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Stop Chasing Pain

Perry Nickelston: Stop Chasing Pain

Health and Fitness Extravaganza of Information empowering your to take back control of your life from pain. Simple and fundamental is the theme for this show. The depth with which you master the basics influences how well you understand everything you learn after that. Exploring tips, tricks, hacks and strategies from all walks of life and different disciplines sharing perspectives on healing. Pain is a request for change. A change in how you live your life. Come join us and we will go on the change journey together.

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  • 26 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 38 min
  • English

Episodes 26

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  • Yesterday · 57 min

    SCP Podcast #287: The Heart Surgeon Who Changed His Mind About Nutrition | Dr. Philip Ovadia

    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

  • September 13 · 1 hr 16 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 286: The Wild Journey Healing From Cancer with Dean Hall

    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

  • September 8 · 10 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 55: Your Liver Makes 50% of Your Lymph — Here's Why That Matters

    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

  • August 30 · 56 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 285: The New Brain Drain Discovery with Shalin Bhatt

    What if supporting brain health isn't only about neurons, neurotransmitters, and blood flow—but also about how effectively the brain moves fluid and clears waste? In this episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry sits down with Shalin Bhatt for a deep dive into the rapidly evolving science of brain drainage, the glymphatic system, meningeal lymphatics, cerebrospinal fluid, and neuroinflammation. They explore a fundamental question: How does the brain keep its internal environment clean and maintain fluid homeostasis? The conversation examines emerging research suggesting that cerebrospinal fluid, the glymphatic system, meningeal lymphatics, the venous system, and peripheral lymphatics may function as interconnected parts of a much larger brain-fluid network. In this episode, you'll discover: Why scientists once believed the central nervous system had no lymphatic drainage The discovery and renewed interest in meningeal lymphatic vessels What the glymphatic system does in the brain How cerebrospinal fluid moves through different brain compartments The connection between the brain's fluid systems and the deep cervical lymph nodes The Cerebral Lymph Hypothesis and its fountain model of interconnected fluid compartments Why fluid homeostasis may be critical for maintaining a healthy brain environment How impaired clearance could potentially relate to neuroinflammation and brain fog Why amyloid and tau accumulation raises important questions about waste removal—not simply waste production The relationship between the nervous, immune, vascular, and lymphatic systems Why sleep and circadian rhythms may be important for glymphatic function The emerging concept of looking at the brain through a neurofluid rather than purely neurocentric lens Why curiosity, systems thinking, and asking "what if we're missing something?" continue to drive discoveries in neuroscience This conversation is about looking beyond isolated structures and asking a bigger question: What happens when the systems responsible for moving fluid, maintaining homeostasis, and clearing waste can no longer keep up? If you're interested in brain health, lymphatics, neuroinflammation, chronic pain, brain fog, cerebrospinal fluid, or complex systems, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Subscribe to the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast for more conversations exploring the connections that are often overlooked when we focus only on where the symptoms are. #GlymphaticSystem #BrainHealth #LymphaticDrainage #Neuroinflammation #BrainFog #LymphaticSystem #StopChasingPain Link to the Breaking Points Video Pub Med Artile by Shalin Bhatt

  • August 24 · 11 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 54: The Law of Connection....Look Beyond Where It Hurts

    The Law of Connection: Look Beyond Where It Hurts In this mini episode, Dr. Perry introduces the first of the 30 Laws of Stop Chasing Pain: The Law of Connection—the idea that no system in the body works, gets injured, or heals in isolation. When pain becomes chronic, focusing only on where it hurts may cause you to miss the bigger picture. A painful foot, for example, may involve compensations from the hip, opposite side of the body, circulation, lymphatic flow, the gut, nervous system, eyes, organs, fascia, or other interconnected systems. Dr. Perry explains the Body Ecosystem Algorithm, a framework for widening the lens and considering the brain and nervous system, lymphatic flow, blood flow, peripheral nerves, gut and organs, fascia, musculoskeletal system, and finally the painful area itself. The core message is simple: when something has been hurting for months, think systems—not just symptoms. Your body is constantly adapting and compensating in an attempt to protect you, so the source of the problem may be several layers removed from where you actually feel the pain. Key takeaway: Everything is connected. Look beyond where it hurts. Think and link instead of isolating the symptom.

  • S15 · E284
    August 14 · 1 hr 30 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 284: Dr. David Rabin (A Simple Guide to Being Alive)

    *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:e0593763-1c92-45bf-9f36-5c67c62d2950-1" data-turn-id-container= "request-WEB:e0593763-1c92-45bf-9f36-5c67c62d2950-1" data-testid= "conversation-turn-4" data-turn="assistant"> What if one of the most powerful tools for healing has been with you all along...your own nervous system? In this episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry sits down with physician, neuroscientist, author, and Apollo Neuro co-founder Dr. David Rabin to dicuss how stress, soothing touch, vibration, and the vagus nerve influence pain, recovery, resilience, and emotional well-being. They discuss why chronic distress can keep the body locked in survival mode redirecting resources away from digestion, immunity, sleep, learning, creativity, and pain and why effective healing strategies don't always need to be complicated. You'll discover how gentle touch and vibration may communicate safety to the nervous system, why the body responds differently to distress and growth-promoting "eustress," and how changing your interpretation of a challenge can change your physiological response to it. This conversation offers a hopeful reminder: your nervous system is not broken—it may simply need consistent signals that help it feel safe enough to recover. In this episode, you'll learn: Why soothing touch may activate vagal pathways involved in recovery How chronic fight-or-flight activation can affect pain and healing The difference between distress and beneficial eustress Why perceived safety matters to digestion, immunity, sleep, and repair How gentle vibration can influence nervous-system regulation Why mindset can help transform hardship into an opportunity for growth How simple, consistent practices can build greater resilience Why healing requires treating the whole human—not merely the painful body part If you're living with chronic pain, inflammation, stress, poor sleep, or the feeling that your body is constantly on high alert, this episode will help you understand what may be happening beneath the symptoms. Listen now—and if this conversation helps you think differently about your body, subscribe to the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, share the episode with someone who needs it, and join us as we learn to think systems, not symptoms. BOOK LINK APOLLO NEURO LINK Use code SCP _:empty]:hidden">

  • August 10 · 19 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 53: Ever Heard of Walking? It's Good For You

    Healing can feel overwhelming especially when conflicting health advice, complicated protocols, and endless biohacks make you question every decision. In this mini episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry explains why healing may be simpler than you've been led to believe. Instead of adding more, it may be time to master less and return to the fundamentals your body needs most. Discover the restorative power of drinking more water, walking every day, spending time in nature, moving with variety, and being present without your phone. Dr. Perry shares practical ways to begin wherever you are even if you can only walk a few steps and gradually build your body's capacity. The message is simple: stop overthinking, stop overcomplicating, and consistently give your body the basic ingredients it needs to heal. Newsletter Sign Up Hidden Life of Trees Book Link

  • August 3 · 1 hr 8 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 283: Becoming Evolvable with Dr. Beau Lotto

    What if the goal isn't to control life, but to become better at responding to it? In this episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry welcomes back perception expert Dr. Beau Lotto to explore why life's nonlinear and unpredictable nature makes control an illusion. Beau explains the difference between control and agency mand how the curiosity, humility, and self-awareness we bring into each moment shape our perceptions, responses, relationships, and future. Beau also introduces his new book, Becoming Evolvable, and the Evolvable.me platform, which uses neuroscience, psychology, and AI to help people see themselves more honestly and adapt more effectively. Together, Perry and Beau discuss why collaboration matters more than competition, how small shifts can transform our lives, and why becoming more evolvable begins with changing how we enter the present moment. Link to Unlock Your Personal Evolution Evolvable.me Link to Book Deviate Book Link Links to prior episodes: SCP Podcast 188: An Adventure with Dr. Bea Lotto SCP Podcast Episode 217: Dr. Beau Lotto – Uncertainty and Perception

  • July 28 · 12 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 52: Don't Overcomplicate Breathing

    In this mini episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry explains why better breathing doesn't need to be complicated. Learn how simple awareness, nasal breathing, slowing your breath, and gently lengthening your exhale can help calm an overwhelmed nervous system and shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode. Healing begins with the fundamentals and one intentional breath can be a powerful place to start.

