Stop Chasing Pain

What if the place where you feel pain isn't actually where the problem begins? In this mini episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry 'The Lymph DOc' challenges the traditional approach to chronic pain and explains why treating only the painful body part may be keeping you stuck in an endless cycle of temporary relief and frustration. When both feet hurt, both knees ache, or both hands experience pain, it may be time to stop focusing exclusively on those areas and start investigating the bigger picture. Your brain, spinal cord, nervous system, breathing patterns, diaphragm, and inflammatory processes can all influence how your body experiences pain. Dr. Perry shares why understanding the connections between body systems is often more important than finding another treatment technique. In this episode, you'll discover: Why the location of pain doesn't always reveal its source. Why pain on both sides of the body should prompt a broader assessment. How the brain and spinal cord influence pain throughout the body. Why chronic pain requires a different approach than an acute injury. How breathing patterns, the diaphragm, and nervous system function may contribute to persistent symptoms. Why MRI findings don't always explain someone's pain. How your personal history and your body's ability to adapt influence symptoms. Why the best treatment technique won't help if you're addressing the wrong problem. How to begin thinking in systems rather than chasing individual symptoms. One of the biggest lessons from this episode: "Think and link. Don't name and blame." Stop getting trapped by labels, diagnoses, and isolated body parts. Start asking better questions about how your entire body works together. Your pain is real. But the answer may require looking beyond where it hurts. Stop chasing pain. Start understanding your body. Connect with Dr. Perry Nickelston Stop Chasing Pain Website: https://www.stopchasingpain.com YouTube — Stop Chasing Pain: https://www.youtube.com/@stopchasingpain Explore educational videos about the diaphragm, breathing, lymphatic health, nervous system function, and the BIG 6® lymphatic reset. Learn more about our courses, workshops, and educational programs at Stop Chasing Pain. Subscribe to the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's tired of chasing symptoms without finding answers. Much love. Live with MOJO! #StopChasingPain #DrPerryNickelston #TheLymphDoc #ChronicPain #PainScience #NervousSystem #BrainBodyConnection #LymphaticSystem #ChronicInflammation #BreathingMechanics #PainRelief #HolisticHealth #SystemsThinking #BIG6 #LiveWithMojo

What if something you can't see is influencing how your body responds to stress, recovers, and performs? In this episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry welcomes Justin Frandson, athletic performance coach, author, and founder of EMF Rocks, to explore electromagnetic fields (EMFs), our increasingly technology-filled environment, and the relationship between nature, human physiology, and health. We live surrounded by Wi-Fi, smartphones, Bluetooth devices, wireless technology, and electrical systems. But how much do we really understand about our everyday electromagnetic environment? Justin brings his experience working with athletes and his interest in electromagnetic exposure to a conversation about grounding, recovery, and the importance of examining the environment in which our bodies function. Topics to explore in this episode: What electromagnetic fields are and the difference between naturally occurring and human-made EMFs. Justin's perspective on electromagnetic exposure, the nervous system, sleep, and athletic performance. Why our relationship with technology deserves greater attention. Grounding, nature, and their potential roles in health and recovery. The story behind EMF Rocks and its grounding products. Practical ways to become more aware of your everyday environment. Why health requires looking beyond isolated symptoms and considering the entire body and its surroundings. The bigger message is about awareness. Our bodies do not exist independently of their environment. Sleep, stress, movement, recovery, and the conditions we live in all deserve attention. This conversation invites you to question assumptions, explore different perspectives, and become more intentional about your environment. Learn More and Connect Justin Frandson — EMF Rocks https://emfrocks.com/ Dr. Perry Nickelston — Stop Chasing Pain https://www.stopchasingpain.com/ Explore More Stop Chasing Pain Podcast Episodes https://www.stopchasingpain.com/podcasts/ Subscribe to the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast for conversations about the nervous system, lymphatics, inflammation, chronic pain, recovery, and the interconnected systems that influence your health. #StopChasingPain #DrPerryNickelston #JustinFrandson #EMFRocks #EMF #ElectromagneticFields #Grounding #NervousSystem #HumanPerformance #Recovery #SleepHealth #StressManagement #Bioelectricity #HolisticHealth #HealthPodcast

