In episode 19, our experts covered your questions on:

• Who is the ideal SCS candidate, and what red flags predict poor response?
• How should you design an effective SCS trial, and what defines success beyond the traditional ≥50% pain relief benchmark?
• Why do appropriate candidates sometimes “fail” trials, and when should you repeat or modify the approach?
• What implantation techniques reduce lead migration and revision rates?
• How should you select and optimize programming modalities (tonic, burst, HF, closed-loop, rolling field, DTM, etc.) for durable benefit?
• Which post-operative protocols best prevent avoidable complications?
• How do you distinguish habituation from disease progression when efficacy declines?
• What drives explants and revisions, and how can you minimize real-world revision burden?
• How do you detect and address “silent explants” before outcomes deteriorate? 
•  What is a stepwise framework for preventing and managing infection, mechanical failure, neurologic risk, and pocket pain?

Your expert panel for this April 8, 2026 webinar included:

• Ramana K. Naidu, MD, President Emeritus of the Pacific Spine & Pain Society and Medical Director of Pain Management for MarinHealth Medical Center in Larkspur, California;
• Drew Trainor, DO, MS, an IPSIS Associate Bio-Skills Lab Instructor, and owner of the Denver Spine and Pain Institute in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and
• Michael Furman, MD, MS, Ask the Experts moderator and Fellowship Director at OSS Health, who serves on the IPSIS Education Division.

Listen on the go — make "Ask the Experts" your new go-to podcast! Besides the video, an audio download is also available here.

© 2026 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only.

In episode 19, our experts covered your questions on:

• Who is the ideal SCS candidate, and what red flags predict poor response?
• How should you design an effective SCS trial, and what defines success beyond the traditional ≥50% pain relief benchmark?
• Why do appropriate candidates sometimes “fail” trials, and when should you repeat or modify the approach?
• What implantation techniques reduce lead migration and revision rates?
• How should you select and optimize programming modalities (tonic, burst, HF, closed-loop, rolling field, DTM, etc.) for durable benefit?
• Which post-operative protocols best prevent avoidable complications?
• How do you distinguish habituation from disease progression when efficacy declines?
• What drives explants and revisions, and how can you minimize real-world revision burden?
• How do you detect and address “silent explants” before outcomes deteriorate? 
•  What is a stepwise framework for preventing and managing infection, mechanical failure, neurologic risk, and pocket pain?

Your expert panel for this April 8, 2026 webinar included:

• Ramana K. Naidu, MD, President Emeritus of the Pacific Spine & Pain Society and Medical Director of Pain Management for MarinHealth Medical Center in Larkspur, California;
• Drew Trainor, DO, MS, an IPSIS Associate Bio-Skills Lab Instructor, and owner of the Denver Spine and Pain Institute in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and
• Michael Furman, MD, MS, Ask the Experts moderator and Fellowship Director at OSS Health, who serves on the IPSIS Education Division.

Listen on the go — make "Ask the Experts" your new go-to podcast! Besides the video, an audio download is also available here.

© 2026 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only.

Topics covered include:

Intervertebral Disc Anatomy, Pathophysiology, and Pain Generation

Anatomy, Technique, and Evidence Base

•     Lumbar Disc Access    
•     Cervical Disc Access
•     Thoracic Disc Access 
•     Vertebral Body Access Vertebral Augmentation
•     Basivertebral Nerve Radiofrequency Neurotomuy-Ablation 

Risks and Complications 

For the optimal learning experience, it is highly recommended that you view the videos in order.

No commercial support was received for this activity.

© 2021 International Pain & Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved  
Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only. We reserve all rights to such material. 

Membership is required to access the modules in your member profile.

Whether you’re preparing for your first contract, early in practice, or mentoring the next generation of pain physicians, this must-watch discussion offers candid insights on the real-world career tradeoffs facing new attendings. 

