One of the very first patients I treated after opening my pain practice tested positive for heroin. It was 2017 and I had just started a clinic focusing on the integrative management of pain patients after over 20 years of practicing as a medical doctor and anesthesiologist.
This patient had traveled to me from several hours away—something that can reflect poorly on a prescriber—but she had a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a painful connective tissue disorder, and an existing opioid prescription. She was in her thirties and had various comorbidities and pains in different parts of her body.
Back then I thought I knew a lot, but I had only just begun. I believe that if you’re doing things properly as a pain doctor, you are continuing to learn throughout your career through evidence-informed practice. It’s not just a randomized controlled trial, it’s
