New episodes available regularly on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.
When a person experiences pain or illness but doctors find no disease or injury to explain it, their symptoms become a medical mystery. To unravel the enigma, David Clarke, MD, finds The Story Behind the Symptoms. He looks for clues in the guest’s present and past, just as he has for over 7,000 people throughout his career. Many of these unexplained symptoms stem from neuroplastic processes—pathways in the brain and nervous system that are learned in response to stress, trauma, and adversity, often starting in childhood. But when these patterns are uncovered and understood, this knowledge becomes healing without the need for invasive procedures or long-term medical treatment.
“I listened to all available episodes. They are extremely helpful, and I am mostly pain-free since I started to listen.”
“Every one of your podcasts leaves me with new insights into my own childhood!”
Would you like to tell your story in a future episode?
The Story Behind the Symptoms Podcast
-
Episode 24: Matt's Story, What is your mind trying to say?
Matt was working at an "11 out of 10 level" when his arms became too painful to function. Top medical experts were unable to help. For two years his condition became steadily worse. Then he found the neuroplastic approach.
-
Episode 23: Samantha's Story, The Solution is Not in Your Body
Samantha was "in hell" for 20 years with symptoms in her bladder and many other locations. Then she learned that even people who express their emotions freely can have other emotions that are repressed. Her symptoms finally began to improve.
-
Episode 22: Tai's Story, My Leg Forgot How to Walk
After 'successful' knee surgery, Tai's leg became painful and stopped working. Even four hours of daily physical therapy was not helping. Then one day as she walked painfully on a treadmill, a physical therapist turned up the pace to running speed. To her surprise she was able to run without pain.
-
Episode 21: An Expert in Coping with Stress and Fear
Few people manage stress and fear better than a Royal Marine. So are they immune to neuroplastic symptoms? What happens if they are not?
-
Episode 20: Gemma's Story: Two completely different symptoms.
Gemma had a successful business career and two children but then suffered neuroplastic back pain AND later an extensive rash. How did she find relief?
-
Episode 19: Isabelle's Story: No one is coming to save me.
Isabelle suffered numerous symptoms for well over 30 years. Then she found the insights that changed everything.
-
Episode 18: Ellen's Story: Coping with Shame
Ellen's shame and anger led to 25 years of neuroplastic symptoms. But how could that happen when she grew up with caring parents who focused on her well-being?
-
Episode 17: Sarah's Story: From Patient to Professor
Sarah was running marathons AND attending graduate school when she first developed neuroplastic symptoms. Her long journey to healing has enabled her to teach about this condition to her Occupational Therapy students.
-
Episode 16: Rob’s Story Triumphing over whack-a-mole symptoms
Rob had so many symptoms moving to so many locations that were so baffling to his doctors that he brought his Will up to date and prepared for lifelong disability. Then a friend recommended a new approach.
-
Episode 15: Raelan's Story: Choosing Life over Chronic Fatigue
Raelan's life was regressing toward death in a path she knew tragically well. Then she made a different choice.
-
Episode 14: Rachel's Story: A Physician Too Disabled to Work
Dr Hollander's pain and disability grew worse for eight years until she was forced to quit work. Then she found the neuroplastic approach and had an "Aha moment" that transformed her medical practice, her pain, and her life.
-
Episode 13: Laura's Story: The Symptoms No One Wants to Talk About
Laura’s many symptoms embarrassed her. She was reluctant to discuss them even with her doctor. They became so severe that she developed an addiction to prescribed medications
and was thinking about ending her life. Relief began with a dance. -
Episode 12: Alex's Story: The Migraine That Never Went Away (until it did)
At age 25, just as Alex was recovering from anxiety and panic attacks, she developed a migraine that never stopped. Relief came when she gave herself permission to feel emotions, and to begin replacing her perfectionism and self-criticism with compassion.
-
Episode 11: Alisha's Story: Reversing a Downward Spiral
Alisha’s boundless energy crashed into constant fatigue, palpitations, anxiety, digestive problems, and skin issues. Was it triggered by moving in with her partner or was that a coincidence? Or was it connected to being severely bullied as a teenager?
-
Episode 10: Hilde’s Story, How can a kind boyfriend make your pain worse?
Hilde has had physical symptoms for 25 years, adversity during childhood, stressful personality traits, and a kind and supportive boyfriend. Understanding how these are connected are the foundation for her healing.
-
Episode 9: Anna’s Story, After eight years of symptoms "I now consider myself recovered."
Anna suffered abdominal pain and other symptoms for eight years. She recovered by learning the source of her condition and by making key changes in her life.
-
Episode 8: Karen’s Story, Recovery from Decades of Migraines
Karen recovered from over three decades of migraine and more. She is an ICF-certified coach specializing in chronic pain recovery, particularly migraine. She has trained with experts in neuroplastic recovery therapies and founded Migraine Oasis.
-
Episode 7: Ben’s Story, Spent a Lifetime in the Dark
Ben's story reveals how chronic symptoms can be linked to an unrecognized deep emotional root. Once he discovered neuroplastic recovery therapies, everything changed. Healing was not just physical—it meant understanding how much he had overcome.
-
Episode 6: Jeannie’s Story, Emotions Are Your Superpower
In this episode, Dr. David Clarke interviews Jeannie, a chronic pain and stress coach, about her decades-long struggle with neuroplastic symptoms. Embracing the mind-body connection led to significant improvements in her health.
The Story Behind the Symptoms Podcast
-
Episode 5: Narinder’s Story, From Pain to Power
Narinder shares her journey from chronic pain to healing through neuroplastic recovery therapies. She emphasizes the role of evidence-based healing in recovery.
-
Episode 4: Scotty’s Story, Relief after 15 Years of numerous symptoms
See how Scotty Stiles recovered from 15 years of debilitating symptoms that had deep roots in his early life.
-
Episode 3: Bailey’s Story, 5 Years of Back Pain — Relief After One Treatment
Bailey’s back pain stayed with her for five relentless years. She shares the emotional and physical toll of living with chronic pain—until one treatment changed everything.
-
Episode 2: Rebecca’s story, Symptoms for Half My Life
Rebecca endured years of debilitating neuroplastic symptoms, from gut issues to shoulder pain. She uncovered the role of childhood stress and suppressed emotions—and found lasting relief.
-
Episode 1: Aofie’s Story, Relief After 30 Years
Aoife was a medical mystery starting at age four or five and continuing into her teens, twenties, and thirties. Here, she explains how she found complete relief.
Understanding the Story
Below are outlines of the basic approach often taken by Dr. Clarke in the podcast interviews, though, of course, each guest is unique.
More Expert Podcasts