This week’s episode is with Dr. Katinka van der Merwe, a Doctor of Chiropractic who focuses on nervous system rehabilitation to help those suffering from chronic pain. She grew up just outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, and immigrated to the United States to receive her Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Since then, she has received numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Global Chiropractor of the Year award in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Award of Innovation for her ongoing work with RSD/CRPS patients in Los Angeles.
In addition, she is a successful author and has recently published a new book, A Paradigm Shift in Treating EDS/POTS, which focuses on the connection between EDS/POTS and other diseases to improve treatment.
Dr. Van der Merwe is also the CEO and founder of The Spero Clinic in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which treats patients from around the world. To date, she has treated patients from 47 US states and 34 countries! She has great success in treating non-retractable pain syndromes and chronic pain.
In this episode, Dr. Van der Merwe and I start by exploring the Spero Clinic’s Nervous System Rehabilitation program and the variety of unique therapies her clinic offers. She then shares information about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), what makes the condition difficult to diagnose, and the approach she takes to treat the pain. We then dive into her goals for the clinic in the upcoming years, her new book, and how she builds close relationships with all her patients. We also briefly touch on numerous interesting topics, such as medical kidnapping, Long COVID, and hypnotherapy!
*Additionally, she shares the mental health and psychological support her clinic offers, as mental health is often intertwined with chronic pain. So, as a warning, there is a brief mention of suicide near the end of this episode.
Start your patient journey with the Spero Clinic's neurologic rehabilitation program.