In this special patient interview episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater talks with Tam, a retired nurse who had been dealing with chronic pain for years. Her symptoms included upper back pain between the shoulder blades, pain down the arm, hand symptoms in the morning, difficulty holding a coffee cup, trouble sleeping, and pain so severe that she would have to lie down multiple times while doing simple tasks like preparing dinner.

Before finding Dr. Slater, Tam had seen multiple providers, including orthopedics, rheumatology, chiropractic, massage, craniosacral therapy, and functional medicine. She was given diagnoses like fibromyalgia, inflammatory spondyloarthropathy, and psoriatic arthritis without psoriasis, and tried injections, methotrexate, biologics, prednisone, medications, supplements, and other treatments — but nothing was giving her lasting relief.

After finding The Spinal Truth online and working with Dr. Slater through telehealth, Tam began targeting her thoracic spine with specific movements and strengthening exercises. Within a few visits, she started having pain-free days, improved sleep, better function, and the ability to return to daily activities like cooking, mowing, walking, traveling, and helping others — without being controlled by pain.

This episode is for anyone who has been labeled with fibromyalgia, chronic pain, inflammatory conditions, unexplained pain, neuropathy-like symptoms, or "nothing else we can do" — and wants to hear a real patient story about what changed when the spine was finally evaluated and treated differently.

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down fibromyalgia and why the diagnosis can be so frustrating for patients. Fibromyalgia is often described as widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems, brain fog, headaches, dizziness, sensitivity, IBS, TMJ symptoms, pelvic pain, anxiety, and depression — but there is no definitive test that proves someone has it.

Dr. Slater explains why labels like fibromyalgia, POTS, AMPS, PPPD, IBS, TMJ disorder, and chronic regional pain syndrome can sometimes become catch-all diagnoses when the medical system does not know what else to do. Once that label is applied, patients are often told to manage symptoms instead of continuing to search for the underlying cause.

This episode explores a different possibility: that some "fibromyalgia" symptoms may actually be coming from multi-level spine problems, especially in the thoracic spine and cervical spine. Dr. Slater discusses how the nervous system supplies the body, how spine issues can create symptoms far beyond simple back or neck pain, and why restoring motion and strength may be the missing piece for some chronic pain patients.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic widespread pain, unexplained fatigue, brain fog, headaches, dizziness, IBS, TMJ, or other vague chronic symptoms, this episode may help you rethink what has actually been checked — and what may still be missing.

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down why many people diagnosed with carpal tunnel may not actually have a wrist problem at all. While true carpal tunnel involves compression of the median nerve at the wrist, many common "carpal tunnel" symptoms may actually be coming from the neck, especially when symptoms are bilateral, come and go, show up at rest, involve the pinky, or travel into the forearm, elbow, shoulder, or neck.

Dr. Slater explains how the median nerve starts in the neck, why imaging and nerve tests can be misleading, and why treatments like wrist splints, injections, nerve glides, ultrasound, laser, paraffin, stretching, and even carpal tunnel surgery often fail when the real problem is higher up the chain.

If you've been told you have carpal tunnel, or you're dealing with hand numbness, wrist pain, tingling, weakness, forearm pain, or symptoms into both hands, this episode may help you understand what's being missed, and why checking the neck first could save you from unnecessary treatment or surgery.

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater and Chris discuss the new Chronic GI Symptoms Course and who it may be appropriate for. They break down why chronic GI issues like Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, IBS, SIBO, gastroparesis, bloating, diarrhea, food intolerance, stomach pain, and frequent bowel movements may sometimes be connected to an underlying spine or nerve issue.

Dr. Slater explains why many people are told their symptoms are purely digestive, inflammatory, dietary, or autoimmune — while their spine is rarely evaluated as part of the process. He also discusses why back pain, hip pain, groin pain, leg pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, or other orthopedic symptoms may be clues that these are not separate problems, but part of the same bigger issue.

The episode also covers how the GI course is structured, what movements are used, what equipment is needed, what symptoms to track, why early orthopedic changes may show you're on the right path, and why this approach is designed to check an often-missed box before moving further into long-term medications, biologics, steroids, or surgery.

Learn more about the Chronic GI Symptoms Course here: https://thespinaltruth.thinkific.com/products/courses/chronic-gi-symptoms-course

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down thoracic outlet syndrome and why it is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated. TOS can cause pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, coldness, color changes, chest symptoms, neck pain, upper back pain, and arm symptoms — but the real issue may not simply be "tight muscles."

Dr. Slater explains why common treatments like scalene stretches, pec stretches, first rib mobilizations, nerve glides, posture correction, hot packs, TENS, injections, and even surgery often fail to create lasting relief. Instead, he argues that the thoracic spine, lower cervical spine, mobility, strength, and targeted movement need to be properly evaluated and treated.

If you've been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, cervical radiculopathy, nerve compression, or unexplained arm symptoms, this episode will help you understand why your symptoms may keep coming back — and what may be missing from your treatment plan. The episode also discusses the free thoracic outlet syndrome series available on TikTok and YouTube.

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down a rarely discussed possibility: that some chronic GI symptoms may be connected to the spine and nervous system. We talk about IBS, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, food triggers, bloating, diarrhea, and why back, hip, knee, or foot pain may be clues that the spine should be checked as part of the bigger picture.

Dr. Slater also shares a real patient case where targeted spinal movement helped improve long-term GI and orthopedic symptoms after years of failed treatments. This isn't saying every GI issue comes from the spine — but it may be a missing box that too many people never check.

We also now have our Chronic GI Symptoms Course, a self-guided treatment course designed to help you explore whether your spine and nervous system may be contributing to your gut symptoms.

Check out the GI Course here: https://thespinaltruth.thinkific.com/products/courses/chronic-gi-symptoms-course

Why do so many people leave physical therapy without real relief? In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down the typical PT journey, insurance limitations, rushed sessions, generic exercise sheets, symptom-based treatment, and why many patients never get true one-on-one orthopedic care. He also explains what to look for in a better physical therapist, why certifications matter, and why the right treatment should target movement, strength, and the real underlying cause, not just manage pain.

Why does getting real help in the healthcare system feel so hard? In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down the biggest flaws in the U.S. healthcare journey—from insurance roadblocks and short doctor visits to overreliance on imaging, symptom-chasing, and treatments that often manage pain without fixing the real problem. If you've ever felt ignored, rushed, mislabeled, or stuck in the system, this episode will hit home.

If you've been told your chronic pain is something you just have to live with, this episode is for you. Dr. Caleb Slater explains why so many people stay stuck in chronic pain for years, why pain management often fails to address the real problem, and how the spine is often missed as a major driver of symptoms. He also shares his own 27-year chronic pain story and what finally helped him break the cycle.

Does stretching really fix pain… or just make it feel better for a few minutes? In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater explains why stretching is often overused in physical therapy, why it usually fails as actual treatment, and what the body often needs instead: active contraction, spinal mobility, and strength through range. If you've been stretching for weeks, months, or years without real relief, this episode is for you.