About the Healthy Back Institute

Our Mission | Meet the Founders |  Medical Advisory Board | Company Values | Customer Success StoriesMedia/News | Contact Us

Welcome to the Healthy Back Institute®, your resource for natural back pain treatments.


We’re a team of leading pain-relief experts who help pain sufferers find relief through evidence-based natural treatments.

The Healthy Back Institute® began by helping people with back pain issues, but has since expanded to help people with any kind of muscle, joint, or nerve pain condition.

Our mission is to help you live the pain-free life you deserve without resorting to costly and dangerous drugs and surgeries.

We believe the more informed you are about your health, the better you can navigate modern medicine’s confusing — and often deceptive — healthcare system.

Too often modern medicine only addresses your pain symptoms with pills and surgery.

Our goal is to show you how your body works, how to identify the underlying causes of your pain, and share our input for effective natural solutions.

We offer an extensive database of expertly researched and written articles and videos, treatment plans, products, and more.  


Meet our founders

HBI was founded in 2003 by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, MFT and Steve Hefferon, CMT, PTA, two nationally recognized fitness and post-rehab specialists.

Using their decades of hands-on experience and extensive research,  Jesse and Steve have helped their clients — from world-class athletes to stroke victims — recover from injury without surgery or drugs.

Both share a passion for teaching natural ways to live pain-free, and together, they created The Lose the Back Pain® System, the world’s first self-assessment and self-treatment program for back pain and sciatica.

jesse cannone

Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, MFT

Jesse is CEO of The Healthy Back Institute®. As a personal trainer and post-rehabilitation specialist, Jesse has helped hundreds of clients with special conditions, including stroke recovery, Parkinson’s and back pain. His certifications include Post-Rehabilitation Specialist, Specialist in Performance Nutrition, Advanced Level Fitness Trainer and Master Fitness Trainer.

Jesse also oversees HBI’s editorial, including our monthly Live Pain Free® print publication, our free email newsletter, Less Pain, More Life, and this site’s robust information resources.

He has been featured in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including Men’s Fitness, The Chicago Tribune, Natural Bodybuilding, and more. He often appears as a guest on a variety of radio and television programs, interviews and health seminars.

An avid researcher and author, Jesse has interviewed hundreds of health experts around the world. His interviews are published in our monthly Live Pain Free® print newsletter. His published books include The 7-Day Back Pain Cure and The End of All Disease.

Steve Hefferon, CMT, PTA

Steve is the product development specialist at The Healthy Back Institute®.  He is also a nationally recognized sports massage therapist and post-rehab specialist. Steve has helped numerous world-class athletes return to the field or track and continue to excel after an injury.

From the beginning, Steve has been integral in the development and testing of new products. He helped create the best-selling Lose the Back Pain® System, which has helped more than 65,000 back pain sufferers in more than 100 countries.

Today he enjoys the challenge of helping a more diverse group of people reach their goals, whether it’s to end pain, improve personal fitness, or reach whatever goal is in front of them.


Meet our medical advisory board

The Healthy Back Institute® works with a board of certified medical advisors to develop their content, products, and educational resources, including the Lose the Back Pain® System, the world’s most comprehensive self-assessment and self-treatment program for back pain and sciatica.


dr robert hanscom

Dr. Robert Hanscom, MD

Orthopedic Surgeon

Dr. Hanscom is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in complex spine problems in all areas of the spine. He has expertise in adult and pediatric spinal deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis. A significant part of his practice is devoted to performing surgery on patients who have had multiple prior spine surgeries. He works for Swedish Neuroscience Specialists in Seattle, WA. Dr. Hanscom received his medical degree from Loma Linda University in 1979. He completed his residency training for internal medicine in Spokane, WA, his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Hawaii from 1981-1984, his orthopedic trauma fellowship in 1984 at UC Davis in Sacramento, CA, and his spinal deformity fellowship in Minneapolis, MN.


dr brian paris

Dr. Brian Paris, DC

Chiropractor

Dr. Paris earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Life University, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiological Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a focus in biomechanics. He is a Chiropractic BioPhysics® instructor, advising healthcare practitioners on technique. Dr. Paris helped develop the innovative Advanced Wellness System, which he practices in Maryland. He is a contributor to this site and provides expert review of content.


dr robert thompson

Dr. Robert Thompson, MD

Dr. Robert Thompson is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist who practices in Soldotna and Anchorage, Alaska. He received his medical training at the University of Kentucky and has practiced in California, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii, as well as in Alaska. More than half of his patients come to him for nutrition counseling and many of them have found long-term relief from chronic disease, including obesity, diabetes, hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue.


mark wiley

Dr. Mark Wiley, Ph.D.  

