How to Get Better, with Dr. Rowley Hazard

Episode Summary Throughout Dr. Rowland Hazard’s career, listening and human connection have been at the core of his success in both medicine and business. Through asking simple questions such as “who are you?” and “where are you from?” Rowley has been able to help people through the toughest period of their lives. Syd and Rowley discuss Rowley's journey from dishwasher to world-renowned MD and back pain specialist.  Syd Finkelstein  Syd Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Professor Finkelstein has published 25 books and 90 articles, including the bestsellers Why Smart Executives Fail and Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent, which LinkedIn Chairman Reid Hoffman calls the “leadership guide for the Networked Age.” He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Management, a consultant and speaker to leading companies around the world, and a top 25 on the Global Thinkers 50 list of top management gurus. Professor Finkelstein’s research and consulting work often relies on in-depth and personal interviews with hundreds of people, an experience that led him to create and host his own podcast, The Sydcast, to uncover and share the stories of all sorts of fascinating people in business, sports, entertainment, politics, academia, and everyday life.  Rowland G. Hazard Rowland G. Hazard, MD recently retired from an over 30-year career devoted to people disabled by chronic back pain. Currently Emeritus Professor of Orthopaedics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, he is a physician, internationally respected scholar and researcher, widely published author, teacher, inventor, entrepreneur, athlete and jazz musician.  As a clinician and director of Functional Restoration Programs (FRPs) at the University of Vermont (1986-2000) and at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (2002-2018), Dr. Hazard cared for several thousand patients with back pain and lead FRP teams of physicians, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, and trainers. A board-certified internist, he is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians.  He has published over 50 journal articles and book chapters and delivered scores of related academic lectures and media appearances in the US, Europe and Australia. He has served as reviewer and technical expert for the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and as an editorial board member of Spine and The Back Letter. He has twice represented the US at the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine.  His new book, Talking Back: How to Overcome Chronic Back Pain and Rebuild Your Life, was published by Rowman & Littlefield in May, 2021. Insights from this episode:How to effectively communicate with your doctor and peers about your goals and expectationsBenefits of following your skills and finding your passion within those skillsThe differences between pain and disability stemming from pain and fear of reinjuryAdvantages of manipulation and functional restoration for back pain and treating disabilityThe power of listening and its ability to propel you into success in a variety of different fieldsAdvice on how to treat and manage chronic, acute back pain Quotes from the show:“I learned in a way that was completely different from the book learning I was accustomed to, and I loved it.” – Rowland G. Hazard [11:55] Episode #97“I just think true reform of the national healthcare system should involve education, research, and practice. Not just, you know, with your taxes, you’re going to pay for your gall bladder operation. It’s more complicated than that. ” – Rowland G. Hazard [23:01] Episode #97“I was hit over the head by how ignorant I was about how to take care of people who had back pain. So for almost a year, I dedicated Thursday nights. I stayed up every Thursday night, reading everything I could get my hands on about back pain.” – Rowland G. Hazard [24:00] Episode #97“There’s a huge variety of treatments out there for back pain. There are many belief systems underneath those that pass as science, but the science is actually pretty thin.” – Rowland G. Hazard [27:06] Episode #97“If I go back to doing all the things I did before, there is a fear of getting much worse. The pain itself is not terrible, it’s manageable. Just you sharing that actually is good to know. It at least helps me process it in my head and recognize what choice is happening implicitly” Syd Finkelstein–  [37:20] Episode #97“You gotta have passion, and you have to work hard. You can be fearless, but if you can’t listen, you can drive really hard down the wrong road quickly.” – Rowland G. Hazard [46:25] Episode #97“In my own practice, I rarely talked to people about opioids, even though I was seeing ‘the worst of the worst of the chronic pain patients’.” – Rowland G. Hazard [59:48] Episode #97“90% of people who have an acute episode of back pain get better, almost no matter what you do.” – Rowland G. Hazard [62:29] Episode #97 Stay Connected:   Syd Finkelstein Website: http://thesydcast.com LinkedIn: Sydney Finkelstein Twitter: @sydfinkelstein Facebook: The Sydcast Instagram: The Sydcast Rowland G. Hazard  New book: Talking Back: How to Overcome Chronic Back Pain and Rebuild Your Life LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowland-hazard-8a8a2174/  Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, iTunes, and Spotify.   This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)