Cleveland Clinic’s dynamic 24th Annual Pain Management Symposium focuses on in-depth reviews and analyses of recent advances in acute and chronic pain medicine. A renowned faculty addresses therapeutic innovations, healthcare reform, the opioid crisis and the expanding use of marijuana throughout this comprehensive activity. In doing so, the symposium promotes a better understanding of the pathophysiology of acute and chronic pain
Topics
| Session 1: The Fundamentals | |
| Percutaneous Cervical Spine Procedures: Guidelines, Technical Aspects and Safety | Richard W. Rosenquist, MD |
| Guidelines for Use of Corticosteroids for Chronic Pain Interventions | David A. Provenzano, MD |
| Persistent Pain After Joint Replacement Surgery | Kevin Vorenkamp, MD |
| Infection Control Guidelines for Chronic Pain Procedures | David A. Provenzano, MD |
| ACDF vs. ACDA: What’s the Evidence? | William Clifton, MD |
| Artificial Intelligence and Pain Treatment | Maxim Eckmann, MD |
| Closed Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation | Nagy A. Mekhail, MD, PhD |
| Panel Discussion | Session Faculty |
| Session 2: Regulatory, Billing and Ethical Challenges in Pain Practice | |
| Private Equity and Pain Practice: Challenges, Opportunities and Threats | Damean Freas, DO |
| Optimizing Documentation to Ease Pre-Authorization | Kevin Vorenkamp, MD |
| Advocacy in Pain Medicine: At the Table or On the Menu | Richard W. Rosenquist, MD |
| Unethical Behavior as Encountered by the State Medical Board | Damean Freas, DO |
| Session 3: Emerging Pharmacological and Interventional Treatments | |
| Interspinous Spacers | Salim Hayek, MD, PhD |
| Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion | Sherif Costandi, MD |
| Percutaneous Thermal Radiofrequency Ablation of Spinal Metastases | Sherif Costandi, MD |
| Intradiscal Biologics for the Treatment of Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain | Nagy Mekhail, MD, PhD |
| Nav 1.8 Inhibitors | Christy L. Hunt, DO |
| Basivertebral Nerve Ablation | Maxim Eckmann, MD |
| Panel Discussion | Session Faculty |
| Session 4: Neuromodulation– Effective Utilization of Targets, Techniques and Devices | |
| High Frequency | David A. Provenzano, MD |
| Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation | Christy L. Hunt, DO |
| Long Term Outcomes of Closed Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation | Nagy A. Mekhail, MD, PhD |
| Peripheral Nerve Stimulation, Patient Selection, Technique and Pitfalls | Yashar Eshraghi, MD |
| Intrathecal Drug Delivery | Salim Hayek, MD, PhD |
| Neuromodulation: Peripheral Stimulation for Low Back Pain | Maxim Eckmann, MD |
| High Frequency Bioelectric Nerve Block | Sherif Costandi, MD |
| Session 5: Neuromodulation– Changing Paradigms and Devices | |
| Matching the Diagnosis and the Technique/Device for the Best Patient Outcome – A Case Discussion with the Experts | Moderator – Sherif Costandi + MD Multiple Faculty Panelists |
| Session 6: PA/APRN Session 1 | |
| Evidence Based Approach to Infectious Complications of Neuromodulation Procedures | Salim Hayek, MD, PhD |
| Navigating Difficult Patient Interactions in Patients With Chronic Pain | Jessica Hill, CNP |
| Evaluating the Patient With Sacroiliac Joint Pain | Alisa Freas, PA-C |
| Topical Capsaicin | Christy Hunt, DO |
| Session 7: PRP and Stem Cells: Evidence, Payment and Regulatory Issues | |
| Platelet Rich Plasma | Yashar Eshraghi, MD |
| Stem Cells | Kevin Vorenkamp, MD |
| Regulatory Considerations in Regenerative Medicine | Yashar Eshraghi, MD |
| Session 8: Persistent Spinal Pain Syndromes | |
| Vertebrogenic and Discogenic Pain | Sherif Costandi, MD |
| Pseudoarthrosis | Maxim Eckmann, MD |
| Keeping it Bipedal: Biomechanics of Sagittal and Coronal Balance | William Clifton, MD |