What if the secret to improving your health, reducing stress, changing your habits, and living a better life isn't about doing MORE, but doing LESS? In this solo episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry introduces one of his favorite principles for creating meaningful change: The Inversion Principle. Most people approach change by asking, "What do I need to start doing to get better?" They create long lists of new habits, routines, supplements, exercises, and goals. But what if we've been looking at things backward? What if a better question is: "What am I currently doing that's preventing me from getting where I want to go?" That's inversion. Flip the question. Change your perspective. Discover what's holding you back, and start removing it. Dr. Perry explores how inversion connects with the Law of Subtraction, the power of consistency, and the nonlinear nature of the human body, where a small change can sometimes create a surprisingly large impact. Drawing from over 30 years of clinical experience and his own personal journey, he explains why trying to change everything at once often leads to frustration, overwhelm, and eventually giving up. In this episode, you'll discover: How to use the Inversion Principle to rethink your health, habits, relationships, and daily choices. Why removing harmful or unhelpful habits can be more effective than constantly adding new ones. How small, consistent changes can have a meaningful impact on your nervous system and quality of life. Why doing too much, too quickly, can sabotage your progress. How changing your relationship with pain can help you stop defining yourself by your symptoms. Why building self-trust through consistency may be one of the most important changes you make. Your 30-Day Inversion Challenge Grab a pen and paper. Choose one area of your life you'd like to improve. Instead of asking how to succeed, ask yourself: "What would I have to do to guarantee I fail?" Write down the answers. Notice which habits you're already practicing. Pick one or two and begin changing them consistently for the next 30 days. You don't need to overhaul your entire life overnight. Sometimes the most powerful change begins with what you stop doing. Invert. Invert. Invert. Stop chasing symptoms. Start changing the patterns. Live your life with MOJO! Connect With Stop Chasing Pain Website, courses, and MOJO education: https://www.stopchasingpain.com/ Additional Resources: The Inversion Principle James Clear — Inversion: The Crucial Thinking Skill Nobody Ever Taught You https://jamesclear.com/inversion An excellent introduction to inversion, including its connections to decision-making, avoiding mistakes, and changing habits. James Clear — Mental Models https://jamesclear.com/mental-models Explore inversion and other thinking tools for making better decisions. Mental Model Practices — Inversion https://mmpractices.com/mental_models/inversion/ Practical exercises for applying inversion and subtraction to everyday challenges. Remember: You don't always have to add something new to change your life. Sometimes you need to remove what's keeping you stuck.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Brain: The Art of Self-Brain Surgery with Dr. Lee Warren What if the way you think is shaping the way your brain functions, how your body responds, and how you experience the world? In this episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry Nickelston sits down with neurosurgeon and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Lee Warren to explore the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, neuroplasticity, faith, and healing. Dr. Warren is the author of The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life. His work explores how we can become more intentional about our thoughts, interrupt destructive mental patterns, develop resilience, and create meaningful changes in our lives. Topics we explore: How thoughts and experiences influence the brain through neuroplasticity What Dr. Warren means by "self-brain surgery" Why changing your thinking can change how you experience life The relationship between stress, emotions, thoughts, and healing Breaking free from limiting beliefs and repetitive mental patterns How hope, resilience, and personal responsibility influence recovery The intersection of neuroscience, faith, and human transformation At Stop Chasing Pain, we often talk about looking beyond symptoms to understand the systems influencing health. This conversation extends that philosophy to the mind and brain. Healing isn't always about doing more. Sometimes it's about learning to think, respond, and live differently. Connect with Dr. Lee Warren Website: https://wleewarrenmd.com Book — The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery:  https://link.amazon/B0875LkkL The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast: https://wleewarrenmd.com/podcast/ Connect with Dr. Perry Nickelston — Stop Chasing Pain Website: https://www.stopchasingpain.com Explore more about the lymphatic system, nervous system regulation, movement, and whole-body healing at Stop Chasing Pain. Think systems, not symptoms. Stop chasing pain.

