Colorado
Check out the Colorado Physical Therapy Specialists.
California
Dr. Wolf Mehling is an expert in the areas of family and community medicine and integrative medicine and is on the staff of UCSF’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.
If you are looking for a physical therapist with a strong orthopedic background, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists is a good place to start. Note the “find a doc function” for members and fellows. A fellowship is designed for the graduate of a residency or board-certified therapist to focus on a subspecialty area of clinical practice, education, or research, so fellows are highly trained and typically have a strong focus on manual therapy and rehabilitation, rather than “bells and blinkers” therapy, such as ultrasound.
Minnesota
Mayo Comprehensive Pain Rehabilitation Center (PRC). Click here for the program handbook.
Massachusetts
If you’re in the the Boston area, looking for a good rehab facility with a focus on women’s health, this one has a great reputation. Check out the wellness bootcamp and the acupuncture program.
New York
John E. Sarno, MD, was a pivotal figure in the arena of pain management because of his hotly debated approach to the diagnosis and management of back pain. You can read an interview with him here. Since Sarno’s retirement in 2012, Ira Rashbaum, MD, has taken over the care of his patients, and also sees new patients. Sarno passed away in June 2017.
Florida
Founded in 1863, the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. Michael L. Reed, is the Director of the Hospital for Special Surgery Spine & Sport, a branch of HSS located in Florida. Learn more about the facility and its mission here.
Here is a thorough cheat sheet for exercises to strengthen lumbar instability and additional background information on why these specific exercises work in targeting this region and alleviating back pain.
In this video, Lorimer Moseley explores the pain that we feel as our bodies’ way of protecting us from damaging tissue. He also looks at what this might mean for those who suffer from chronic pain. Check out the video here.
Learn more here about how one MIT’s researcher’s robotic chair will solve back pain while keeping you on your toes, literally.
The basic question Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman asks is why does the human body look and function the way it does? He researches an evolutionary approach to human anatomy and physiology not only helps us to understand better why humans are the way they are, but also helps provide key insights on how to prevent many kinds of illnesses and injuries. Find more information here.
Bristol, United Kingdom
If you live in or are traveling to the Bristol region, check out Core Strength Studios, where you will find back pain experts who specialize in core strengthening, sports massage, and injury rehabilitation. The studio is equipped with the latest exercise equipment, including a MedX lumbar extension machine, Gravity GTS machine, stability balls and BOSU, cardiovascular equipment, and free weights. After freedom from lower back pain, one patient’s only regret was that she didn’t see them sooner.
Contributed by Caryn S. Feldman, PhD, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Center For Pain Management:
The app Headspace, designed by a team including a former Buddhist monk and some brilliant computer developers, was created to show you – no matter who you are and what your lifestyle – how to meditate. With an easy and effective technique for meditation, learn how to sleep better, manage stress, and engage in other practices that can lead to feeling happier. It’ll take you no more than ten minutes a day, and the results will be transformative.
Dan Harris, co-anchor of ABC’s “Nightline,” talks a little about how and why he found his way to meditation, his new book on the subject of meditating in the modern age, and the positive results meditative practices have produced for him.
If you’re a new mother or father, you certainly know the ins and outs of caring for a child that needs to be picked up, dressed, rocked, fed, swung, bathed, and carried everywhere by you. Bending down to your child to accomplish any of these things can take its toll on your back – not to mention the baby gear you doubtlessly lug from place to place.
Guest blogger Liz Savage addresses the positions and motions that baby care entails that can be relieved or otherwise aided by baby and back products. Find her exceptionally useful blog post with a list of such products (and a picture of her exceptionally adorable new baby) here.
Contributed by Caryn S. Feldman, PhD, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Center For Pain Management:
In the book “Living Well with Pain and Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself from Suffering,” author Vidyamala Burch shares her experience with disability and chronic back pain, and the way that mindfulness practices helped her overcome her suffering and renew her life with a positive outlook and decreased pain. Find the book on Amazon.
Contributed by Caryn S. Feldman, PhD, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Center For Pain Management:
Meditation expert Shinzen Young offers a mindfulness-meditation program called “Break Through Pain” for the specific purpose of dealing with both chronic and acute pain. Meditation techniques have proven extremely effective for pain patients worldwide. Find the book and audio CD for the program together on Amazon.
Contributed by Caryn S. Feldman, PhD, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Center For Pain Management:
Psychologist Chris Germer works broadly with pain and suffering. His website, Mindful Self-Compassion, offers a number of free meditation downloads. Though he’s not specifically focused on chronic pain, patients have reported responding particularly well to him.
Contributed by Caryn S. Feldman, PhD, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Center For Pain Management:
This website, Dharma Seed, is a resource that offers meditation talks and lists teachers and retreats related to Western Buddhist Vipassana Teachings. Many of the meditations offered are helpful in dealing with pain and suffering – browse through and simply pick whatever titles appeal to you. Certain of the talks are geared toward people who already have some experience with meditation, but others are more accessible, and there are also other resources that serve as a point of entry (see the resource entry here for “Audio Dharma”).