So we generally don't know where back pain comes from exactly. We do know very clearly that

dysc regeneration has nothing to do with back pain. So arthritis, bone spurs, bulgear disc,

herniated disc, rupture disc, disc, dysc, degeneration has nothing to do with back pain.

And this is where spine surgery probably 70% should not be done.

The metaphor I like to use is going to a dentist. If you go to the dentist with mouth pain and you

don't know where the pain's coming from and you start doing random procedures, of course,

it's not going to work. Yet we're doing probably four or five hundred thousand fusions this year for back pain,

with this accessory being about 22 to 24 percent.

And we also know that if you perform surgery for back pain that's chronic,

you can actually make the pain worse 40 to 60 percent of the time.

And I see that every day.

So you have chances of actually getting worse from a back, using your back pain,

somewhat double the chance of success.

This is like mind, like body, a podcast about the surprising ways our thoughts and feelings can shape our physical health.

I'm your host, Laura Sago, and on each episode, I will speak with researchers, physicians, and ordinary people who have incredible stories to tell about the power

of the mind-body connection. This podcast is brought to you by Curable, an app that gives you

safe, effective tools to understand and heal chronic pain. You can download Curable in the Apple

App Store on Google Play or learn more on our website at curablehealth.com.

That's C-U-R-A-B-L-E-Halth.com.

On today's episode, I am speaking with Dr. David Hanscom, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon

with 32 years of experience.

He's also the author of Back in Control, a spine surgeon's roadmap out

...