What if the biggest breakthrough in healing isn't learning something new, but getting back to what you've been overlooking all along? After 30 years in clinical practice, I have learned something that completely changed how he approaches pain, health, and healing: The human body isn't nearly as complicated as we make it. In this solo episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry kicks off a new series sharing the lessons he wishes he'd known when he first started practicing three decades ago. These aren't lessons from textbooks or research papers. They're insights gained from working with real people, making mistakes, changing perspectives, and discovering what matters when conventional approaches aren't getting results. One of the biggest lessons? When things go wrong, simplify. We live in a world obsessed with the next supplement, biohack, complicated exercise program, or magic solution. But sometimes the very things you're overlooking are the fundamentals your body needs most. In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why 30 years of clinical experience taught Dr. Perry to stop overcomplicating the human body. Why chronic pain and persistent symptoms may be a signal to return to the basics. The importance of hydration and its relationship to lymphatic function, circulation, and recovery. How simple breathing strategies can support better function. Why walking and fundamental human movement deserve more attention. How the BIG 6® fits into Dr. Perry's approach to daily self-care. Why consistency matters more than constantly searching for another technique. How removing unhealthy habits can sometimes accomplish more than adding new supplements or routines. Why the overwhelming amount of health information available today can actually make healing feel harder. The Biggest Takeaway If you've been struggling with pain, trying everything, and feeling overwhelmed by conflicting advice, consider simplifying your approach. Start with the fundamentals. Hydrate. Breathe. Move. Remove unnecessary negatives. Be consistent. You don't necessarily need another complicated strategy. You may need to start consistently doing the simple things you already know. And remember one of Dr. Perry's favorite sayings: "The human body is under no obligation to make sense to you." Your body is constantly adapting and responding. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop trying to outsmart it and start supporting its fundamental needs. Connect With Dr. Perry Nickelston 🌐 Stop Chasing Pain Website https://www.stopchasingpain.com/ 🧠 Learn More About Dr. Perry https://www.stopchasingpain.com/about/ 🎓 BIG 6® Lymphatic Mojo, Workshops & Education https://www.stopchasingpain.com/ ▶️ Stop Chasing Pain YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@stopchasingpain 📱 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stopchasingpain/ 🎙️ Listen to More Stop Chasing Pain Podcast Episodes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stop-chasing-pain/id381697894 🔗 All Stop Chasing Pain Resources https://linktr.ee/stopchasingpain If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Stop Chasing Pain. Start Understanding Your Body. Stay Golden. Live With MOJO! #StopChasingPain #DrPerryNickelston #ChronicPain #Healing #LymphaticSystem

