In this episode, Amber Borucki, MD from Stanford Medicine, joins Host Sudheer Potru, DO, FASA, FASAM, and C o-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 ibupr...
Oct 31, 2025•35 min
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...
Sep 23, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 36
In this episode of P ain 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. Th...
Sep 02, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 35
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 ...
Mar 21, 2025•47 min•Ep. 34
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, dosa...
Feb 05, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 33
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. Wallace dives d...
Oct 03, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 32
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 Fellowship ...
Aug 28, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 31
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 Director ...
Jul 25, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 30
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 those in pa...
May 02, 2024•41 min
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, co-c...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 29
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 Labor and I...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 28
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 influence...
Jan 25, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 28
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 firewalls to...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 26
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 pati...
Sep 14, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 25
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 Clinic...
Jun 08, 2023•36 min
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. Barreveld se...
May 18, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 23
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, M...
Apr 20, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 22
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, host Shravani ...
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 21
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 Tennesse...
Mar 21, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 20
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 med...
Feb 23, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 19
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 fibro...
Jan 26, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Exploring the boundaries of pain management, the Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative (PHRI) pursues groundbreaking research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for pain patients. By examining how these psychoactive compounds act at the intersection of pain, identity, and memory in our brains, Dr. Furnish’s work has challenged our understanding of pain mechanisms while paving the way for novel treatments that may offer effective long-lasting relief. In this episode of the Pain Ma...
Dec 15, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Working on the pandemic’s front lines, Soo Kim, MD, was part of the medical team at Johns Hopkins University that first identified and treated signs and symptoms of Long COVID and its chronic pain symptoms. Her groundbreaking involvement in one of the first Post-Acute COVID Syndrome (PACS) Clinics has since become the blueprint for how many physicians treat acute and chronic pain among Long COVID patients. In this episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, host Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA , is j...
Nov 22, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In the second episode of our two-part conversation with Dr. Andrea Chadwick, MD, MSc, FASA , she discusses the obstacles she overcame on her path to developing a successful research lab in a field she is passionate about. Listen in as she shares her professional and personal struggles and outlines the blueprint other researchers can use to harness their potential and advocate for patients with invisible illnesses. Join host Dr. Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA , in this episode of the Pain Matt...
Nov 03, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Research is the backbone of medical innovation. However, it can be challenging to find the resources and support needed to launch your own research lab and lay the foundation for its success. Dr. Andrea Chadwick is no stranger to the adversities researchers face–tune in as she shares her struggles and outlines the steps others can take to follow their passions into research and secure funding for their projects. In this two-part episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, host Shravani Durbhakula, MD, ...
Oct 20, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Pain management is more than just treating the causes of pain. How you communicate with patients shapes how they think about their pain–the right educational tools can improve recovery rates by mitigating the effect pain has on the rest of a patient’s life. In this episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, guest host Beth Darnall, PhD., sits down with Penney Cowan, the founder and CEO of the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), an institution dedicated to educating patients and patient families ...
Sep 22, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 13
One of the more innovative pain care models to debut recently involves a multidisciplinary team of acute and chronic pain specialists working together to reduce opioid utilization after surgery and improve patient satisfaction. How does the model work and what are lessons learned from scaling a perioperative pain clinic? In this episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, host Dr. Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, sits down with Associate Professor and Director of the Perioperative Pain Program at Joh...
Jul 28, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Data has long been used to predict whether certain patients will respond well to treatment. The next step in the evolution of using algorithm-centered tools to chart the course for pain medicine is the personalized care made possible through precision medicine technology. In this episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, host Shravani Durbhakula, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., chats with Christina Le-Short, MD, MBA, senior director of clinical development and strategy at Scipher Medicine, a precision immunolo...
Jun 23, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 11
With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn already taking up so much of our free time, why would a busy pain physician consider adding TikTok to their social media routine? With more people receiving their news through social media, it’s more critical than ever that doctors convey accurate information to the public about pain medicine and pain treatment, and TikTok has grown to be one of the best platforms to spread awareness to interested audiences. In this episode of the Pain Matters Podc...
Jun 02, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Beginning in 2020, we saw an exponential growth of opioid overdose deaths throughout the nation alongside an increase in the isolation of at-risk individuals, economic instability, impeded access to care, a shortage of PPE, and self-medication for high-stress levels. Though some of the risk factors have declined as the global pandemic response has progressed, it’s no surprise that pain medicine innovators continue to face a steep challenge. In this episode, host Shravani Durbhakula, MD, is joine...
May 12, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 9
