Episode Summary: In this compelling episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, hosts Sudheer Potru, DO, FASA, FASAM, and Zafeer Baber, MD, sit down with Jeremy Adler, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, a seasoned Physician Assistant practicing at the UCSD Center for Pain Medicine in the field of pain medicine, to explore the evolving roles of advanced practice providers in the specialty. Jeremy shares insights from his 25-year career spanning private practice and academia, shedding light on the benefits and chall...
In this episode of Pain Matters, Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, speaks with Maia Szalavitz, award-winning New York Times opinion writer and AAPM 2025 Featured Speaker. Recorded April 4, 2025, at the AAPM PainConnect 2025 meeting, their conversation explores themes from Szalavitz’s recent writing on addiction, harm reduction, and drug policy. Maia shares her personal journey through addiction and recovery, and offers insights into the critical distinction between dependence and addiction. ...
Join Executive Producer and Host Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and Co-Host Mustafa Broachwala, DO, for a pivotal episode of the Pain Matters Podcast where we address the recent BMJ publication, “Common interventional procedures for chronic non-cancer spine pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials,” and the associated guideline. Steven Cohen, MD, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University, Lynn R. Kohan, MD, University of VA Medical School, Zachary...
Dr. Mark Wallace of UCSD joins hosts Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA and Mustafa Broachwala, DO and pick up where they left off on their discussion regarding the nuanced world of medical cannabis, understanding medical applications, appropriate dosing strategies, and advice for prescribing providers. Furthermore, they discuss the challenges of clinical trials, regulatory hurdles, and the implications for treating pain. Dr. Wallace offers insight into the complexities of cannabis research, d...
Join us for an enlightening episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, where we dive deep into the world of medical cannabis and its implications for pain management. Hosts Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and Mustafa Broachwala, DO, are joined by Mark Steven Wallace, MD, a Pain Management Specialist and Professor of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego Health, who brings more than two decades of experience in cannabis research. In this episode, you’ll discover: Biologics of Cannabis: Dr. W...
Join us for Part 2 of our engaging series on the necessary reforms in pain medicine training as we explore potential changes that could significantly enhance the quality and effectiveness of pain medicine education. Hosts Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and Mustafa Broachwala, DO are joined once again by esteemed experts Scott Gregory Pritzlaff, MD, Associate Professor and Pain Medicine Fellowship Director at UC Davis Health, and Sayed Emal Wahezi, MD, Professor and Pain Medicine Fellowshi...
Join us in a critical discussion on the urgent need for reform in pain medicine training programs. In this enlightening episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, hosts Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and Mustafa Broachwala, DO, engage with experienced pain medicine program directors to delve deep into the current state, gaps, and proposed changes surrounding pain medicine fellowships. Tune in as we’re joined by Scott Gregory Pritzlaff, MD, Associate Professor and Pain Medicine Fellowship ...
Join us for a timely discussion on the recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling to ban non-compete clauses. This decision can significantly alter the landscape of employment across various sectors, including healthcare. In this special episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, hosts Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and Mustafa Broachwala, DO, sit down with Michael Johnson, Jr., Esq. to dive deep into the nuances of this ruling, and what it means for medical professionals, especially t...
Join us for a riveting exploration into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI) in interdisciplinary pain medicine. This episode of the Pain Matters Podcast features a thought-provoking discussion on the transformative potential of AI and the ethical challenges it introduces. Hosts Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and Mustafa Broachwala, DO, are joined by two distinguished experts: Tinglong Dai, PhD, a Bernard T. Ferrari Professor at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, c...
Join us for a comprehensive exploration into the advocacy and personal dedication that shapes the world of pain medicine. In this episode, our discussion hones in on a critical juncture in pain medicine — the anticipation of the Washington Health Technology Clinical Committee's (HTCC) decision on Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) coverage. This decision could transform the landscape of pain management for state employees, state-sponsored health plans, and injured workers under Washington L...
