How I Reversed 4 Years of Chronic Pain With Help From My Physician & Therapist - Featuring Dr. David Schechter, M.D., Author of Think Away Your Pain (Ep. 203)

Synopsis: Living with chronic pain sucks. We are now in the midst of a growing chronic pain epidemic. Why are rates of chronic pain so high? MRIs show that chronic pain occurs in different brain regions than acute pain. Chronic pain shows up in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, yet around 99.99% of doctors treat chronic pain like acute pain.

Fortunately, David Schechter, M.D., and a very small number of others are versed in the new research and as a result, can help you reverse chronic pain, not just manage it.

About David Schechter, M.D.

Dr. David Schechter is a physician whose career stands on principles. First, treat the whole patient (mind and body) in the context of his family, work, and his environment. Second, provide the highest quality care based upon the most up-to-date medical research. Third, emphasize prevention, a healthy lifestyle, and exercise as the mainstays of a comprehensive program.

Dr. Schechter is originally from New York. He was graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Biochemistry.

Subsequently, he attended medical school at New York University and fortuitously met Rehabilitation Professor Dr. John E. Sarno while seeking relief from a nagging knee problem.

He achieved a rapid recovery after learning about Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), a diagnosis that emphasizes the role of emotional tension in causing and perpetuating many painful ailments.

The following summer, under the auspices of Dr. John Sarno, he telephoned 177 former TMS patients of Dr. Sarno. The results confirmed his personal experience with this diagnosis and treatment approach and demonstrated a success rate above 75% in back pain patients.

Since that time, he completed a residency in Family Medicine and learned how to treat the whole patient. He also achieved certification in Sports Medicine to solidify his treatment of injuries and incorporate the principles obtained from caring for competitive athletes into his overall approach to patients of all kinds.

Dr. Schechter served on the faculty of the USC School of Medicine from 1990 to about 2012. His last academic appointment was as an Associate Professor.

His focus now is on clinical practice on the Westside of Los Angeles emphasizing mind-body approaches, sports medicine, and the treatment of injuries and back pain.

A growing proportion of his patients are seeking out his expertise in the treatment of Tension Myoneural Syndrome and related mind-body disorders.

The remarkable results that many of these patients have experienced with this approach have motivated him to seek out opportunities to present these ideas to the general public.

Dr. Schechter has written two workbooks, created an audio program, a DVD, and published a book. He has also spoken on radio and television about this subject and others.

Dr. Schechter’s Top Doctor Achievements:

Dr. Schechter was named a Top Doctor in Sports Medicine by Men’s Health Magazine 2008
Dr. Schechter was named a Top Doctor in US News and World Report 2011
Dr. Schechter was listed as a Top Doctor in 2018 by Los Angeles Magazine (Sports/family medicine)

Here are the main topics discussed in this episode:

How Matt Finch reversed his chronic shoulder and neck pain after treatment with Dr. Schechter and his pain therapist Daniel G. Lyman, LCSW
Where acute pain shows up in the brain on functional MRI imaging (somatosensory cortex)
Where chronic pain shows up in the brain on functional MRI imaging (amygdala and prefrontal cortex)
Why chronic pain should be treated differently than acute pain
Why 99.99% of doctors are still treating chronic pain like acute pain (using physical treatments)
The neuroscience and psychology of chronic pain
The Type T Personality and how it’s more prone to chronic pain and a host of other health problems
How To Think Away Your Pain
How to rewire your brain by thinking psychologically instead of thinking physically
How stress, emotional tension, the subconscious mind, hypervigilance, and more cause or exacerbate pain sensations
How to reverse chronic pain using Dr. Schechter’s 12 Stages of Healing