Living with chronic back pain isn’t only physical. It can steal moments, memories, and pieces of who you are. Today’s guest, Lizette, knows this reality firsthand.

A former Division I athlete and active mom, she found herself unable to hold her own son, trapped on a rollercoaster of temporary fixes: 17 injections, three ablations, and heavy medications that left her foggy and disconnected from herself. The life she loved felt like it was slipping away, and no one seemed to have real answers.

Everything changed when Lizette came to VSI and met spine surgeon Dr. Colin Haines. She wasn’t dismissed or handed another short-term solution. She was given a recovery plan that started before surgery and carried her through every step after, Lizette found what had always been missing: clarity, strength, and her way back to the life she loved.

In this special Pain Awareness Month and Recovery Month episode of Get Back to Your Life®, Lizette shares how she went from being stuck and sidelined, to strong and hopeful. And her comeback story is proof that recovery is the turning point that makes real healing possible.

Lizette’s story is a powerful and inspiring reminder: don’t settle for pain — find a team that listens, cares, and helps you truly get back to your life.

🎙️ Listen now: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Or, watch the full episode on YouTube.

Find additional expert resources & support at VSISpine.com

If you’ve been diagnosed with Bertolotti syndrome, or suspect it may be the source of your pain, this episode is your lifeline. Whether you're searching for treatment options, understanding what a Bertolotti resection surgery is, or wondering why your chronic low back pain has been dismissed for years, this doctor-patient conversation delivers real answers.

You'll also hear from Janel, a patient who endured years of unrelenting pain, countless failed treatments, and emotional exhaustion until she found Dr. Haines. Her journey from hopelessness to healing through personalized diagnosis and a successful Bertolotti resection procedure is proof that hope is not lost.

• How Bertolotti syndrome causes lower back and leg pain

• Why it’s often overlooked by doctors

• The difference between fusion vs. resection surgery

• How to identify red flags and advocate for yourself

• What recovery and life after resection surgery can look like
  
  

Whether you're desperate for a second opinion, searching for new pain-relief solutions, or looking for a Bertolotti syndrome specialist, this episode will empower you with knowledge, resources, and the reminder: you are not alone - and your pain is real.

🎧 Listen now: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Learn more or request a consultation at VSISpine.com

Is stress making your pain worse, or is your pain elevating your stress? What if the answer is both?

This episode unpacks the powerful mind-body connection between chronic pain and mental health, bringing light to the invisible ways they interact. Because here’s the truth: mental health and physical health are deeply connected; and when one suffers, the other often does too.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, VSI Neurologist, Dr. Ella Akkerman, and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Yash Mehta, dig into the hidden ways emotional experiences like burnout, anxiety, grief, and trauma don’t just live in your head—they also echo throughout the body as tension, fatigue, migraines, chronic pain, and more.

Get ready to learn:

• How emotional distress can speak through the body as physical pain

• Why so many people suffer in silence, and how to change the narrative

• What real, healing conversations between doctors and patients can look like

• Actionable ways to care for both your mind and body—starting today

If you’re living in pain that no one seems to understand, this conversation offers clarity and validation and will arm you with practical tools to take the next step.

The body keeps score, and recognizing that connection is the first step toward experiencing relief.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app
Watch the full episode on YouTube.
🔗For additional support and resources visit vsispine.com

It’s 2025, and women are still fighting to be believed, especially in medicine. From being told “it’s all in your head” to waiting years for a real diagnosis, many women know the silent sting of being dismissed. This experience has a name: medical gaslighting — and it’s more common than you might think.

In this powerful episode of Get Back to Your Life®, we meet Jakki, a VSI patient, mental health counselor, former athlete, and mother of three who endured 24 years of pain, misdiagnoses, and blatant medical dismissal. But Jakki refused to accept “there’s nothing wrong.”

Her story is a testament to persistence: when no one could explain her pain, she enrolled in radiology courses just to read her scans. Eventually, she found her answer — and her healing — through a diagnosis of Bertolotti Syndrome with Dr. Colin Haines at VSI.

This is a breakthrough story for women everywhere. Jakki’s comeback story is one of strength, self-advocacy, and breakthrough — not just in her body, but in a system that too often turns down the volume on women’s pain.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What medical gaslighting looks and feels like

• Why being dismissed can be so dangerous

• How to advocate for yourself in the healthcare system

• The signs that it’s time to seek a second opinion

• How persistence - and the right doctor - can change everything

Whether you, too, have been talked over, brushed off, or are still searching for your own answers, this episode will stay with you. This is a story about validation, self-advocacy, hope and most importantly….solutions. And it demands to be heard.

Listen now: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

You can now watch this full episode on YouTube

Find additional expert resources & support at vsispine.com

If you’ve been stuck in the endless loop of trying everything for your low back pain—with no lasting relief—this episode is for you.

You’ve done the massage guns. The YouTube stretches. The painkillers. Maybe even acupuncture, back braces, or chiropractors. And yet... your back still hurts.

You’re not imagining it. You’re not weak. And you’re definitely not alone.

Lower back pain affects 1 in 4 American adults and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. But here’s the real problem: most people are chasing temporary fixes that never get to the root cause of their pain. And in the process, they’re losing time, money, energy—and hope.

In this episode of Get Back to Your Life®, Dr. Yash Mehta, Interventional Spine & Sports Medicine at VSI, cuts through the noise. He breaks down what the latest research actually says about back pain treatments, and why many commonly recommended remedies just don’t hold up when it comes to lasting relief.

🎙️You'll learn:

• The real reason your pain keeps coming back

• Why so many common back pain treatments fail—and what to try instead

• The habits that will actually help you protect your spine for the long haul

• How to tell if your back pain is something more serious

• What it actually means to treat the root cause of chronic back pain

• When it’s time to stop experimenting and start seeing a spine specialist

If you’ve been told to just live with it—or worse, that it’s all in your head—don’t miss this.

You work hard, stay active, and make healthy eating choices—sounds like the perfect formula for wellness, right? But what if skimping on sleep is holding you back? Poor sleep habits could be silently sabotaging your energy, performance, and overall health. In this episode, Dr. Thomas Nguyen, a leading expert in sleep science, reveals the crucial role sleep plays in recovery, longevity, and optimal well-being. Tune in to learn how better sleep can supercharge your health and help you reach your full potential!

Sleep is the foundation of our health, affecting everything from productivity to recovery and pain relief. But did you know that poor sleep can make you feel more pain? It’s true—sleep deprivation triggers inflammation, heightens sensitivity to aches and pains, and slows recovery. The good news? Small changes can make a big difference.

In this episode, Dr. Thomas Nguyen, Interventional Pain Specialist at VSI, reveals why your sleep hygiene and creating the ultimate sleep environment matter more than you think!

From hidden pain triggers in your sleep environment to simple tweaks that lead to better sleep, less pain, and even improved daily function, Dr. Nguyen shares which small upgrades can unearth big wins for your health.

• Does sleep really affect pain tolerance?
• When is it time for a new mattress or pillow?
• How many hours of sleep do you actually need?
• The one thing you can change tonight for better sleep

Tune in for Dr. Nguyen’s expert sleep strategies to help you wake up refreshed—not wrecked. You won’t want to snooze on this episode!

Listen now: Youtube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Find additional expert resources & support at VSISpine.com