Back in Control with Dr. David Hanscom
Falling Through the Cracks: Feel alive and thrive
Back in Control » Listen Now
Air Date: April 11, 2016
Episode Description
“Since the medical establishment is not set up to take a comprehensive approach to your care, it’s crucial to take your care into your own hands.” -Dr. David Hanscom
Dr. David Hanscom is an orthopedic surgeon, who has discovered that surgery is not always the cure to pain. Chronic pain is debilitating, causing stress on relationships, jobs and anxiety and depression. After seeing that surgery didn’t always answer the pain problem Dr. Hanscom found other ways to work at the root cause. He began to implement a program to help his patients, which he has laid out in his book “Back in Control: A Spine Surgeon’s Roadmap out of Chronic Pain.”
Dr. Risk’s Thoughts
When I found this program, I realized Dr. Hanscom had discovered a gem. When treating chronic illnesses, one of the main challenges is facing the anxiety and depression that has come along with the illness. There are multiple challenges to confronting these issues, and many things seem to offer little help. This program really gets into the root cause of the issues, and helps you to change your neural pathways. What a refreshing option for anyone, whether you have chronic health problems, or are just a person who is surviving in our complicated world.
Guest Information
Dr. David Hanscom
Dr. David Hanscom is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in the surgical correction of complex spine problems in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. He treats spinal infections, tumors, trauma and spinal deformities such as kyphosis and scoliosis. Much of of his practice is devoted to addressing problems created by multiple unsuccessful spine surgeries.
Around 2001 he began to share his own stress management tools with his patients that were in pain but had no indications for surgery. He also collaborated with rehabilitation physicians learning non-operative care. By 2006 a structured spine treatment protocol evolved. It was named the DOCC project (Defined Organized Comprehensive Care). He has published a book, Back in Control: A Spine Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain that is the basis of the structured spine care program. He has witnessed many patients become pain free using a largely self-directed structured approach. It enables the patient to take charge of his or her own care with the healthcare provider becoming a partner in the process. He is now seeing patients with structural surgical problems resolve their pain without undergoing an operation.
