Back in Control with David Hanscom, MD

A Healing Journey from Chaos to Calm

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Vanessa Blackstone, a therapist and Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. She candidly discusses her tumultuous childhood, entering foster care at a young age, and the normalization of the chaos in her life. She talks about how chaos came to feel comfortable and how she later learned that her brain created chaos as a way for her to feel comfortable. This came through her migraines, emotional distress and compulsive thoughts. When she became a therapist and discovered Pain Reprocessing Therapy she applied it to her own situation and began to heal. Vanessa Blackstone, ACSW, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation, is the Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. She earned her M.S. in Social Work from the University of Southern California. After overcoming chronic pain herself, Vanessa became a therapist in 2018. She specializes in chronic pain treatment, sex therapy, substance use recovery, mindfulness-based relapse prevention, and works as an Onset Wellness Professional. Vanessa, a former foster youth, advocates for foster youth by sharing her experiences at public speaking events. She is the author of the forthcoming book, The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook, to be released in November 2024. For more information, visit: https://painpsychologycenter.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learning to Be a Pain Patient No More

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with chaplain and pain coach Bonnie Lester.  She explains the different techniques she uses to help herself and her clients. Examples of these approaches include getting better sleep, sensory stimulation, humor and play, planning to do things that will make you feel more comfortable during the day and social connection. All contribute to the healing process. In addition, she use cognitive behavioral therapy to learn to “be with the pain.” She emphasizes the transformative role of neuroplasticity in paving new pathways in the brain to alleviate chronic pain. Chaplain Bonnie Lester, MA, Certified in Advanced Pain Rehabilitation, is a pain coach who has personally overcome CRPS after a 30-year struggle with this challenging chronic pain syndrome. Drawing on her own recovery and evidence-based research, she now specializes in teaching neuroplasticity techniques and comprehensive lifestyle strategies to help others overcome chronic pain. Bonnie has helped hundreds of clients significantly reduce their pain levels and improve their quality of life. She is the author of the book Unwinding Pain: Affordable and Accessible Ways to Feel Better Now (available on Amazon for preorder now).  For more information, visit https://www.bonnielester.com/ . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Healing Magic of Neuroplasticity

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with chaplain and pain coach Bonnie Lester. She shares her experiences with chronic pain, delving into the profound impact it had on her life. She details the various experiments she tried with alternative approaches to find what would work after conventional medical treatment offered little relief. Her breakthrough came when she became acquainted with neuroplasticity and the realization that she could change the way her brain processed pain. Chaplain Bonnie Lester, MA, Certified in Advanced Pain Rehabilitation, is a pain coach who has personally overcome CRPS after a 30-year struggle with this challenging chronic pain syndrome. Drawing on her own recovery and evidence-based research, she now specializes in teaching neuroplasticity techniques and comprehensive lifestyle strategies to help others overcome chronic pain. Bonnie has helped hundreds of clients significantly reduce their pain levels and improve their quality of life. She is the author of the book Unwinding Pain: Affordable and Accessible Ways to Feel Better Now (available on Amazon for preorder now). For more information, visit https://www.bonnielester.com/ . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transforming Stress, Anxiety and Pain Through Feldenkrais Techniques

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Senior Feldenkrais Trainer David Zemach-Bersin.  He discusses the two aspects of the Feldenkrais method, which include physical work in the office and lessons for home practice. He guides the listener through a movement exercise, emphasizing the importance of reducing effort, observing sensations, and maintaining a pleasurable experience. Throughout the demonstration, he emphasizes the connection between movement and sensory awareness, and the potential for healing through the Feldenkrais method. He also discusses the importance of adopting techniques to calm the body and mind, particularly in managing anxiety and stress, highlighting the role of letting go and in the process helping rewire neurological circuits. David Zemach-Bersin is a Senior Feldenkrais Trainer who has studied and expanded upon the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais for over 50 years. He studied directly with Dr. Feldenkrais in Europe, the USA and Israel for over ten years. With the onset of Covid in 2020, he co-founded FeldenkraisAccess.com, with the intention to bring the incredible benefits of the Feldenkrais Method to everyone wishing to improve, and lead a more comfortable, pain free life. David has taught all over the world and lives in Connecticut with his wife, Kaethe. For more information, visit www.feldenkraisaccess.com.Pain, Chronic Pain, Healing, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unlocking Calm and Healing with the Feldenkrais Method

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Senior Feldenkrais Trainer David Zemach-Bersin. He discusses the neuroscience behind anxiety and pain and how the Feldenkrais method addresses these. He explains the Feldenkrais emphasis on slow movements to engage the parasympathetic nervous system and promote calmness and a sense of safety. He talks about its ability to facilitate learning by leveraging the body's physiology to regulate the nervous system. He discusses how it can reverse the survival response and its role in attracting the brain's attention to positive experiences. He also touches on the practical application of Feldenkrais sessions in creating new circuits in the nervous system. David Zemach-Bersin is a Senior Feldenkrais Trainer who has studied and expanded upon the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais for over 50 years. He studied directly with Dr. Feldenkrais in Europe, the USA and Israel for over ten years. With the onset of Covid in 2020, he co-founded FeldenkraisAccess.com, with the intention to bring the incredible benefits of the Feldenkrais Method to everyone wishing to improve, and lead a more comfortable, pain free life. David has taught all over the world and lives in Connecticut with his wife, Kaethe. For more information, visit www.feldenkraisaccess.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices