In this episode of the Pain and Performance Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Grant Elliott, chiropractor and founder of Rehab Fix, to break down the truth about back pain, disc herniation, and sciatica.

Grant shares his personal journey of losing a promising athletic career to back pain, and how it pushed him to become a movement-based chiropractor. We talk about why 80% of people will experience back pain in their lifetime, why the spine is not fragile, and what the latest evidence really says about disc healing, recovery, and prevention.

This conversation cuts through the myths and fear-based narratives that often lead patients to unnecessary surgery. Instead, Grant explains how movement, proper assessment, and addressing mental and emotional health are key to long-term recovery.

Key Takeaways

-- 80% of people will experience low back pain at some point in their life.

-- The spine is strong, adaptable, and designed to move — not fragile.

-- 97% of disc herniations heal without surgery when treated properly.

-- Good assessments should focus on history + movement analysis, not just imaging.

-- Movement-based solutions are more effective than passive care.

-- Posture is not the root cause of pain — variety and movement matter more.

-- Emotional and mental health significantly influence pain and recovery.

-- Preventative mobility, exercise, and awareness can reduce long-term back problems.

Chapters

00:00 – Grant’s Story: From Athlete to Spine Rehab Expert
03:00 – Why Back Pain is the #1 Disability Worldwide
06:30 – Can Discs Heal? What the Research Actually Shows
11:00 – Assessments That Work: History and Movement vs. Imaging
17:00 – Movement-Based Solutions for Pain and Recovery
24:00 – Debunking the “Fragile Spine” Narrative
30:00 – The Role of Posture and Why Movement Variety Matters
38:00 – Manual Therapy vs. Active Recovery: What Works Best
45:00 – Emotional Health, Belief Systems & Their Impact on Pain
55:00 – Prevention: Daily Practices & Exercises for Spine Health

In this episode of the Pain and Performance Podcast, I sit down with Greg, known as “Hydrogen Man”, to explore the fascinating world of molecular hydrogen and its potential role in health and healing. Greg shares his powerful personal story of battling life-threatening health challenges, the prayer that led him to discover hydrogen, and why he believes it became the turning point in his recovery.

We dig into what hydrogen actually does in the body, how it acts as a selective antioxidant, and why purity and delivery methods matter more than hype or shortcuts. Greg also explains the difference between hydrogen water, gas inhalation, and supplements, and what people need to know before trying them.

Whether you’ve heard hydrogen dismissed as “too good to be true” or you’re curious about the growing body of research, this episode unpacks the science, safety, and real-life transformations behind one of the most exciting areas of health innovation today.

Key Takeaways

-- Greg’s remarkable journey from chronic illness to recovery with hydrogen.

-- Why purity and proper equipment are critical for hydrogen therapy.

-- How molecular hydrogen works as a selective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

-- The difference between hydrogen water, gas inhalation, and tablets.

-- Evidence from Japan’s hospitals and athletes showing measurable benefits.

-- The link between hydrogen, gut health, sleep quality, and mitochondrial function.

-- Why short-term vs. long-term safety data is so important.

-- Practical steps for starting a hydrogen routine.

Chapters

00:00 – Greg’s Story: From Illness to Hydrogen Discovery
06:00 – What Molecular Hydrogen Really Is & Why It Matters
11:30 – How Hydrogen Works Inside the Body
18:00 – Safety Concerns & Why Purity Matters
25:00 – Japan’s Medical Research & Proven Protocols
33:00 – Hydrogen vs. Other Antioxidants
41:00 – Real Patient Stories & Surprising Results
50:00 – Hydrogen for Gut Health, Sleep & Recovery
58:00 – Daily Protocols: How Greg Uses Hydrogen
1:10:00 – Final Lessons & Where to Learn More

In this episode of the Pain and Performance Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Joe Nussma, a toxicologist with nearly four decades of experience studying how chemicals, mold, and pharmaceuticals affect the human body.

We unpack how chronic exposure to toxins can silently undermine your health, why mold exposure is often missed as the root cause of fatigue and inflammation, and what you can actually do to defend your body. Dr. Joe shares his insights on detoxification, water and air quality, and how powerful antioxidants like Carbon 60 may help the body recover from long-term exposure.

This conversation will give you a framework for protecting yourself from everyday toxins and making smarter choices for lasting health.

Key Takeaways

-- Chronic low-level toxin exposure can overwhelm your body’s defenses and drive long-term disease.

-- Mold exposure often leads to fatigue, brain fog, and respiratory issues that go undiagnosed.

-- Clean water and air are some of the simplest, most overlooked ways to reduce toxin load.

-- Pharmaceuticals carry risks — multiple prescriptions (polypharmacy) can interact in harmful ways.

-- Detoxification through nutrition, lifestyle, and antioxidants helps clear built-up toxins.

-- Carbon 60 shows promise as a powerful antioxidant against oxidative stress.

-- Stress itself acts like a toxin and can shorten lifespan if not managed.

-- Small lifestyle improvements — in food, environment, and daily habits — compound into major health gains.

Chapters

00:00 – Dr. Joe’s Background in Toxicology
02:55 – Mold Exposure and Its Hidden Health Effects
05:51 – Chronic Toxic Exposure and Inflammation
10:12 – Everyday Toxins: Plastics, Water, and Air Quality
14:55 – Detoxification, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Choices
17:50 – The Role of Antioxidants and Carbon 60
25:41 – Real Stories of Detox and Recovery
33:30 – Stress as a Major Toxin
42:41 – Pharmaceuticals: Risks and Side Effects
50:30 – Practical Steps for Reducing Toxins & Improving Health

​In this episode of the Pain and Performance Podcast, I sit down with Anu to explore how gut health impacts everything from energy and motivation to inflammation, mental health, and recovery.

We dive into how your microbiome diversity shapes performance, why intentional eating matters more than most people realize, and how stress, exercise, sleep, and even mindset play key roles in gut health. Anu also shares her MBHR framework: Microbiome, Brain, Hormones, and Reframing mindset, and real patient stories that highlight how small, consistent changes can transform health.

If you’ve ever struggled with fatigue, brain fog, cravings, or stubborn inflammation, this conversation will help you understand why your gut may be the missing link, and what you can do to fix it.

Key Takeaways

-- Gut diversity fuels motivation, dopamine, and higher performance.

-- Intentional eating is one of the fastest ways to change gut health.

-- Stress disrupts digestion, raises cortisol, and drives belly fat.

-- Exercise reduces inflammation, boosts digestion, and supports microbial diversity.

-- Gut imbalances influence cravings, brain fog, and mood.

-- Targeted probiotics and prebiotics work — but not all strains help.

-- Sleep and gut health are directly connected to cravings and insulin resistance.

-- Food is either poison or medicine — cut triggers like sugar, gluten, and processed oils.

-- The gut is the lead domino: fix it and you improve inflammation, weight, pain, and clarity.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro & What Performance Really Means
02:25 – Gut Health, Motivation & Energy
06:37 – Cravings, Willpower & the Microbiome
13:42 – Food Intolerances, Gluten & Digestion
17:31 – Movement & Exercise as Gut Medicine
25:26 – Stress, Cortisol & Gut Dysfunction
36:20 – Gut Health, Pain Tolerance & the Brain
46:33 – Everyday Toxins, Diet & Weight Loss
59:08 – Antibiotics, SIBO & Rebuilding Gut Health
01:04:14 – Probiotics, Sleep & The Lead Domino of Healing

Gut health isn’t just about digestion, it’s about energy, clarity, recovery, and long-term vitality. Fix your gut, and you set the foundation for everything else.

​In this episode of the Pain & Performance Podcast, I sit down with Mike Collins, better known as SugarFreeMan to tackle one of the biggest hidden drivers of poor health today: sugar addiction.

We talk about the everyday foods that sneak sugar into your diet, why it’s so hard to quit once you’ve started, and what actually happens in your brain and body when you cut it out. I also share my own experience going through a sugar detox during COVID, and how eye-opening it was to feel the difference.

Mike brings years of personal and professional insight into this conversation. From the science of how sugar hijacks your reward system to the emotional ups and downs of quitting, he explains why breaking free isn’t just about willpower; it’s about understanding the addiction and having the right support.

Whether you’re just starting to cut back, or you’ve tried before and struggled, this episode will give you practical steps, real encouragement, and a clear path forward.

What you’ll learn:

-- How sugar affects your brain and body like an addictive drug

-- The hidden sugars in foods we eat every day

-- Why community and accountability are essential for success

-- What a sugar detox really feels like — and why it’s worth it

-- Simple steps to begin reducing sugar and reclaiming your health


If you’ve ever felt stuck in the cycle of cravings, crashes, and guilt, this episode will show you that freedom is possible — and that your health, energy, and clarity are worth the change.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro & Derrick’s Sugar Detox Story
02:08 – Why Sugar Feels Impossible to Quit
03:16 – Fructose: The Real Culprit Behind Sugar’s Damage
05:21 – The Physical & Emotional Withdrawal Process
08:06 – Fructose vs. Glucose Explained
09:46 – The Vicious Cycle of Cravings
13:53 – What Sugar Is Really Doing Inside Your Body
15:05 – Sugar, Inflammation & Autoimmune Conditions
18:26 – Why Facts & Fear Don’t Change Behavior
22:10 – Why Quitting Sugar Is More Like Addiction Recovery
30:31 – Emotional Eating, Fasting, and Awareness
34:23 – How Community Support Creates Lasting Change
43:45 – First Steps: Clearing Sugar From Your Environment
47:40 – Learning to Cook & Shopping the Perimeter
49:40 – Brain Hijacking & Denial in Sugar Addiction
53:06 – Denial, Supplements, & Why Knowledge Alone Isn’t Enough
55:04 – Borderline Foods & How to Reintroduce Them
57:55 – What the First 90 Days Look Like
59:56 – How Support Meetings Work & Why Connection Matters
01:03:23 – Continuous Glucose Monitors & Real-Time Awareness
01:08:28 – Building New Neural Pathways & Breaking Old Habits
01:09:12 – Supplements, Magnesium & “Supplement Use Disorder”
01:12:14 – Inside the 30-Day Sugar Detox Program
01:14:25 – Mike’s #1 Tip to Improve Your Health Today
01:18:39 – Where to Find Mike & the Quit Sugar Summit

​In this episode of Tea with Dr. D, I answer your health and healing questions live, covering everything from anti-aging therapies to innovative pain treatments.

I talk about NAD and its role in longevity, how to heal rotator cuff tears without surgery, ways to relieve nerve pain from MS, and why I’m a fan of katsu therapy, methylene blue, and other regenerative approaches. You’ll also hear supplement tips, treatment stacks, and how to combine therapies for maximum results.

Whether you’re here for performance, recovery, or pain relief, this episode is packed with actionable strategies you can use right away.

Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & NAD for Anti-Aging
00:50 – Welcome and Format of the Show
01:24 – Rotator Cuff Injuries: Treatment Options Without Surgery
05:22 – Activated Peptide Therapy Explained
06:53 – Hierarchy of Treatment for Rotator Cuff Tears
07:46 – Nerve Pain Relief for MS
10:06 – PEA Supplement for Nerve Inflammation
12:19 – PEA Dosing for Fibromyalgia
13:31 – How Long You Can Take PEA and Safe Dosage Ranges
15:50 – What is Katsu Therapy and How It’s Used in Recovery
17:23 – Methylene Blue for Mitochondrial Health
18:44 – Combining Methylene Blue with Red Light Therapy
19:48 – Using Light Therapy in MS Cases
21:46 – How to Stack Therapies for Better Outcomes
21:56 – Wrapping Up & Birthday Shout-Out

If you’ve been curious about regenerative treatments, performance recovery tools, or supplement strategies that really work, this one’s worth watching start to finish.

​In this episode, I sit down with Bharon Hoag to unpack some of the biggest challenges (and opportunities) in our healthcare system today. We talk about the financial forces that shape medical decisions, how patient expectations often influence the care they get, and why more conservative approaches can sometimes lead to better results.

You’ll hear real-world stories of patients who avoided unnecessary procedures, what it really means to take control of your own health, and how practitioners working together could change the future of care.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated, confused, or unsure about the medical advice you’ve been given, this conversation will help you see the system in a new light, and give you tools to make better choices for yourself and your family.