Learn:

• The truth about commonly assumed academia and private practice myths
• Day-to-day lifestyle realities, including call burden, clinical volume, and burnout risk
• How contracts, Relative Value Units (RVUs), ambulatory surgery center (ASC) buy-ins, and incentive structures impact your daily work and long-term trajectory
• Key differences in compensation, productivity expectations, and professional autonomy
• When and how loan forgiveness should factor into your career decision
• What “doing research” actually looks like in an academic setting

Your panel included:

• David Hao, MD, a double board-certified anesthesiologist and chronic pain physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he serves as the Director of the MGH Cancer Pain Program;
• Jay Karri, MD, a physiatrist and pain medicine physician at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland;
• Peggy Riso, MD, a double board-certified pain medicine physician and anesthesiologist at Southern Pain and Spine in Gainesville, Georgia;
• Christopher Robinson, MD, PhD, an anesthesiologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, who also serves on the IPSIS Advocacy Committee and Coverage Committee; and
• Kevin Vu, MD, a physiatrist and pain medicine physician at the Pain and Wellness Center in Peabody, Massachusetts.

© 2026 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only.

In episode 18, our experts covered your questions on:

• When and how can electrodiagnostic medicine (EDX), including electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) help with spine care?
• How is EDX best used to diagnose and predict the extent of spinal involvement of symptoms?
• How is EDX best used to delineate lesions?
• Why do negative EDX studies NOT rule out spinal causes for symptoms?

Your expert panel for this February 3, 2026 webinar included:

• Jeffrey A. Strakowski, MD, Clinical Professor in the Department of PM&R at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio;
• Vincent Tranchitella, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of PM&R at Penn State College of Medicine, and Staff Physician at OSS Health in York, Pennsylvania; and
• Michael Furman, MD, MS, Ask the Experts moderator and Fellowship Director at OSS Health, who serves on the IPSIS Education Division.

Besides this podcast, a video download is also available here.

© 2026 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only. 

In episode 18, our experts covered your questions on:

• When and how can electrodiagnostic medicine (EDX), including electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) help with spine care?
• How is EDX best used to diagnose and predict the extent of spinal involvement of symptoms?
• How is EDX best used to delineate lesions?
• Why do negative EDX studies NOT rule out spinal causes for symptoms?

Your expert panel for this February 3, 2026 webinar included:

• Jeffrey A. Strakowski, MD, Clinical Professor in the Department of PM&R at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio;
• Vincent Tranchitella, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of PM&R at Penn State College of Medicine, and Staff Physician at OSS Health in York, Pennsylvania; and
• Michael Furman, MD, MS, Ask the Experts moderator and Fellowship Director at OSS Health, who serves on the IPSIS Education Division.

Listen on the go — make "Ask the Experts" your new go-to podcast! Besides the video, an audio download is also available here.

© 2026 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only.

In episode 17, our experts covered your questions on:

• What are the spine and non-spine causes of shoulder pain?
• What history and exam features are important to differentiate cervical spine pain from other sources?
• How valid are landmark or image-guided analgesic/diagnostic injections to identify pain sources?
• When should we use ultrasound vs fluoro for shoulder intra-articular, subacromial or other injections?
• How do we evaluate and treat thoracic outlet syndrome, bursitis/scapulothoracic bursitis, and scapular winging?
• When should shoulder radiofrequency neurotomy procedures be considered

Your expert panel for this December 9, 2025 webinar included:

• Venu Akuthota, MD, Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine;
• Brian D. Steinmetz, DO, Chair of the Pain Medicine Department at OSS Health in York, Pennsylvania; and
• Michael Furman, MD, MS, Ask the Experts moderator and Fellowship Director at OSS Health, who serves on the IPSIS Education Division.

Listen on the go — make "Ask the Experts" your new go-to podcast! Besides the video, an audio download is also available here.

© 2026 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only.

