Dr. David Hanscom, an orthopedic surgeon whom I’ve previously interviewed about strategies for chronic back pain, quit his practice to focus on educating others on becoming pain-free without surgery. After surviving COVID-19, he turned his attention to prevention and surviving it, which is an important part of this discussion. We’ve known for some time now that with diet, exercise, and other interventions, you can radically reduce your risk of COVID-19. The focus of Hanscom’s COVID-19 prevention is on strengthening immune function through stress and anxiety reduction, and he has very specific and precise recommendations for how to do that. As explained by Hanscom, pain is largely a symptom of stress and anxiety, which in turn are predicated on inflammation more so than psychological factors. “You have to feel safe. When you feel safe, there’s a profound shift in your body’s chemistry. You’re going from adrenalin, cortisol, histamines, and inflammatory cytokines …