Like Mind, Like Body

“When we get a diagnosis, we tend to hold it still. Then we assume that it’s going to stay that way or get worse. People hear the word ‘chronic' as ‘uncontrollable' or ‘incurable.' Nothing in and of itself is incurable. All that means is that we haven’t yet found the way to cure it.” In this episode, the “Mother of Mindfulness,” Harvard professor Dr. Ellen Langer, gives her take on chronic pain. Join us to learn about how mindlessness impacts daily life, the benefits of embracing uncertainty, and why noticing change could be the key too healing.

Years ago, Dan received a cancer diagnosis. He underwent major surgery to remove the tumor from his spinal cord, but his life changed drastically when he woke up paralyzed from the chest down. Although his sensation eventually returned, it brought excruciating pain along with it. Join us to hear how Dan went from daily pain levels of 8-10 to a near full recovery in one year.

Dr. Dario Zagar is no stranger to chronic pain. In addition to treating it in his office every day, he’s experienced symptoms like migraine and back pain in his own life. Today, Dr. Zagar is an associate professor at Yale and a practicing neurologist, and he is determined to help people with pain find the same relief that he did.

After participating in her college horseback riding team, Katia started to experience a combination of physical symptoms that baffled her. Her constant background headache, whiplash, and body aches eventually turned into migraines that lasted for half of each month. Katia was later diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrome and spent years shrinking her life to fit around her symptoms. Today, Katia has finally discovered her path to healing and managed to reduce her symptoms by about 85% over the course of two years. Tune in to hear about Katia’s slow and steady path to recovery and learn exactly what she did to find relief.

There are two key questions Dr. Asare Christian asks each of his patients in their first meeting: “What is your understanding of why you have pain?” and “What has your pain prevented you from doing?” Answering these questions, he believes, is critical to developing a treatment plan that is actually going to work. In this episode, we examine each question in-depth, understanding why each is so important and what can be done with the answers.

Wish you could reduce your pain? Of course you do. But according to Callie Klebanoff, LCSW, pain reduction is not always the best goal to set at the start of your healing journey. Tune in to hear about how her unconventional starting point can improve the odds of long-term success.

Can the simple act of learning about pain actually help you to heal it? The short answer is 'yes.' In this episode, one of the world’s leading experts in Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE), Dr. Adriaan Louw, joins us to explain how and why.

How long can relief from chronic pain and symptoms really last? Is any hope of recovery temporary, or can changes in the brain and nervous system last a lifetime? In this episode, we speak to real people who have recovered from chronic pain and symptoms to find out.

Today’s story comes from Brandon, an engineer whose mysterious hand pains eventually led him into a year-long medical leave. He joins us on the show to share the specific steps he took to get from a daily pain level of 8 to a daily pain level of almost nothing.

What’s more effective at treating chronic back pain: the usual standard of care, a placebo, or psychotherapy? That’s the question Yoni Ashar, PhD, sought to answer in his latest randomized clinical trial. Join us as Dr. Ashar talks through the results of his study and breaks down what it all means for people in pain.