David Schechter, MD
Culver City, California
T: 310-836-2225
About David Schechter, M.D.
Dr. David Schechter is a physician whose career stands on principles. First, treat the whole patient (mind and body) in the context of his family, work, and his environment. Second, provide the highest quality care based upon the most up-to-date medical research. Third, emphasize prevention, a healthy lifestyle, and exercise as the mainstays of a comprehensive program.
Dr. Schechter is originally from New York. He was graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Biochemistry. Subsequently he attended medical school at New York University and fortuitously met Rehabilitation Professor Dr. John E. Sarno while seeking relief from a nagging knee problem. He achieved a rapid recovery after learning about Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), a diagnosis that emphasizes the role of emotional tension in causing and perpetuating many painful ailments.
The following summer, under the auspices of Dr. John Sarno, he telephoned 177 former TMS patients of Dr. Sarno. The results confirmed his personal experience with this diagnosis and treatment approach and demonstrated a success rate above 75% in back pain patients. Since that time, he completed a residency in Family Medicine and learned how to treat the whole patient. He also achieved certification in Sports Medicine to solidify his treatment of injuries and incorporate the principles obtained from caring for competitive athletes into his overall approach to patients of all kinds.
Dr. Schechter served on the faculty of the USC School of Medicine from 1990 to about 2012. His last academic appointment was as an Associate Professor. His focus now is on clinical practice on the Westside of Los Angeles emphasizing mindbody approaches, sports medicine, and the treatment of injuries and back pain. A growing proportion of his patients are seeking out his expertise in the treatment of Tension Myoneural Syndrome and related mind-body disorders.
The remarkable results that many of these patients have experienced with this approach have motivated him to seek out opportunities to present these ideas to the general public. He developed this web site in the early internet days of 1997, has written a workbook, created an audio program, a DVD and published a book. He has also spoken on radio and television about this subject, and others. Research that he has published in this field is found on the Research Foundation's Website. Here is one paper: "Outcomes of a MindBody Treatment Program..."
He has been named a Top Doctor in Sports Medicine by Men’s Health Magazine 2008 and by US News and World Report 2011. In 2018 Los Angeles Magazine also listed him as a Top Doctor (Sports/family medicine).
With Dr. Sarno's retirement in 2013, Dr. Schechter has the most continuous years of experience in the treatment of TMS of any physician.
Dr. Schechter has been named as a Top Doctor since 2006. He has won this award for fifteen consecutive years and been written about in magazines including Men's Health, US News and World Report, and Los Angeles Magazine.
Education, Training, Board Certification
EDUCATION/TRAINING/BOARD CERTIFICATION
SPORTS MEDICINE, CERTIFICATE OF ADDED QUALIFICATION
SPORTS MEDICINE CREDENTIAL FOR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS,
RECERTIFIED IN 2003, 2013
FAMILY MEDICINE, DIPLOMATE, AM. BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE
BOARD-CERTIFIED 1987, RE-CERTIFIED IN 1994, 2001, 2008, 2018
UCLA/SANTA MONICA HOSPITAL FAMILY PRACTICE RESIDENCY
COORDINATOR OF RESIDENT ER MOONLIGHTING EXPERIENCES
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (M.D.)
RESEARCH IN PSYCHOSOMATIC APPROACH TO BACK PAIN
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY (BA)
RESEARCH IN NUCLEOTIDE BIOCHEMISTRY,
MEMBER STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES COMMITTEE
1997-2023
1987-2028
1984-87
1980-84
1976-80
Licensure, Other Certification
LICENSURE AND OTHER CERTIFICATION
PAIN MANAGEMENT, CREDENTIALLED PAIN PRACTITIONER
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PAIN MANAGEMENT, CERTIFIED 2007, organization defunct 2019
QUALIFIED MEDICAL EVALUATOR, QME, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
CERTIFIED AND RE-CERTIFIED TO PERFORM MEDICO-LEGAL EXAMS
BOARD CERTIFIED AND RECERTIFIED FAMILY MEDICINE AND SPORTS MEDICINE, multiple times
CALIFORNIA LICENSE, DEA LICENSE
2007-2018
2000-2018
1987-2023
1985-2021
Research and Teaching
RESEARCH FOUNDATION
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, SELIGMAN MEDICAL INSTITUTE
RESEARCH EXPLORING THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION IN CHRONIC BACK PAIN
SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS AND PROJECTS ONGOING: OUTCOME STUDIES, ETC. PART TIME.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
FACULTY, USC/CALIFORNIA MEDICAL CENTER F.P.RESIDENCY
INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT SUPERVISION OF FAMILY PRACTICE RESIDENTS AND STUDENTS.
SEMINARS AND LECTURES FOCUSING ON SPORTS MEDICINE, MUSCULO-SKELETAL INJURIES,
AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT.
DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL STUDENT CLERKSHIP (THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR MEDICAL AND OSTEOPATHIC STUDENTS).
AWARDED THREE TEACHING AWARDS BY RESIDENTS (’91, ’96, ’97).
