Specializing in the latest interventions to treat chronic pain and sports injuries, Usman Choudhry, D.O. joined the National Spine and Pain Centers network of practices in 2023. Before his time at NSPC, Dr. Choudhry worked as an interventional pain physician at Indiana-based Reid Health Hospital and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Wayne.
Knowing the latest treatments helps Dr. Choudhry maximize his toolbox to be able to tailor his plan to each individual's unique response to pain. Looking toward the future of interventional pain management, he believes the minimally invasive approach to performing lumbar decompression and sacroiliac fusions may help patients avoid major orthopedic and neurosurgeries. “If a surgery fails, I see the application of neuromodulation throughout the body as an additional treatment modality that will continue to improve. Further, new ablation techniques are valuable in treating multiple pain sources such as the disc and vertebra,” he said.
His patient-centered approach focuses on identifying the root cause of their pain, by understanding their lifestyle and contributing factors while thoroughly explaining how and why the pain began. Dr. Choudhry believes, “it is important to work with patients to educate them to prevent further injury, inform them of the best treatment options and develop a plan together, with the most evidence and least risk. Improving their lives gives me that spiritually enlightening sense of purpose and meaning in my life.”
Fascinated by the structure and function of the human body, Dr. Choudhry found studying neuromusculoskeletal and pain medicine to be the most interesting. He is able to treat complex pain from the head to the toes, with the most common areas of the spine, shoulder, hip, knee and foot. He believes pain management should be a holistic and multi-faceted approach that first emphasizes the importance of balancing the mental, physical, and spiritual health. Then incorporating a combination of lifestyle modifications, alternative and physical therapies, bracing, devices, medications, and procedures. Dr. Choudhry studies integrative, functional, regenerative medicine and fills in gaps with a perspective of eastern medicine being a certified acupuncturist.
“There is a saying among rehab pain doctors that we do not just add years to life, but rather life to years,” he said. “Patients tell me their difficult stories causing their pain and I enjoy the challenge of helping them turn their life around.” The part of his job that brings him the biggest joy is the rewarding feeling of providing relief, giving them hope again, and seeing that smile return to their face. “I want to foster a long-term relationship with my patients so I can deeply understand their functional daily life goals,” Dr. Choudhry said. “I share my knowledge, enthusiasm and compassion as if they were my own family.”
In his downtime, Dr. Choudhry enjoys traveling, playing sports, exploring nature, staying fit, studying philosophy and spending time with family. He is also an Assistant Professor who educates other medical professionals and volunteers for disaster relief medical mission projects around the world