In episode 17, our experts covered your questions on:

• What are the spine and non-spine causes of shoulder pain?
• What history and exam features are important to differentiate cervical spine pain from other sources?
• How valid are landmark or image-guided analgesic/diagnostic injections to identify pain sources?
• When should we use ultrasound vs fluoro for shoulder intra-articular, subacromial or other injections?
• How do we evaluate and treat thoracic outlet syndrome, bursitis/scapulothoracic bursitis, and scapular winging?
• When should shoulder radiofrequency neurotomy procedures be considered?

Your expert panel for this December 9, 2025 webinar included:

• Venu Akuthota, MD, Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine;
• Brian D. Steinmetz, DO, Chair of the Pain Medicine Department at OSS Health in York, Pennsylvania; and
• Michael Furman, MD, MS, Ask the Experts moderator and Fellowship Director at OSS Health, who serves on the IPSIS Education Division.

Besides this podcast, a video download is also available here.

© 2026 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only. 

In episode 16, our experts covered your questions on:

• What constitutes an appropriate acute spine injury on-field assessment?
• When is it necessary to immobilize the neck and transfer with a backboard?
• How do you diagnose and treat lumbar spondylitic injuries?
• What is an effective return-to-play protocol for spine injuries?
• Where are potential opportunities to prevent spine injuries in athletics?

Your expert panel for this October 15, 2025 webinar included:

• Stanley A. Herring, MD, a clinical professor in the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, and Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington; 
• Scott Laker, MD, a clinical professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; and 
• Michael Furman, MD, MS, Ask the Experts moderator and Fellowship Director at OSS Health, who serves on the IPSIS Education Division, and as Co-Chair of the Education Development Committee.

Besides this podcast, a video download is also available here.

Episode 16 Show Notes: These are the abstracts referenced by our experts.  

• Consensus Recommendations on the Prehospital Care of the Injured Athlete With a Suspected Catastrophic Cervical Spine Injury
• Best Practices and Current Care Concepts in Prehospital Care of the Spine-Injured Athlete in American Tackle Football March 2-3, 2019; Atlanta, GA
• Prehospital Trauma Compendium: Prehospital Management of Spinal Cord Injuries - A NAEMSP Comprehensive Review and Analysis of the Literature
• Expert opinion and controversies in sports and musculoskeletal medicine: the diagnosis and treatment of spondylolysis in adolescent athletes
• Team Physician Consensus Statement: Return to Sport/Return to Play and the Team Physician: A Team Physician Consensus Statement-2023 Update

© 2025 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only. 

In episode 16, our experts covered your questions on:

• What constitutes an appropriate acute spine injury on-field assessment?
• When is it necessary to immobilize the neck and transfer with a backboard?
• How do you diagnose and treat lumbar spondylitic injuries?
• What is an effective return-to-play protocol for spine injuries?
• Where are potential opportunities to prevent spine injuries in athletics?

Your expert panel for this October 15, 2025 webinar included:

• Stanley A. Herring, MD, a clinical professor in the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, and Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington; 
• Scott Laker, MD, a clinical professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; and 
• Michael Furman, MD, MS, Ask the Experts moderator and Fellowship Director at OSS Health, who serves on the IPSIS Education Division, and as Co-Chair of the Education Development Committee.

Listen on the go — make "Ask the Experts" your new go-to podcast! Besides the video, an audio download is also available here.

Episode 16 Show Notes: These are the abstracts referenced by our experts. 

• Consensus Recommendations on the Prehospital Care of the Injured Athlete With a Suspected Catastrophic Cervical Spine Injury
• Best Practices and Current Care Concepts in Prehospital Care of the Spine-Injured Athlete in American Tackle Football March 2-3, 2019; Atlanta, GA
• Prehospital Trauma Compendium: Prehospital Management of Spinal Cord Injuries - A NAEMSP Comprehensive Review and Analysis of the Literature
• Expert opinion and controversies in sports and musculoskeletal medicine: the diagnosis and treatment of spondylolysis in adolescent athletes
• Team Physician Consensus Statement: Return to Sport/Return to Play and the Team Physician: A Team Physician Consensus Statement-2023 Update

© 2025 International Pain and Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only.