Dr. Sanford Silverman discusses the current opioid “epidemic” in this country. He has co-authored a book on this very topic, as he has experienced this opioid problem first hand as a pain management physician in Florida for twenty years. He also mentions that with ASIPP has a controlled substance management course, offered as a CME credits.

Douglass Beall, MD, discusses managing discogenic back pain without surgery. Traditionally, patients can use physical therapy and chiropractic interventions to help manage back pain. Surgery can be used to help manage it as well; however, it is expensive and only 50% of patients improve after surgical procedures. Non-invasive methods for managing back pain include nerve ablation, and injections with stem cells, hydrogels, or amino acid peptides. The average procedure time for these non-invasive methods is 5.5 minutes, and studies show that there is significant improvement in pain, function, and quality of life.

A medical panel consisting of five prestigious physicians are asked to discuss the importance of clinical research and publications. A topic discussed is grant approval, and how industry funded research and government funded research are merging in many fields. Also discussed is how being involved in clinical research differs from that of academic research. Another topic is learning how to write and submit a grant.

Dr. Annu Navani discusses the use of regenerative medicine in her practice and the positive results these natural injection have on her patients. An explanation is given on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, including how they are safely harvested from the patient’s body. She gives advice to those physicians who are interested in implementing regenerative medicine as a part of their practice. Dr. Navani has also published several articles that supports the effectiveness of this treatment.