07/25/2025
Having been in practice as an orthopedic surgeon for over 14 years, I see a lot of patients in pain, especially chronic. Whenever I sense that patients are struggling with their chronic pain issues and have started to lose hope, I tell them that there is always something else we can do to reduce your symptoms. I ask them about everything they've tried so far and go from there. As an orthopedic surgeon, the most common cause of pain I see generally comes from tendinitis, arthritis, or a trauma such as a fracture. Often the pain goes away within six weeks, but if it persists more than six months, that is what would be considered “chronic pain”. So how do I manage chronic pain? First of all, I make sure the individual is maximizing the basics, which would include a well-balanced diet, regular exercise (if possible), and 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Poor sleep can worsen your pain. Then I proceed from the least invasive to the most invasive measures, which would include the following: 🏋️ Physical / occupational therapy: to get joints moving 👉 Topical medications: either Voltaren gel or topical CBD (especially if they have any issues with NSAIDs) 💊 Oral medications (short-term use only): options include NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, nerve stabilizers, opiates 💉 Corticosteroid injections: usually into a specific tendon or joint for anti-inflammation 😷 Surgery: this is typically a last resort. If it's severe arthritis, we're generally replacing joints; if it's something like carpal tunnel syndrome, it would be a carpal tunnel release. 👉 Alternatives: if they've tried everything else and there is no surgical solution, I do sometimes refer to pain management for either longer-term opiates, alternative medications (medical MJ), or possible spinal cord stimulator.
