Pain Matters Podcast Network

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• Ep. 38: Acute Low Back Pain Guideline: A Patient Advocate's Perspective* 16.06.2026 33min

  Episode Summary: In this engaging and informative episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, hosts Sudheer Potru, DO, FASA, FASAM, and Co-Host Zafeer Baber, MD, sit down with renowned chronic pain advocate, Tom Norris. With a four-decade-long journey through the challenges of chronic pain, Tom shares his invaluable insights regarding the newly drafted Acute Low Back Pain Guideline** (drafted by the Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU EPC)...
• Ep 37 Acetaminophen in Pregnancy and Children: Debunking Myths and Ensuring Safe Use* 31.10.2025 34min

  In this episode, Amber Borucki, MD from Stanford Medicine, joins Host Sudheer Potru, DO, FASA, FASAM, and Co-Host Zafeer Baber, MD, to discuss acetaminophen use during pregnancy and childhood. They focus on a significant Swedish study that dispels myths about acetaminophen's links to autism, reinforcing its safety and effectiveness. Dr. Borucki highlights its role in pain management for expectant mothers and children, while the hosts discuss alternatives to opioids, like acetaminophen and ibu...
• Exploring PA Roles & Growth in Pain Medicine Practice 23.09.2025 34min

  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...
• Exploring Addiction Myths and Harm Reduction with Maia Szalavitz* 02.09.2025 53min

  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. ...
• In Response: BMJ Interventional Spine Guidelines 2025 21.03.2025 47min

  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...
• Navigating Cannabis in Pain Medicine [Part 2] 05.02.2025 34min

  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...
• Navigating Cannabis in Pain Medicine [Part 1] 03.10.2024 27min

  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...
• Pain Medicine Training: Enhancing Training for Better Outcomes - Part 2 28.08.2024 39min

  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...
• Pain Medicine Training: A Call for Reformation - Part 1 25.07.2024 29min

  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 ...
• Special Episode: What FTC's Landmark Decision to Ban Noncompetes Means in Medicine 02.05.2024 41min

  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...
• The Future of AI in Medicine: Current State, Applications, and Evolution 25.04.2024 1h 6min

  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...
• History in the Making: The Battle for SCS Coverage in Washington State 08.02.2024 1h 3min

  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...
• Setting the Record Straight: A Response to JAMA on Corporate Influences on Spinal Cord Stimulation 25.01.2024 24min

  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...
• Insights from Industry Leaders: Ethics, Collaboration, and Challenges in Health-Tech 09.11.2023 1h 17min

  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...
• SI Joint Injections and LCDs: Navigating New Boundaries in Pain Medicine 14.09.2023 44min

  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...
• Confronting the Silent Crisis: Workplace Violence in Pain Medicine 08.06.2023 36min

  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...
• Current Events in Pain & Addiction: FDA Approval of OTC Naloxone, New DEA Required CME-training, Medical Mysteries in the Alex Murdaugh Case, Fentanyl Strips & Fentanyl Vaccine with Drs. Antje Barreveld and Sudheer Potru 18.05.2023 33min

  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...
• [Part 2] The Relationship Between Food and Pain Perception – A Conversation with Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH 20.04.2023 32min

  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,...
• Reaction & Analysis to the March 2023 Cochrane Library Review on Spinal Cord Stimulation for Low Back Pain with Nathaniel M. Schuster, MD, and Zachary McCormick, MD 30.03.2023 1h 17min

  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,...
• Advocating for Patients in Pain with Stephanie Vanterpool, MD, FASA, MBA 21.03.2023 31min

  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...