What if everything you were told about your heart was missing the bigger picture? At 34, Dr. Stephen Hussey was doing everything "right." He ate whole foods, exercised, avoided toxins, and kept his type 1 diabetes under tight control. On paper his labs looked great. Then he had a massive "widowmaker" heart attack. In this episode, Stephen shares how the hospital's standard approach left him with more questions than answers, and how he chose a different path. He used infrared sauna, sunlight, grounding and circadian rhythm to bring his heart back to normal function within months. Over the next two years, a 70–99% blockage in his leg cleared to a normal artery. We get into ideas that challenge conventional cardiology. Stephen explains why he sees the heart less as a pressure pump and more as a vortexing hydraulic ram, and how infrared light and structured water help move blood, lymph and spinal fluid. He also covers why many heart attacks may be driven by nervous system imbalance rather than plaque alone, and why they spike on Monday mornings, holidays and after daylight saving time changes. The thread running through all of it is oscillation. Light and dark, warm and cold, stress and recovery: the body is built to move between them, and modern life keeps us stuck in one state. This conversation will change the way you think about your heart, your nervous system and your environment. Stephen closes with two simple, no-cost habits you can start tonight. Keep asking better questions, and live with MOJO, because MOJO means magic. In this episode, you'll learn: How a health-conscious type 1 diabetic with "perfect" labs still had a 100% widowmaker blockage The infrared sauna, sunlight, grounding and circadian strategy Stephen used to recover his heart and reverse peripheral artery disease Why the heart may not be the main pump, with evidence from embryos and stopped-heart studies, plus Dr. Gerald Pollack's research The three roles of the heart: vortexing the blood, slowing blood flow during exertion, and sensing coherence What structured water is, and how infrared light builds it while toxins and wireless signals break it down How nervous system imbalance can trigger heart attacks with no blockages (MINOCA), and the "dog on a leash" analogy for the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems Why heart attacks cluster on Monday mornings, holidays and daylight saving time changes The overlooked research of forensic pathologist Dr. Giorgio Baroldi suggesting some blockages may result from a heart attack rather than cause it Why oscillation and rhythm are the foundation of adaptability and health Two simple habits to start now: limit blue light after sunset, and stop eating 4–5 hours before bed to support melatonin, deep sleep and nighttime lymphatic flow Dr. Stephen Hussey — Resource Your Health Stop Chasing Pain Podcast #193: Dr. Gerald Pollack — The Fourth Phase of Water #StopChasingPain #LiveWithMOJO #HeartHealth #StephenHussey #HeartDisease #CardiovascularHealth #InfraredLight #StructuredWater #NervousSystem #CircadianRhythm #Lymphatics #LymphaticHealth #Grounding #Sunlight #HeartAttackRecovery #Oscillation #Coherence #FunctionalHealth #HolisticHealth #ChronicPain #HealthPodcast #RethinkHealth

In this Mini Podcast episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry explores the surprising connection between your eyes, nervous system, movement, balance, and chronic pain. Your eyes do far more than help you see. Eye movement communicates constantly with the vestibular system, cerebellum, brainstem, and the muscles that prepare your body for movement. That means problems with eye tracking, coordination, or gaze control may influence how you move, how you balance, and potentially where you experience persistent tension or discomfort. Dr. Perry breaks down the relationship between eye movement and the cerebellum—the part of the brain heavily involved in accuracy, balance, coordination, and timing—and explains why the principle "where the eyes go, the head goes, and the body goes" can be important when looking at chronic pain and recurring injuries. You'll also learn how moving the eyes can activate the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull, creating a potential connection between visual function, neck tension, headaches, and jaw discomfort. The episode also introduces the cranial nerves involved with vision and eye movement, including the optic, oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves, and why these pathways provide such a powerful window into brainstem and nervous-system function. Dr. Perry finishes with simple eye-movement exercises you can experiment with and encourages you to notice changes in movement, pain, sleep, and overall nervous-system state. If you've been chasing the painful area without getting lasting results, it may be time to look somewhere completely different. Think systems. Not symptoms. Eye Mojo Class Link: https://education.stopchasingpain.com/courses/eye-mojo-webinar-Oct-2026 Eye Exercise Video Link: https://youtu.be/RdOf-Isk0IU?si=2-LSlpluSTT-_4Zh #ChronicPain #NervousSystem #EyeExercises #BrainHealth #VestibularSystem #Cerebellum #PainRelief #FunctionalNeurology #StopChasingPain #TheLymphDoc

  In this episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry sits down with board-certified cardiac surgeon and author Dr. Philip Ovadia for a wide-ranging conversation about heart disease, metabolic health, nutrition, and what it really means to take control of your health. After more than 25 years as a heart surgeon, Dr. Ovadia brings a unique perspective to the conversation—not only from the thousands of patients he has treated, but from his own health journey. Once morbidly obese and pre-diabetic, he began questioning the conventional nutritional advice he had been taught after realizing it wasn't working for him. He ultimately lost more than 100 pounds and made metabolic health a central focus of his work. Dr. Perry and Dr. Ovadia explore how our food environment has changed over the last century, the rise of processed foods and refined carbohydrates, and the long-running debate surrounding dietary fat, cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease. They also discuss why nutrition can feel so confusing, how conflicting health information leaves people unsure of what to believe, and why looking at the relationships between multiple health markers may provide more useful context than focusing on a single laboratory value. The conversation also dives into Dr. Ovadia's new book, Stay Off My Kitchen Table, the follow-up to Stay Off My Operating Table, and his goal of giving people practical tools to better understand nutrition, digestion, metabolic health, and their own blood work. Topics discussed include: • Why heart disease remains such a major health challenge • Dr. Ovadia's journey from unhealthy heart surgeon to metabolic health advocate • How processed food changed the modern diet • The history and evolution of dietary guidelines • Low-carbohydrate nutrition and metabolic health • Cholesterol and the debate surrounding LDL • Blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, and cardiovascular risk • Why one laboratory marker should be viewed in the context of the whole person • Understanding and interpreting your blood work • Moving from managing disease toward building health • Giving people the knowledge to become more active participants in their own health This episode is ultimately about asking better questions, looking beyond isolated numbers, and understanding the bigger picture of health. Dr. Philip Ovadia — Ovadia Heart Health Stay Off My Kitchen Table — Official Book Page Dr. Ovadia's Books