INSTRUCTOR, INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL MEDICINE PROGRAM FOR SECOND-YEAR USC STUDENTS
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENT
CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, USC SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
LECTURED IN DEPARTMENTAL COURSES, PARTICIPATED IN
VARIOUS DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES.
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, USC SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
CLINICAL FACULTY, INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL MEDICINE INSTRUCTOR,
FACULTY AT AFFILIATED RESIDENCY PROGRAM.
CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR, USC SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
RESIDENT TEACHING IN OUT-PATIENT SETTING
2003-07
1988-97
1998-2012
1991-97
1988-90
Presentations
PRESENTATIONS (partial listing of over one hundred, in total)
PATHWAYS TO PAIN CHRONIC PAIN RELIEF: PSYCHOLOGICAL EDUCATION 2019
NEUROSCIENCE SYMPOSIUM, SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE HOSPITAL
TWELVE STAGES OF HEALING FROM MINDBODY DISORDERS
SWEDISH HOSPITAL PAIN GROUP, SEATTLE
CLINICAL PICTURE OF TMS/MBS/DPS
OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL NATIONAL MEDICAL MEETING, SEATTLE
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR POORLY DEFINED PAIN
U. WASHINGTON PAIN MEDICINE FELLOWS CONFERENCE
HOW TO DEVELOP A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO CHRONIC PAIN/TMS
AMONG PHYSICIANS AND THERAPISTS TELECONFERENCE
MYOFASCIAL PAIN, TRIGGER POINTS INJECTIONS, STRESS-RELATED PAIN,
COLLABORATION WITH PT’S IN SERVICES AT PT CLINICS
NUTRITION AND VITAMIN TESTING -- VEGETARIANS (AND OTHERS)
AND STRESS-RELATED ILLNESS PRESENTED TO LA JEWISH VEGETARIAN GROUP
CLINICAL EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH MIND-BODY DISORDERS
PRESENTED AT LA MIND-BODY CONFERENCE AT UCLA, MARCH
2014
2014
2014
2013
2012-3
2010
2010
2010
ARTICLES, ABSTRACTS, AUDIO RECORDINGS, BOOKS, CHAPTERS
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGIC DISORDERS TEXTBOOK, 2 CHAPTERS
THE MINDBODYWORKBOOK FOR TEENS
THINK AWAY YOUR PAIN, BOOK 230 PAGES MBM PUBLICATIONS
OUTCOMES OF A MIND-BODY HEALING PROGRAM FOR CHRONIC BACK
PAIN WITH NO DISTINCT STRUCTURAL PATHOLOGY: A CASE SERIES OF
PATIENTS DIAGNOSED AND TREATED AS TENSION MYOSITIS (TMS)
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE; SEPT/OCT
BACK PAIN AS A DISTRACTION PAIN SYNDROME: A WINDOW TO A WHOLE
NEW DYNAMIC IN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
EVIDENCE BASED INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE, VOL. 2, NO. 1, P. 3-8, 2005.
OUTCOME STUDY OF CHRONIC BACK PAIN TREATED BY A
PSYCHOLOGICALLY BASED PROGRAM, ABSTRACT PRESENTED AT APS CONFERENCE
PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE, VOL. 67, NO.1, ONLINE, P. A-101
AT HOME EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR CHRONIC PAIN
PRACTICAL PAIN MANAGEMENT, MAY/JUNE 2004
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT UTILIZATIONREVIEW
PUBLISHED IN FAMILY PRACTICE MANAGEMENT, MARCH
"THE MINDBODY WORKBOOK", (A THIRTY DAY PROGRAM OF INSIGHT
AND AWARENESS FOR PATIENTS WITH BACK PAIN AND OTHER
DISORDERS)--A WORKBOOK FOR EMOTIONAL ISSUES IN BACK PAIN
PUBLISHED BY MINDBODY MEDICINE PUBLICATIONS
MINDBODY APPROACHES TO BACK PAIN
CHAPTERS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION IN
BACK PAIN RELIEF BY ROBERT H. MILLER (ALSO ONLINE)
AND BACK PAIN SOURCEBOOK BY S. LEVIN-GERVASI
THE MINDBODY AUDIO PROGRAM FOR BACK PAIN
A THREE AUDIOTAPE/CD SERIES FOR PATIENTS WITH BACK PAIN
THAT TEACHES THEM ABOUT A UNIQUE MINDBODY PROGRAM FOR PAIN
LOW BACK PAIN--DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT
INTERVIEWED ON CME-CERTIFED AUDIOTAPE FOR AMERICAN ACAD. OF FP
“SARCOIDOSIS PRESENTS AS A TESTICULAR MASS”
JABFP, 5:437-8, 1992.
CONTRIBUTOR TO AEROBIC FITNESS ASSSOCIATION OF AMERICA’S
HEALTH AND FITNESS PATIENT EDUCATION SET
and so on...
2019
2019
2014
2007
2005
2005
2004
2001
2001
1999
1998
1997
1997
1992
2010 - present
2010 - present