  • July 20 · 59 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 282 : The Healing Power of Infrared Saunas with Connie Zack

    You'll learn why more heat and longer sessions are not always better, how infrared exposure may influence circulation and cellular energy, and why it can be a valuable addition to the fundamentals of healing. Infrared therapy is not a replacement for movement, hydration, nutrition, sleep or medical care but it can help the body create a better internal environment for recovery. In this episode, Dr. Perry chats with Connie Zack the co-founder of Sunlighten Saunas. We discuss: The differences between far, mid, and near-infrared wavelengths Why hotter and more isn't better. How infrared therapy may support blood flow, oxygen delivery and nutrient movement The relationship between infrared light, mitochondria and cellular energy Potential benefits for relaxation, sleep and nervous-system regulation How infrared sauna may support exercise recovery and inflammation regulation How beginners can start "low and slow" with shorter sessions How session length should be adjusted based on health, energy and tolerance Why consistency matters more than forcing yourself through an intense session The goal is not to chase another complicated health intervention. It is to understand how a simple practice helps calm the nervous system, move the fluids, support cellular energy and improve the conditions in which healing can occur. ✔️ Discount code to save up to $1500 on your SUNLIGHTEN for Stop Chasing Pain Subscribers Code: 'stopchasingpain' Get Your Sauna Here

  • July 2 · 58 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 281 : Unlearn Your Pain with Dr. Howard Schubiner

    What if chronic pain is not something you have to manage forever, but something your brain and body can actually unlearn? In this powerful episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry sits down with Dr. Howard Schubiner to discuss his new book, Unlearn Your Pain: The Science of Recovering from Chronic Pain, Fatigue, Anxiety and Depression. They explore how chronic pain can be driven by learned neural pathways, nervous system sensitization, stress, emotion, and the brain-body connection, not always by damaged tissue. Dr. Schubiner shares a science-based, compassionate approach to helping people understand their symptoms differently, calm the threat response, and begin creating the conditions for real recovery. If you or someone you love feels trapped in a cycle of pain, inflammation, fatigue, or fear of movement, this conversation will open a new door. It is a reminder that healing begins when we stop only chasing symptoms and start asking better questions about the nervous system, the brain, and the story the body has learned to protect you with. Share this episode with others and get the UNLEARN YOUR PAIN book here. BOOK LINK

  • June 23 · 48 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 280 : Back Pain. Feet. Fascia. with Dr. Eric Goodman

    Dr. Perry talks with back pain expert, Dr. Eric Goodman creator of the Foundation training program. That program is my favorite one by far for helping people get out of pain and maintain spinal health. In this episode, we talk about the foot and fascia and back pain. Eric also talks about his new prodcut to help fascial unwinding https://trakgroundwear.com/ I have a pair of these and they are awesome. Strap in your brain and your feet 😀 and learn how to feel better. Get information about Foundation Training here...https://www.foundationtraining.com/

  • June 12 · 13 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 50: Could an Old Scar Be Causing Your Chronic Pain?

    When it comes to chronic pain everything matters, including scars. Why scars? Two big reasons... Neurosensory dysfunction where you have poor communication to the brain from the lack of sensation and pain is the output signal from the brain. Fascial thickening which can influence movement compensations over time leading to pain. What is the most important thing to know? Check the scars and work the scars. Hope to see you at the webinar. SCAR MOJO COURSE LINK Scar Education Video on Youtube

  • June 2 · 20 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 49: Vagus Nerve Powerhouse Help For Inflammation

    Vagal Rounds Link Vagus Mojo Webinar Link Vagal Taping Link This episode of the Stop Chasing Pain mini podcast Dr. Perry talks about the Vagus nerve, the most important nerve in the entire body to control inflammation. He shows you what causes vagus dysfunction, and where the Vagus nerve can have some issues. Also some things you can do to feel better. If you wanna learn more about how your body heals itself, this is a great show to listen to.

