URTs, unpleasant repetitive thoughts, structural pain, nervous system pain, pain circuits, pain pathways, neuroplasticity, myelin, nerve cells, meditation, expressive writing, spinal fusion, sleep, mindfulness, Health & Healing, Personal Transformation