| Panel Discussion | Session Faculty |
| Session 9: PA/APRM Session 2 | |
| Optimizing Interventional Therapy Referrals | Alisa Freas, PA-C |
| Low Dose Naltrexone for Pain Management | Jessica Hill, CNP |
| Optimum and Appropriate Use of Urine Drug Screening in Clinical Practice | Damean Freas, DO |
| Setting Patient Expectations for Interventional Procedures | Alisa Freas, PA-C |
| Session 10: Pain Control in Special Populations | |
| Pain in CRPS | Salim Hayek, MD, PhD |
| Thoracic Outlet Syndrome | Sherif Costandi, MD |
| Pain in the Geriatric Population | Jessica Hill, CNP |
| Session 11: Opioids and Marijuana | |
| Chronic Pain Management in Opioid Misuse Disorders | Sherif Costandi, MD |
| Acute Pain Management in the Chronic Marijuana User | Sree Kolli, MD |
| Marijuana: Between Fantasies and Realities | Sherif Costandi, MD |
| Current Opioid Landscape and CDC Prescribing Guidelines | Yashar Eshraghi, MD |
| Panel Discussion | Session Faculty |
Release Date: 4/15/25
Dr. Evan R., Pain Medicine Physician –
“Five stars. The video and audio quality on the Google Drive files are impeccable. I was worried it would be choppy, but it felt like I was in the front row. The ability to pause and rewind complex interventional sections was a game-changer. Far better than attending live.”
Sarah K., NP –
“As a working mom, attending a multi-day conference is impossible. This on-demand access was my only option, and it was perfect. I watched lectures after my kids went to bed and implemented new opioid tapering strategies the very next day. Lifesaver!”
. Michael T., Physical Therapist –
“The way the Drive was organized was so simple. Clearly labeled folders for each day and topic. I could easily find the specific lectures on the biopsychosocial model that were relevant to my practice without wading through hours of content.”
4. Dr. Lena P., Anesthesiologist & Pain Fellow –
“I downloaded the entire Drive to my laptop for a long flight. Was able to get through the entire neuromodulation workshop offline and earn CME credits at 30,000 feet. The convenience is unbeatable.”
Jennifer L., Registered Nurse –
“Instant access is right! I purchased the course and had the link and instructions in minutes. No complicated portal to learn, just a straightforward link to a well-organized Drive. So appreciate the simplicity.”
Dr. Ben W., Physiatrist –
“The value for money is astounding. For the cost of a textbook, I got dozens of hours of world-class lectures. The deep dive on regenerative medicine evidence was worth the price alone. I’ve already referred two colleagues.”
Amanda J., PA-C –
“Being able to control the playback speed was my favorite feature. I could speed up sections I was familiar with and slow down to take detailed notes on new pharmacological protocols. It optimized my learning time perfectly.”
David R., Clinical Psychologist –
“I’ve never learned so much about the interventional side of pain. Watching the procedures with the ability to pause and really understand the anatomy has dramatically improved my collaboration with our interventionalists. Priceless.”
Dr. Imani S., Neurology –
“The PDF syllabi were included in the Drive! I could follow along with the slides on my tablet while watching the video on my monitor. It made the learning experience incredibly effective and immersive.”
Maria G., Nurse Practitioner –
“I was skeptical about a ‘recorded conference,’ but this is superior. No distractions, no missing a point because someone was talking next to you. Just pure, concentrated learning from the best in the field.”
Dr. Alex C., Interventional Pain Physician –
“The panel discussions were fantastic. In a live setting, you might miss a key point. Here, I could re-listen to the expert debates on controversial topics until I fully grasped each argument. Incredible depth of learning.”