Interview: Dr. Mark J. Rogers, Author of ‘The Art and Science of Healing – with Light’

Dr Mark Rogers has been practicing medicine for over thirty years. Acknowledged worldwide as an expert in chronic pain, he has been a leader in laser light therapy and holds the patent in diagnostic methods for finding the source of chronic pain. The results of his decades of work of how to heal chronic pain have been published in his first book. It is designed for patients and is written in an easy to read style. He lives in Australia, is married, and has five children.

Congratulations on the release of your latest book, The Art and Science of Healing – with Light. When did you start writing and what got you into medical writing?

I’ve been a medical doctor for about thirty years, but most of my life I also suffered migraines, neck and back pain that were so crippling I could barely get through the day. I empathised with the many patients who came to see me with the same issues. I couldn’t help myself let alone heal a patient. Around fifteen years or so ago I was introduced to a common sense, science based methodology which I applied, and I healed. Ever since then I have focussed on healing the chronic pain of my patients. I knew a book had to be written even though my skills are mostly medical not literary. I solved that problem by enlisting someone who does possess literary skills. My co-author was Nike Azoros.

What is your book about?

The Art and Science of Healing – with Light is about healing chronic pain. Within the book it is explained why the patient developed chronic pain in the first place and why mainstream medical treatments make it worse. Of course, the good news is that it can be healed and that healing takes place through gradual but steady recovery, not a quick fix. The Art and Science of Healing – with Light was carefully designed to enlighten and empower readers about their own bodies and how to take control of the healing process.

What was your inspiration for this book? 

Words were the inspiration. I have a deep interest in words and their origins. The word doctor comes from the Latin dottore, which means teacher. The word medicine comes from the Latin, medici which actually means, the art and science of healing. Doctors should be teachers and help their patients understand about how their bodies work, so they can heal.

Did you have a mentor who encouraged you?

Yes, it was my co-author Nike Azoros. I knew I needed to write this book. I even took several months off work to sit down and write it, but when it came to collating all my research and knowledge into readable form, I just went blank. Then I met Nike and she used her journalistic skills to draw out even more knowledge from me. I’ll never forget when she looked at me and said, ‘This book is not about you; it’s for the patient.’ From then on the writing became easier. I stopped worrying about proving myself and instead put all my attention into making sure the readers gained clarity about their condition.

Who is your target audience?

My target audience is anyone who is, or has a loved one who is, in chronic pain. By chronic pain I specifically mean; migraine, back pain, neck pain, tinnitus, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, vertigo, trigeminal neuralgia, and any long term unexplained pain. Other medical professionals too would benefit from this book because we were not taught any of this in medical school. I learnt a lot of my knowledge from physicists and scientists. I was stunned that they had better knowledge of pain treatments than the doctors. The reason was the scientists understand that the human body is beholden to the natural laws of physics. Basic concepts like gravity and light dictate our health as much as diet and exercise.

What do you hope readers will get from your book?

Hope is a good word. Many chronic pain patients feel hopeless, that they are locked into permanent suffering. My book provides more than hope; it is a road map to healing. Readers need to know they can heal. They do not have a disease. They are in pain because they have been misdiagnosed and mis-treated. Many readers are even told they must be imagining the pain because the doctors cannot find any cause. I know that’s because they don’t know where to look. In The Art and Science of Healing – with Light the readers will learn all about looking for, finding, and healing their pain at its source.

Did your book require a lot of research?

The Art and Science of Healing – with Light is my life’s work. It is the result of over fifteen years of intensive research. 

How do you celebrate the completion of a book?

I live in Adelaide, Australia. As soon as the book was published I went to Washington for the World Association of Laser Therapy conference and held the book launch there. After that I let my hair down and went a little nuts in New York.

Do you have a website or blog where readers can find out more about your work?

My medical clinic has a website where readers will find a lot of information about their particular condition. As for blogging, sadly I have no time whatsoever for that, and any spare time I do have is going into the next book. My website is yourhealthygp.com

Where is your book available?

It is available now on Amazon, in both paperback and Kindle format.

What is your advice for aspiring authors?

Keep your day job. BUT, never give up.

George Orwell once wrote: “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” Comments?

That’s very interesting because I do think the book is Orwellian. He basically made comments on society, and I am commenting on mainstream medicine and how it actually prolongs chronic pain by prescribing treatments that are harmful. I was driven by the fact that by applying the knowledge in my book patients can heal permanently, so I gladly undertook this “horrible exhausting struggle.”

Anything else you’d like to tell my readers?

Be very careful of the advice you seek. The book is full of experiences of patients who went to specialists and became even sicker. The first thing the patients say to me once I explain how they got so sick is, “That makes so much sense.” Then they are taught the 7 Principles of Healing, and their issues resolve.