The Truth About Pain and Happiness, featuring Dr. Chris Good

When something hurts, our first instinct is to make it stop. But what if stopping it makes us suffer more? In this episode of Office Hours, I'm joined by Dr. Christopher Good, a pioneering spine surgeon and president and CEO of VSI.

We discuss what he's learned from a career treating back pain, one of the most common sources of chronic pain. He shares how he helps patients set realistic goals and why managing pain requires both acceptance and action. As always, we give practical steps to live fulfilling lives even when some pain remains, and how to use that pain for good.

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Are you interested in helping others through the science of happiness? I have a new three-day program—⁠learn more here⁠.

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Where to find Dr. Christopher Good:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VirginiaSpineInstitute

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchristopher-good

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.chris_good

• Website: https://linktr.ee/dr_good

Where to find Arthur Brooks:

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(05:00) The problem with Aristippus’s philosophy on pleasure and pain

(13:15) Pain and the fear-avoidance model

(17:07) The two kinds of pain

(19:41) Wisdom from Buddhism on suffering vs. pain

(22:44) Learning to accept pain

(25:34) Introducing Dr. Christopher Good

(27:38) Dr. Good’s background in spine care

(30:47) How Dr. Good’s father’s injury sparked his interest in spine care

(35:51) Why back pain is so common

(38:30) Dr. Good’s approach to helping patients set realistic goals

(42:50) The biopsychosocial model of medicine

(45:26) How Dr. Good’s work has changed him

(50:10) The importance of pairing acceptance with agency

(58:44) Lessons from pain management for our relationships

(1:01:52) Dr. Good’s plans for aging well

(1:07:29) Q&A: Finding happiness while dealing with health problems

(1:09:01) Q&A: Supporting a loved one with severe chronic pain

(1:11:12) 5 big lessons from the conversation

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Referenced:

• The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness: themeaningofyourlife.com

• Arthur’s newsletter: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/newsletter

• The Happiness Scale: https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale

• Anhedonia: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25155-anhedonia

• Pleasure systems in the brain: linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0896627315001336

• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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