In this powerful episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry sits down with Dean Hall, therapist, two-time cancer survivor, extreme-distance swimmer, and author of The Wild Cure: From Death to Life on Oregon's Longest River. Dean shares the extraordinary story of swimming 187 miles of Oregon's Willamette River while facing leukemia and how the experience transformed his relationship with his body, grief, fear, and the natural world. What began as a challenge to leave his daughter a legacy of courage became a profound lesson in resilience, purpose, and refusing to let a diagnosis define your life. Dean describes how immersing himself in cold water and nature changed his mental and emotional state and helped him reconnect with life after years of illness and devastating loss. Dr. Perry and Dean explore why reconnecting with nature may be one of the simplest ways to change the state of the nervous system. They discuss water, cold exposure, movement, fractals in nature, grief, human connection, purpose, resilience, and the feeling of becoming part of nature rather than merely observing it. Dean shares how his relationship with the river evolved from something to conquer into what he called "Mama River," and how that experience helped reshape the way he viewed himself and the world around him. This conversation is ultimately about much more than surviving cancer, it is about remembering what it means to feel alive, reconnecting with the environments humans evolved within, and discovering how powerful small steps back toward nature can be. Connect with Dean Hall on Instagram: @DeanHallOfficial on Instagram Get Dean's book — The Wild Cure: From Death to Life on Oregon's Longest River: Official The Wild Cure book page Learn more about Dean: The Wild Cure Way #StopChasingPain #TheWildCure #DeanHall #NervousSystemRegulation #HealingThroughNature

In this solo mini-episode, Dr. Perry breaks down why the liver deserves a serious look for anyone dealing with chronic pain, chronic inflammation, or chronic disease. The liver performs over 500 functions in the body, and problems there often don't show up on standard blood work until things are already seriously compromised. Dr. Perry walks through a simple self-check: pressing under the angle of the right ribcage to feel for tightness or tenderness, a sign the liver's fascia may be inflamed or under strain. He explains the liver's deep connection to the lymphatic system, since it produces 25–50% of the body's lymph, which drains through the thoracic duct and splits unevenly between the left and right venous angles (75/25). He also cautions against jumping straight into liver detox supplements without first clearing the lymphatic pathways, since an overburdened liver can make people feel worse when the "pipes" aren't clear yet. Key symptoms covered that may point back to the liver: Itchy or reddened skin Referred pain into the right shoulder, neck, and trap (sometimes migrating left) Brain fog and memory issues from disrupted vascular flow and intracranial pressure Yellowing of the eyes Unexplained weight gain tied to estrogen elimination Chronic fatigue and easy bruising Swollen ankles and feet Body and back pain Cold or dry hands and feet, tingling/numbness Dry eyes and dry mouth He also introduces the cisterna chyli, the body's largest lymphatic sac, sitting midway between the navel and sternum — and how stagnation there backs up into the liver. Takeaway: The liver is a major detox organ under constant assault from modern toxins, poor food, and supplement overload — and it deserves direct attention, especially for anyone with chronic pain, inflammation, or lymphatic issues. Youtube Video link Liver Self Care Video Link Organ Mojo Course