SI Joint Dysfunction and Phantom Limb Pain for the Physiatry Boards

🎙️ PainExam Podcast Show Notes

Phantom Limb Pain & Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction — High-Yield Pain Board Review

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🔥 Episode Overview

In this episode of the PainExam Podcast, David Rosenblum delivers a high-yield review of two must-know topics for the ABA Pain Medicine Board Certification exam:

• Phantom Limb Pain — mechanisms, risk factors, and advanced treatment strategies
• Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Dysfunction — diagnosis, provocative testing, and interventional management

Whether you're preparing for the ABA, ABPM, ABIPP, or FIPP boards, or looking to sharpen your clinical practice, this episode focuses on testable concepts, real-world applications, and interventional pearls.

👉 Explore full board prep and CME: PainExam.com

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🧠 Topic 1: Phantom Limb Pain — Key Points

Phantom limb pain is a neuropathic pain syndrome following amputation, driven by both peripheral and central mechanisms.

High-Yield Pearls

• Caused by cortical reorganization + central sensitization
• Strongly associated with pre-amputation pain
• Distinct from:
  • Phantom sensation (non-painful)
  • Stump pain (localized)

Clinical Features

• Burning, cramping, or electric pain
• Perceived in the missing limb
• May be triggered by stress or environmental factors

Treatment Strategies

• First-line: gabapentinoids, TCAs
• Advanced: ketamine, neuromodulation
• Key non-pharmacologic therapy: mirror therapy

🚨 Board Pearl

Preemptive analgesia reduces the risk of phantom limb pain

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🦴 Topic 2: Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction — Key Points

SI joint dysfunction is a major cause of axial low back pain, accounting for up to 25% of cases.

High-Yield Pearls

• Pain is typically:
  • Unilateral
  • Buttock-dominant
  • Radiates to posterior thigh (rarely below knee)

Physical Exam

• Positive provocative tests:
  • FABER
  • Gaenslen
  • Thigh thrust
  • Compression

👉 3 or more positive tests = high diagnostic accuracy

Diagnosis

• Confirmed with image-guided intra-articular injection
• Imaging alone is NOT diagnostic

Treatment

• Physical therapy
• SI joint injections
• Lateral branch RFA
• SI joint fusion (refractory cases)

🚨 Board Pearl

Diagnostic SI joint injection is the gold standard

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🎯 Board Prep Takeaways

• Always distinguish central vs peripheral mechanisms in neuropathic pain
• Know diagnostic confirmation strategies (blocks vs imaging)
• Focus on first-line vs interventional escalation pathways
• Understand procedure indications for boards

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🎓 Upcoming Events & Live Training

🏆 ASPN 2026 Annual Meeting

Join Dr. Rosenblum for:

• Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks
• Spine interventions
• Regenerative medicine techniques (PRP, biologics)
• Hands-on procedural training

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💉 Ultrasound-Guided Regenerative Medicine Course

Learn:

• PRP injection techniques
• Ultrasound-guided joint and nerve procedures
• Real-world workflows for integrating regenerative medicine into your practice

👉 Hosted through NRAP Academy

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🎤 PainWeek 2026 Lectures

Dr. Rosenblum will be presenting on:

• Precision image-guided pain procedures
• Ultrasound integration in clinical practice
• Regenerative medicine in interventional pain
• Future directions: AI and neuromodulation

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🔗 Resources

• 🌐 Pain Board Review: PainExam.com
• 🎓 Courses & CME: NRAPPain.org
• 📺 YouTube: NRAP Academy
• 🧠 Question Bank + Virtual Fellowship: Available now

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📢 Call to Action

If you’re preparing for the pain boards or want to elevate your clinical skillset:

✅ Subscribe to the PainExam Podcast
✅ Join our Virtual Pain Fellowship
✅ Attend a live ultrasound or regenerative medicine course

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