The Principles of the Mind Body Approach to Chronic Pain

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr. Howard Schubiner, Director of the Mind Body Medicine Center at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. He discusses the principles behind his groundbreaking approach to treating chronic pain. Key to his treatment are the concepts of assessment to determine if the pain is structural and / or neurologic, predictive coding (how the brain encodes and processes pain), educating the patient about how pain is processed  in the brain, establishing a strong physician / patient connection, and validating the patient’s experience of pain.

Dr. Howard Schubiner is an internist and the director of the Mind Body Medicine Center at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan and a Clinical Professor at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He has authored more than 100 publications in scientific journals and books, and lectures regionally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Schubiner is the author of three books: Unlearn Your Pain, Unlearn Your Anxiety and Depression, and Hidden From View, written with Dr. Allan Abbass. Dr. Schubiner lives in the Detroit area with his wife of thirty-seven years and has two adult children.  Learn more at www.unlearnyourpain.com.