The Way Out

A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain

By: Alan Gordon, Alon Ziv

Narrated by: Alan Gordon

Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

A groundbreaking mind-body protocol to heal chronic pain, backed by new research.

Chronic pain is an epidemic. Fifty million Americans struggle with back pain, headaches, or some other pain that resists all treatment. Desperate pain sufferers are told again and again that there is no cure for chronic pain.

Alan Gordon, a psychotherapist and the founder of the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, was in grad school when he started experiencing chronic pain, and it completely derailed his life. He saw multiple doctors and received many diagnoses, but none of the medical treatments helped. Frustrated with conventional pain management, he developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a mind-body protocol that eliminated his own chronic pain and has transformed the lives of thousands of his patients. PRT is rooted in neuroscience, which has shown that while chronic pain feels like it's coming from the body, in most cases it's generated by misfiring pain circuits in the brain. PRT is a system of psychological techniques that rewires the brain to break out of the cycle of chronic pain.

The University of Colorado Boulder recently conducted a large randomized controlled study on PRT, and the results are remarkable. By the end of the study, the majority of patients were pain-free or nearly pain-free. What's more, these dramatic changes held up over time. The Way Out brings PRT to listeners. It combines accessible science with a concrete, step-by-step plan to teach sufferers how to heal their own chronic pain.

©2020 Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"The Way Out is a groundbreaking approach to the treatment of chronic pain that gives hope to those who were thought to be incurable. All chronic pain patients owe it to themselves to read this book. (Andrew Weil, MD, number one New York Times best-selling author of Spontaneous Healing)

“With straightforward and practical wisdom, The Way Out presents a sophisticated yet simple approach to understanding and healing chronic pain - an approach grounded in advanced science and proven clinical experience.” (Gabor Maté MD, author of When the Body Says No

"At long last, a successful treatment for chronic, disabling pain. The Way Out provides valuable information about the ailment of pain, and many helpful suggestions on how to heal." (Aaron Beck, MD, founder of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emeritus professor of psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine)

Good information

I really enjoyed the helpful information in the book about somatic tracking. I just wished he spent more time on actual techniques and not stories of his ex patients. Also wish he had more variation in his examples. There was none with IBS or any stomach issues.

this really is the way out

this book may very well be a single most important book I read in my entire life. I have been suffering from chronic migraines and pain for over 20 years and though I have already discovered some mind-body approaches and began to work with them over the past 5 months, the way this book is written and the simplicity and encouragement involved in the process have helped me immensely. I really enjoyed how Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv simplified everything. the steps that are needed, the sweet little vignette stories that illustrate points, etc. for someone with overwhelming pain during much of the day, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by too much information. this book instead made me feel like I was able to put all of the pieces into place. and since reading it I've had many corrective experiences that I'm sure I wouldn't have had without the wisdom from these pages.

I never thought I would get better!

After hurting my back in a yoga class 7 years ago, and enduring the countless procedures, 2 surgeries, way too many pills, and being stuck in bed 90% of the time, I truly thought I was stuck like this forever. In the few days it took to listen to this book, I am already noticing a huge difference and finally have hope of a full recovery.

Also, to the minority of reviewers upset about the simplicity of the book, you missed the point - the beauty is that it IS simple, and it works. Feel free to keep on feeling miserable and popping pills; I’ll just be over here feeling awesome. Truly a miracle of a book!

Amazing book

Best book I have read on pain management so far. I love listening to Alan’s voice and calming style. It was excellent.

Helpful, clear, powerful with humor

I'm so excited that Alan has put the research to writing and has helped to further develop and inform the public about accurately and adequately healing chronic pain! I hope every doctor will read this book!

This is best book i have read on mind body pain

I love Doctor Sarno who established the concept of mind body pain but I found the explanation a little Freudian and found it difficult to relate to. I even went through his program. This book advances on what he started discussing neural path way pain, how pain is learned by the brain and how it can ge unlearned. One technique discussed is somatic tracking. this book is easy to listened to and after 5 years helped me after two readings. I would try this book.

A Gamechanger for chronic pain sufferers!

Alan Gordon with Alon Ziv have moved the needle on how neuroscience is redefining the understanding of pain. The Way Out presents science based evidenced treatments that bypass the old biomedical model. This should be required reading for every medical student! Gordon's humor and compassion make it a feel good, nervous system calming experience for the listener. There is new hope for those struggling with chronic pain.

I’d give 4.5

It’s helpful. I have a dozen old injuries. And bone on bone shredded last two discs. Definite real issues. But the way I rethink the pain with the suggestions here really helps.

Great eye opener

I wish there were more info or he went into depth about the somatic tracking. Overall, great book and definitely opened my eyes to an area I need to address.

The Top Pain Reliever

Very well written and read. Easy listen that can be applied to many aspects of our lives. Understanding how neurons that fire together end up wiring together is widely applicable to both our physical and psychological well being. Would recommend 😊