Episode 31: Misinterpretations of the 2016 Opioid Guidelines
The PM&R Podcast
2016 was a watershed year in the United States in the attempt to reverse the epidemic of opioid overdose deaths and addiction. Perhaps no event crystallized this intention more than a set of guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offering evidence-based prescriptions for responsible opioid prescription. This influential document did have the net effect of reducing opioid prescriptions for pain, but also had unintended effects in the process. Dr. Roger Chou is here to discuss the intended and unintended effects three years out. Dr. Chou is a unique authority...
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Episode 30: Urine Drug Screens in Pain Medicine
The PM&R Podcast
Dr. Joshua Schrecker is a member of the clinical team at Aegis Sciences Corporation. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. He has expertise in developing leadership skills within a corporate environment and has received certifications through completion of advanced cardiac life support courses. On this episode, Dr. Schrecker discusses the clinical utility and role of urine drug screens.
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Episode 29: Dysautonomia
The PM&R Podcast
Dysautonomia is the most important nervous system problem you have probably never heard about. It is a vast grouping of diseases that affects the body's most basic functions that occurs below the level of direct conscious control--temperature control, digestion, and regulation of blood pressure are some of the critical functions of this unheralded system. When things go wrong with the system, it is obvious to patients. The problem is the cultural awareness and conventional medical system has been slow to recognize and effectively treat this dysautonomia. Enter: Kelly Freeman. A survivor turned...
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Episode 28: Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia
The PM&R Podcast
Dr. Christina Hayhurst is an assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She trained at the University of Virginia, where she first began to explore opioid-sparing anesthetics and the effects of high-dose opioids on post-operative outcomes. At Vanderbilt, in addition to critical care, she is a member of the Perioperative Anesthesia service, which designs and implements enhanced recovery protocols for a variety of surgical services, with an emphasis on opioid reduction. Her research interests include the clinical implications of...
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Episode 27: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
The PM&R Podcast
Mast cell activation syndrome is a condition that most doctors have never heard about, yet it is an important cause of illness that is underrecognized and, as a result, misdiagnosed. It belongs in the category of chronic inflammatory illnesses with symptoms including fatigue, allergy-like symptoms and problems with virtually every organ system in the body. Dr. Lawrence Afrin is a leading scientist and clinician on mast cell activation syndrome. Dr. Afrin is based out of the University of Minnesota and the author of the book Never Bet Against Occam, a book detailing his clinical...
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Episode 26: Legal Considerations of Opioid Prescription
The PM&R Podcast
Dr. Jack Berger discusses his experiences as a medical consultant to the California Medical Board and a regular expert witness in cases in which doctors are accused of mis-prescribing opioids. Dr. Berger has served as the director of residency training in regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine since 2000 and holds the academic rank of Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. He has been practicing pain medicine since 1982.
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Episode 26: Metabolic Medicine
The PM&R Podcast
Metabolic medicine is a fascinating paradigm to treat the individual patient. The individualization of care, everyone agrees, is the future of medicine, but the assessment and use of readily available patient parameters--things easily obtainable today--is still rare. Dr. Michael Rothman joins us today to discuss metabolic medicine and how he uses it in his clinical practice MD Wellness in New Jersey. Board-certified in internal medicine and emergency medicine, Dr. Rothman employs a unique approach that tracks dynamic clinical and laboratory measures, such...
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Episode 25: Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Part 2
The PM&R Podcast
Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker returns to discuss the diagnosis and management of a condition he discovered as a physician-researcher, chronic inflammatory inflammatory syndrome (CIRS). CIRS is important because it is a scientifically-validated condition that affects millions of Americans, most often in the form of chronic illness after mold exposure. (One out of every two buildings in the United States is water-damaged.) Genetically vulnerable patients develop a wide range of symptoms including fatigue, depression, muscle soreness and other symptoms and are often misdiagnosed by the medical...
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Episode 24: Complex Inflammatory Response Syndrome
The PM&R Podcast
Ritchie Shoemaker, M.D. is a recognized leader in the field of biotoxin-related illness. Dr. Shoemaker was a primary care physician in Pocomoke, Maryland who began treating a mysterious illness in 1996 related to a Pfiesteria outbreak in the Chesapeake Bay. His subsequent journey in patient care, advocacy and scientific research led him to identify a common underlying pathway called the Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). CIRS is the end-result illness that occurs after exposure to biotoxins in genetically susceptible individuals. Dr. Shoemaker identified the same clinical symptoms,...
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Episode 23: Low Back Biomechanics
The PM&R Podcast
Our guest today is Stuart McGill, PhD. Professor McGill is a Professor of Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo. He has over 400 scientific publications including three text books: Low Back Disorders, Back Mechanic and Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance. Professor McGill will be discussing low back pain evaluation and management with us today. You can learn more at his website backfitpro.com.
info_outlineDr. Jack Berger discusses his experiences as a medical consultant to the California Medical Board and a regular expert witness in cases in which doctors are accused of mis-prescribing opioids. Dr. Berger has served as the director of residency training in regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine since 2000 and holds the academic rank of Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. He has been practicing pain medicine since 1982.