Alternative and Oriental Medicine

Dr. Mark Wiley holds Doctorates in Alternative and Oriental Medicine and a master’s degree in Health Care Management. He is a world-renowned wellness expert, author, and speaker. He pioneered the Wiley Method, a healing system that addresses one’s body, worldview and lifestyle choices to help treat their pain conditions.


Our Values:

FREEDOM

Freedom is claimed and created (or not) based on your actions. When we are free to seek truth and be ourselves, this creates enlightenment, releasing us not just from physical pain but ideally also mental, emotional, and spiritual “pain” or discomfort…as well as freeing us from lies, manipulation, corruption, etc..…. This is not only about holistic authenticity but about being in absolute truth in all ways at all times. This is the only way to truly be free.

What it is:

  1. We seek to create freedom for ourselves and our customers.
  2. We only do business with partners, customers, and organizations who share this value.
  3. Trust but verify. Share your authentic best self.
  4. Challenge the status quo.

LOVE

Love has the power to solve all things.  Love goes beyond the hunger of the human soul to be understood.  It is the act of understanding and accepting someone as they are, including yourself.

What it is:

  1. Enter into interactions with an open heart. 
  2. Listen and take time to understand.
  3. Meet people where they are.
  4. Care for the whole person, including teammates, customers, and yourself!

TEAM

We are an All-Star Team of non-conformists, adventurers, go-getters, freedom seekers, yogis, wellness gurus, self-discovery junkies, and much more! We celebrate our differences and know that it is those differences that help us achieve more.  We are ONE team in it together.  We know that nothing worth doing is done alone. We all need “one another,” and as we climb the mountains and walk through the valleys, we do it together!

What it is:

  1. Teamwork that focuses on “we.”
  2. Work together to win together.
  3. Check your own intentions to validate that you are thinking and acting from an altruistic place.
  4.  Celebrating the wins and acknowledging and learning from the misses together.

GROWTH

Life is in a constant state of flux and change.  Embracing this reality and leaning into a growth mindset creates an openness to the future and peace in the present.

What it is:

  1. Open mind and open heart to receive new information and different perspectives.
  2. Continuous desire to learn and develop, not only in your role but a desire for self-discovery and self-awareness.
  3. Okay with being wrong.
  4. Intrinsically motivated to innovate and improve.

EXCELLENCE

Mediocre is boring, and we think a wasted opportunity. We strive to do everything we do in the best way possible to produce the best outcomes for our customers and our team.  Being of service is core to living a life of meaning. When we pursue excellence in service to others, we not only help others, but we serve the greater good, the earth…the universe in a positive and uplifting way that creates an impact that ripples.

What it is:

  1. Do your best (and that might be different from day to day).
  2. Greatness is iterative, but version 1 is better than version none!
  3. Generosity with a heart for giving back. 
  4. Give a hand-up, not a handout.

COURAGE

There can be no courage without vulnerability to stand up and be seen. This type of courageous vulnerability is uncomfortable.  But in that discomfort is where we find deep connection and the bravery to own our whole story.  This courage also allows us to practice caring candor for ourselves and others, speaking in truth and authenticity.  Choosing courage empowers us to speak up, stand up, be seen, and do what is right.

What it is:

  1. Standing up for what is right and what is true and most loving.
  2. Ask questions, and challenge directly.
  3. Express your truth, even when it’s hard.
  4. Assume positive intent.
  5. Hold space for vulnerability for yourself and others.

Has our team fulfilled our mission and core values? The results speak for themselves… read testimonials from our satisfied customers.

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