Treating Back Pain and Trending on Tik Tok

In this episode Preston and Margaret welcome their first guest, neurosurgeon and content creator Dr. Betsy Grunch (aka Lady Spine Doc), for a deep dive into pain—how we treat it, how we misunderstand it, and how the system often fails those who experience it. Takeaways: Pain Is Not Just Physical: Chronic pain isn’t just about physical damage—it involves neurological, psychological, and emotional factors that make treatment complex. Back Surgery Isn’t Always the Answer: Failed back surgery syndrome is common, often because patients receive the wrong procedure or aren’t properly prepared for surgery. Empathy Improves Patient Outcomes: Research shows that patients who feel heard and understood by their doctors have better surgical and pain management outcomes. Social Media Shapes Medical Conversations: Platforms like TikTok have transformed how patients and doctors discuss pain, sometimes for better—but also with risks of misinformation. Medical Training Can Be Dehumanizing: The culture of surgery often discourages emotional connection, but rediscovering empathy is key to being a great physician. — Want more Dr. Betsy Grunch: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyspinedoc?_t=8rhZfY7LgLe&_r=1 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ladyspinedoc Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ladyspinedoc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladyspinedoc YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ladyspinedoc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgrunch Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/ladyspinedoc Watch on YouTube: @itspresro Listen Anywhere You Podcast: Apple, Spotify, PodChaser, etc. — Produced by Dr Glaucomflecken & Human Content Get in Touch: howtobepatientpod.com Citations: Chapters 1.16 and 27.15. Sadock, Benjamin J, et al. Kaplan & Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Wolters Kluwer, 2025. Oliveira CB, Maher CG, Pinto RZ, Traeger AC, Lin CC, Chenot JF, van Tulder M, Koes BW. Clinical practice guidelines for the management of non-specific low back pain in primary care: an updated overview. Eur Spine J. 2018 Nov;27(11):2791-2803. doi: 10.1007/s00586-018-5673-2. Epub 2018 Jul 3. PMID: 29971708. Stanford Center for Chronic Pain and American Chronic Pain Association Guide. https://www.acpanow.com/acpa-stanford-guide.html#/ George SZ, Fritz JM, Silfies SP, Schneider MJ, Beneciuk JM, Lentz TA, Gilliam JR, Hendren S, Norman KS. Interventions for the Management of Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Revision 2021. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2021 Nov;51(11):CPG1-CPG60. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2021.0304. PMID: 34719942; PMCID: PMC10508241. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30265840/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219252/#:~:text=Pain%20is%20a%20subjective%20experience,relieving%20or%20terminating%20the%20experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

You may have noticed a new trend lately. Everyone is loud and proud about their mental health struggles (and thank goodness)! For practitioners, this movement is as exciting as it is frustrating. As each mental health taboo falls by the wayside as it enters the cultural zeitgeist, a new aspect of our specialty thus emerges. One we just don’t have enough hours in the day to keep track of, let alone engage with. From better understanding our patients’ (and our own) relationships with their conditions in a changing world, it’s more important than ever that we learn: HOW TO BE PATIENT! Each week, join Dr. Preston Roche (Psychiatry Resident & Digital Influencer) and Dr. Margaret Duncan (Psychiatrist & Content Creator) on their quest to better understand the patients we dedicate our lives to and the evolving paths they’re bound to travel beyond the clinic. By engaging with stories and perspectives that challenge our shared understanding of a condition, we hope you’ll similarly gain new perspectives as we look at our patients, and their mental health struggles, with further nuance and empathy. (And with Dr. & Lady Glaucomflecken producing, we've been mandated to include plenty of weird medical jokes too). Speaking of which, a key part of this is hearing YOUR stories! What’s changed your understanding of patient care? Do you have an experience that shines new light on something we’ve discussed on-air? Get in touch at: howtobepatientpod.com