What you’ll learn:

--  How financial incentives influence medical decisions

-- The role of patient expectations in shaping treatment

-- Why conservative care can lead to better long-term outcomes

-- Real examples of conservative treatments that worked

-- How practitioner collaboration can transform healthcare’s future


Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
00:37 – Why 80% of Spine Surgeries Aren’t Needed
01:18 – How Financial Incentives Shape Healthcare
03:36 – The Barriers to Choosing Conservative Care
04:49 – Lessons from Healthcare Abroad
06:44 – America’s Poor Health Outcomes Despite High Costs
08:34 – Media Influence & Patient Expectations
10:26 – Real Results from Slowing Down Care
12:10 – Why Insurance Discourages Healthy Choices
14:29 – Proof that Conservative Care Cuts Surgeries & Drugs
16:22 – Taking Control of Your Health Post-COVID
17:34 – Designing Plans That Reward Healthy Behavior
19:54 – How One Company Slashed Healthcare Costs by 600%
21:57 – Bringing This Approach to Small Businesses
22:00 – Cutting Out Insurance with Subscription-Based Care
24:25 – Tax Incentives for Conservative Care
25:00 – Why the System is Built to Sustain Problems, Not Solve Them
26:55 – Simple Fixes Overlooked in Big Hospital Systems
28:45 – Changing the Practitioner’s Role in the System
30:27 – Why Practitioners Must Take a Stand
34:59 – Finding the Right Provider as a Patient
37:51 – The Comprehensive Approach of Chiropractic Care
39:38 – Thinking Long-Term About Your Health
40:33 – The Overuse of Surgery as the “Solution”
42:40 – Regenerative Healing Success Stories
45:32 – Why Try Conservative Care First
46:10 – The Future of Conservative Care
48:57 – Protecting Practitioners Who Speak Out
50:19 – The Next 4 Years as a Turning Point
51:19 – Encouraging Change on a Larger Scale
52:11 – Final Message to Patients and Providers
53:28 – One Thing You Can Do to Improve Your Health

#HealthcareReform #ConservativeCare #PatientEmpowerment

​In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Gabriela Rosa, an incredible fertility specialist whose work has helped couples all over the world start families, often after years of trying.

Gabriela shares how her journey from Brazil to Australia and eventually the U.S. shaped not just her career but her perspective on health, fertility, and the human body as a whole. We talk about what really goes into fertility beyond just the reproductive system, how gut health, inflammation, and even mental health can impact your ability to conceive.

Whether you’re thinking about starting a family, have struggled with infertility, or just want to better understand how your body works, this conversation is packed with powerful insights.

You’ll hear how Gabriela approaches fertility treatment differently, the importance of comprehensive health assessments, and how small lifestyle changes can lead to big breakthroughs.

What you'll learn:

-- How Gabriela's personal and professional journey shaped her work

-- What made her focus so deeply on fertility

-- Real stories of couples who overcame infertility after years of struggle

-- Why underlying health issues matter more than most people think

-- Gabriela’s unique and personalized approach to fertility care

-- Resources mentioned:

-- Gabriela's website: fertilitybreakthrough.com 

-- Free audiobook: Fertility Breakthrough on Spotify and YouTube

:
#Fertility #Health #Podcast #GabrielaRosa

Join us in this episode of the Pain and Performance Podcast as we dive deep into the transformative world of breathwork with expert Kurtis Lee Thomas. Discover how simple breathing techniques can lead to profound mental and physical breakthroughs, and learn how to integrate these practices into your daily life for optimal health and clarity.

Key Takeaways:

The impact of deep diaphragmatic breathwork on emotional and physical health. Real-life stories of healing and transformation through breathwork. How to Start Your Own Breathwork Practice and the Importance of Guidance. The role of breathwork in managing stress and enhancing mental clarity.

Guest Bio: Kurtis Lee Thomas is a renowned breathwork facilitator and author, known for his work in helping individuals unlock their potential through the power of breath. With experience leading sessions worldwide, Kurtis shares his insights and experiences in this must-listen episode.



Links:

DERRICK
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@drderrick
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/derrickbhines/
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@DrDerrick

KURTIS:
Website: https://breathworkdetox.com/
IG: @manfromthestars