  • May 29 · 55 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 279: Deep Squat Healing With The Hunkerin Stool

    This episode we talk about the power of deep squat in healing, chronic pain and changing your life with guest Kasey Jackson. Talking about his amazing invention, the Hunkerin Stool that you can use on a daily basis to get into the position that you used to be able to get in as kids. This is a foundational posture for body function and performance. A fantastic episode that will change the way you look at healing pain and feeling good again. Going back down to the deep squat. Kasey was kind enough to offer our Stop Chasing Pain community a discount on a Hunkerin Stool. See link below and code below. Code: Perry15 Hunkerin Stool Website

  • May 13 · 18 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 48: Rebounding For Healing (Top 3 Life Habit)

    In this episode, Dr. Perry breaks down why rebounding is more than just jumping on a mini-trampoline. It is a simple, low-impact way to support lymphatic flow, circulation, balance, proprioception, and nervous system regulation. The body depends on movement, pressure changes, and rhythmic loading to help move fluid through the lymphatic system. Rebounding creates a gentle up-and-down pumping effect that may help stimulate fluid movement, improve tissue oxygenation, and wake up sensory receptors throughout the body. Dr. Perry also explains how rebounding can influence the brain-body connection by challenging balance, coordination, vestibular input, and foot-to-core integration. Even a few minutes of gentle bouncing can be a powerful way to help the body shift out of stiffness, stagnation, and sympathetic overload. This episode is a reminder that healing does not always require complex strategies. Sometimes the body needs rhythm, movement, pressure, and play. Key takeaway: Rebounding is not just exercise. It is a nervous system, lymphatic, circulatory, and proprioceptive reset. Link to BIG 6 Reset: (Do before the rebounder) Link to BCAN Rebounders: Discount Code is DOCPERRY

  • April 27 · 11 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 47: Chronic Pain? Don't Forget the Diaphragm Muscle

    The diaphragm is more than a breathing muscle—it is a pressure-regulating, nervous-system-modulating, fluid-moving powerhouse. When the diaphragm is restricted, weak, over-braced, or poorly coordinated, the body can compensate through the neck, shoulders, low back, pelvic floor, and jaw, creating chronic tension and pain patterns. Poor diaphragm function can alter rib motion, spinal stability, lymphatic drainage, venous return, vagus nerve signaling, and sympathetic "fight-or-flight" tone. In chronic pain, the question is not only "where does it hurt?" but also how is the body breathing, bracing, and managing pressure? That will impact pain. We always check the diaphragm. See our Youtube videos for exercises...LINK HERE Attend Breathing Mojo Webinar: LINK HERE Sign up for our newsletter: LINK HERE

  • April 16 · 1 hr 15 min

    SCP Podcast Episode 278: Inna Segal The Secret Language of the Body

    On this episode of the Stop Chasing Pain Podcast, Dr. Perry sits down with Inna Segal, author of The Secret Language of the Body, for a fascinating and lighthearted conversation about what your symptoms may be trying to say. Have you been struggling to heal and nothing is helping? This podcast episode is for you. We explore the idea that the body is always communicating through sensations, pain, fatigue, and emotional patterns—and that learning to listen can change the way we heal. Inna shares insights from her book on the deeper messages behind physical discomfort, the connection between emotions and the body, and how greater awareness can open the door to transformation. It's a fun, thoughtful, and eye-opening episode that will make you see your body in a whole new way. You will love it. I sure did. :) Get Inna's book here Visit her website here

  • April 6 · 13 min

    SCP Podcast Mini Series, Episode 46: Dirty Brains and Brain Fog

    BIG 6 Lymph Reset Video link Youtube Lymph Playlist In this epdisode Dr. Perry talks about the brain cleaning system and how if it's clogged you will have brain fog and more pain. So clean your brain environment for optimal healing. The glymphatic system is the brain's waste-clearance pathway, moving cerebrospinal fluid through spaces around blood vessels to wash through brain tissue and carry out inflammatory byproducts, metabolic waste, and excess proteins. That fluid then drains into the meningeal lymphatic vessels, which connect the brain to the body's broader lymphatic system, especially through lymph nodes in the neck. When glymphatic flow or lymphatic drainage is impaired, waste and inflammatory signals can build up, increasing neuroinflammation, tissue stress, immune activation, and potentially contributing to symptoms such as brain fog, poor sleep, headache, and impaired recovery.

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