About Alec
Pain Free Comeback · San Francisco
If you’re reading this, you’re probably struggling with challenging symptoms. I’ve been there myself, and I feel for you. I specialize in helping athletes and active people with neuroplastic symptoms to make a Pain Free Comeback.
MY STORY:
At age 18, I was a semi-pro cyclist diagnosed with a ruptured spinal disc.
Over two years, severe back pain derailed my cycling career, pulled me out of college, left me partially bedridden, on strong painkillers, depressed, and with suicidal thoughts.
I tried every physical treatment I could find, but still endured constant pain, and my recovery was uncertain.
Thankfully, I’ve been pain-free and unrestricted for over a decade, doing 500-mile bike trips and weeklong backpacking adventures thanks to a neuroplastic, mindbody approach. Yet here’s the thing: That ruptured spinal disc is still visible on my MRI. The pain wasn’t ‘all in my head.’ It was real, severe, and in my body. But the problem wasn’t my disc. And the solution wasn’t to fix it.
My pain was being driven by the pressures from an identity that I’d created as a ‘good’ cyclist, the low self-esteem from feeling like I didn’t belong, and the immense pressure I was putting on myself to prove myself in all areas of my life.
When I started to see these realizations and shift those patterns, not only did my symptoms change, but I became happier, less stressed, and more compassionate with myself.
MY BACKGROUND:
I’m a Comeback Coach for athletes and the co-founder of Pain Free Comeback, one of the first mind‑body programs designed specifically for athletes with chronic pain.
Our mission is to change how chronic symptoms and ‘injuries’ are treated — from “pain management” to “pain free”.
I’ve trained or collaborated with renowned chronic pain specialists, sports medicine physicians, and psychologists from Cedars Sinai, Michigan State, and Wayne State.
My clients have included Ironman triathlon winners, state champion cyclists, NCAA Division 1 athletes, marathon runners, dancers, American Ninja Warriors, and active people who just want their life back.
I’ve seen clients make recoveries from back, neck, leg, knee, hip, and ankle pain, plantar fasciitis, shoulder, jaw, abdominal, and hamstring pain, muscle spasms, nerve pain, chronic fatigue, Long COVID, headaches, migraines, and much more.
MY APPROACH:
I think of recovery as both a sprint and a marathon. The sprint is the shift that comes from realizing your symptoms are neuroplastic and your body is not damaged. The marathon is the ongoing work of challenging beliefs, softening fear, meeting emotions, and seeing yourself in new and more authentic ways.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: