Orthopedics

Conservative care for back pain is not “wait and see”

Conditions and Diseases

June 11, 2026

One of the most common things I hear from patients is, “I was told to give it more time.” As a neurosurgeon who has spent more than 30 years treating spine conditions, I’ve seen how often that advice is both appropriate and, at times, misleading.

In many cases, it is the right approach. Most back pain improves. The body has a remarkable ability to heal, and conservative care remains the appropriate …

Musculoskeletal health may be the foundation of prevention

Narinder Singh Parhar, MD

Conditions and Diseases

June 6, 2026

Few would argue against the extraordinary success of modern cardiovascular medicine. Over the past half century, physicians, researchers, public health leaders, and policymakers have invested enormous effort in understanding and reducing cardiovascular risk. Smoking cessation campaigns, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, diabetes treatment, cardiac rehabilitation, and advances in acute cardiac care have collectively saved millions of lives.

As a result, Americans today are far more aware of cardiovascular health than previous …

A letter to my future self, the team physician

Sarah Haugh

Medical Education

May 31, 2026

As a former Team USA figure skater with my own Olympic dreams, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experience as an elite athlete while watching the Winter Olympics this year. With Match Day behind me and medical school graduation approaching, it is also time to dream of the future again.

In March, I matched into orthopedic surgery for residency, and I hope to complete a sports medicine fellowship to …

After Match Day, orthopedic surgery is finally open to every kind of surgeon [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 27, 2026

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

When you open your Match Day envelope, you step into an orthopedic surgery field that looks nothing like it used to. John E. Klibanoff, an orthopedic surgeon, discusses his article “Navigating your …

The quiet art of building trust with patients in pain

Khadija Kane, PT, DPT

Conditions and Diseases

May 27, 2026

Before I ever stepped into a clinic, I learned diplomacy at the dinner table. I learned how silence could be strategic. How tone traveled faster than words. How disagreements could unfold without becoming rupture. How laughter, timed well, could soften a room. I watched adults negotiate boundaries, expectations, and emotions in real time and internalized something I would not be able to name for years: authority is not volume. It …

Athletic trainer scope of practice is not a turf war

Gerald Kuo

Conditions and Diseases

May 17, 2026

A high school basketball player lands awkwardly after a fast break. For one second, the gym goes silent. He grabs his ankle. His coach runs toward him. His teammates stop moving. His parents, sitting near the sideline, do not know whether to hope he can stand up or pray that he will not try.

In that first minute, no one is thinking about professional titles. The question is painfully simple: Who …

PRP therapy protocols lack expert consensus

Francisco M. Torres, MD

Medications

May 6, 2026

As a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician, I have guided patients through musculoskeletal care. Recently, my focus has shifted toward regenerative medicine, particularly platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. What began as curiosity is now a strong commitment to understanding these therapies for patients who have exhausted conventional treatments.

This new focus led me to attend an intensive weekend course with experts from orthopedics, sports medicine, PM&R, rheumatology, and pain medicine. …

Why doctors struggle to listen to your body after an injury

Diane Alexander, MD

Conditions and Diseases

April 22, 2026

For 26 years as a plastic surgeon, I have given my patients the same advice after surgery: Listen to your body. Pain, fatigue, and swelling are not inconveniences. They are signals. They are the body’s language, guiding us toward healing or warning us when we have gone too far. What I have learned this year, at 65, is how difficult that advice can be to follow.

In January, I was training …

How one doctor navigated orthopedic residency while pregnant

Christen Russo, MD

Physician

April 15, 2026

The Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society (RJOS) Dr. Jessi Block Courage Award is awarded annually to an RJOS member who demonstrates strength and integrity in the face of everyday obstacles. The definition of courage is “the ability to do something that frightens one” and “strength in the face of pain or grief.” Courage is a conscious choice and a willingness to confront a difficult situation. As health care professionals, we become …

Knee replacement marketing undermines informed consent

Cory Calendine, MD

Conditions and Diseases

April 13, 2026

She came in having done the work. She had watched the clinic videos. Read the website. She knew the name of the proprietary technique for knee replacement that the surgeon’s practice was advertising. She used it correctly in the first sentence of our consultation. What she could not tell me was what the approach actually did differently, which structures it spared, or why it might matter for her specific anatomy …

Knee osteoarthritis demands layered pain management

Kayvan Haddadan, MD

Conditions and Diseases

April 10, 2026

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) remains a leading cause of chronic pain and reduced mobility, affecting millions of adults worldwide, particularly those over age 50. As cartilage deteriorates and inflammation increases, patients often face pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitations in daily activities. Although no cure exists, a structured, escalating treatment plan can significantly alleviate symptoms, preserve function, delay disease progression, and help many individuals avoid or postpone surgery. Current guidelines from the …

Why walking matters most in post-acute rehabilitation

Neha Sabharwal, DPT

Conditions and Diseases

April 9, 2026

One of the most common questions I hear in rehabilitation is not asked during therapy sessions. It is usually asked quietly by a family member after the session ends. “Will my mother walk again?” Families rarely ask about therapy intensity or functional scoring systems. They do not ask how many minutes of treatment occurred that day. They ask about walking. Walking represents independence. It represents the possibility of returning home. …

Understanding Generation 2 patient engagement platforms

Kevin J. Campbell, MD

Health Technology

April 7, 2026

Patient engagement platforms are software systems that deliver clinical information to patients and manage patient questions and concerns outside of scheduled visits, including patient portals, mobile apps, and messaging systems. After nearly a decade of watching (and studying) the evolution of patient engagement platforms, I have come to see them as two distinct generations. I will refer to them as Generation 1 and Generation 2. Not because this distinction exists …

How to treat sacroiliac joint pain effectively today

Kayvan Haddadan, MD

Conditions and Diseases

April 3, 2026

If you have nagging pain deep in your lower back or one buttock that never seems to settle, you are not alone. Many people chase answers through discs, nerves, or muscles, yet the real source turns out to be the sacroiliac (SI) joint. This connection between the base of your spine and your pelvis is built for stability with just a hint of motion. When it becomes irritated or unstable, …

The cost of time constraints in primary care: Why doctors feel rushed

Ann Lebeck, MD

Physician

March 29, 2026

A patient comes in with hip pain. It is not dramatic hip pain. There is no trauma and no fall. It is just a gradual ache that now wakes her up at night. She cannot sit comfortably. Getting in and out of the car is harder, and she is worried. The X-ray is normal. Now what?

In another era, this is where medicine began, not ended. It began with history, examination, …

Navigating your orthopedic surgery residency after Match Day

John E. Klibanoff, MD

Medical Education

March 20, 2026

For students matching into orthopedic surgery, Match Day is both an achievement and an invitation. I matched 36 years ago. I still remember the anxiety of not knowing where on my list I would match. Orthopedic surgery was exclusive then. It still is. Recent analyses show that orthopedic surgery offered 916 residency positions across 218 programs in 2024, with a 74.3 percent match rate for U.S. allopathic seniors. That is …

Herniated disc recovery: a physician’s personal journey

Eric Dessner, MD

Conditions and Diseases

March 16, 2026

Anyone that has suffered a herniated disc knows that the road to recovery can feel like a spiritual journey. The searing pain can be so extreme that it leads us to prayer. We may even question the very design of the human body. Why would an all-powerful, wholly good Creator of the Universe endow man with the capacity to experience so much agony? To fear the electric jolt caused by …

Medical relevance and evolution: Why physicians must reinvent themselves

Adam Bitterman, DO

Physician

March 11, 2026

Medicine is a field defined by constant evolution. Advances in technology, groundbreaking research, and shifting patient expectations continually reshape the landscape of health care. As physicians, we are entrusted with providing excellent care. But we must also ensure that our knowledge, skills, and approaches remain at the forefront of this ever-changing environment. Staying up to date isn’t just a professional obligation, but a necessity to remain effective and relevant in …

Treating your bone density like a retirement account [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 28, 2025

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Orthopedic surgeon Yoshihiro Katsuura, medical student Mark Polemidiotis, and premedical student Cyrus Nasr discuss their article, “Why young people need to care about bone health now.” Yoshihiro, Mark, and Cyrus explain that …

Why young people need to care about bone health now

Surgical Fitness Research Pod & Yoshihiro Katsuura, MD

Conditions and Diseases

November 13, 2025

We all know high blood pressure and cholesterol can kill, but what about low bone mineral density? Bones are composed of calcium and phosphate, which is their mineral content. Bones low in calcium are said to have low bone mineral density, which can result in a condition known as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis develops over a lifetime and is impacted by your peak bone mass as a youth. Thus, most osteoporotic problems …

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