On this episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, we turn our attention to a Viewpoint article published in JAMA on December 18, 2023 entitled “Corporate Influences on Science and Health—the Case of Spinal Cord Stimulation”. Written by the same lead author of the widely criticized Cochrane Review of Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) for Low Back Pain, this recent article blames all physicians who defend SCS for having corporate interests and suggests that no research in any specialty should be influen...
Recorded during the 2023 AAPM Annual Meeting, Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and co-host Mustafa Broachwala, DO, navigate this multifaceted topic alongside two esteemed guests: Dan Brounstein, Chief Strategy Officer with Saluda Medical, and Yele Aluko, MD, MBA, Ernst & Young Americas Chief Medical Officer. In this episode, we explore: Industry Collaboration: A deep dive into the history and current state of the relationships between pain clinicians and the industry, and what fi...
Join us as we delve deep into the pivotal March 18, 2023 local coverage determination (LCD) that has shaken the pain medicine community by limiting access to sacral lateral branch radiofrequency ablation and imposing stringent documentation requirements to demonstrate the medical necessity for sacroiliac (SI) joint injections. In this episode, host Dr. Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and co-host Dr. Mustafa Broachwala, DO, tackle the contentious LCD that threatens to restrict options for p...
Join host Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and co-host Mustafa Broachwala, DO, as they discuss a rising, yet often overlooked, issue - workplace violence in healthcare settings, particularly in pain management. Our featured guest for this episode is Mercy Udoji, MD, CMQ, FASA, pain physician and associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine, and a renowned expert on workplace violence in the medical field. She is the senior author of the 2023 article, "Violence in the Pain Clin...
Join us as we discuss and provide expert insights into current events impacting our management of pain and substance use disorders. In this episode, host Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, dives into critical current events and regulatory changes impacting the field of pain medicine and their implications for patient care. She interviews two guests at the forefront of pain medicine, substance use, and addiction: Dr. Antje M. Barreveld, MD, and Dr. Sudheer Potru, DO, FASA, FASAM. Dr. Bar...
In the second episode of our two-part conversation with Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, she expands on her work with food and chronic pain, taking a closer look at the nutritional supplements and dietary strategies that pain patients can use to manage their conditions. Tune in as she discusses common issues within the American diet and explores how weight, nutrient deficiencies, and dietary misconceptions have played a role in the rise of chronic pain conditions. Join host Shravani Durbhakula, MD,...
Cochrane Library’s recently published article questioning the clinical benefit of spinal cord stimulation for low back pain has stirred controversy throughout the pain medicine community. In response to these findings, we sat down with neuromodulation specialists & Pain Medicine journal editorial board members, Zachary McCormick, MD, and Nathaniel M. Schuster, MD, to offer our in-depth reaction and analysis of the March 2023 report. In this episode of the Pain Matters Podcast,...
Pain is invisible and highly subjective—for physicians, overcoming these barriers requires interpreting the signs of pain through a patient’s actions and words. This can be a delicate process, since the next step a provider takes to relieve a patient’s pain can have long-term effects on their outcome. Exploring the nuances of patient advocacy, Stephanie Vanterpool, MD, FASA, MBA, Pain Medicine Specialist, Anesthesiologist, and Director of Comprehensive Pain Services at the University of Tenne...
The history of our medical institutions is fraught with racial prejudices that have shaped our understanding of pain in black patients, leading to unequal treatment across our healthcare system. Working to dismantle these disparities, Aderonke Pederson, MD, has dedicated her career to bridging the treatment gap. Her groundbreaking work addresses faults in our current system, increasing the quality and accessibility of care in communities that have historically been overlooked or exploited by ...
When we’re young, we often hear the phrase “you are what you eat.” While this is true, it doesn’t paint the full picture. Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, has dedicated her career to mapping the ways food can influence pain pathways in our bodies, studying the chemical processes behind physical pain and its psychiatric comorbidities. Her groundbreaking research on glutamate receptors has shown that a dietary approach may hold the answer, offering promising results for treating conditions such as fi...