Opioids help people manage chronic pain — and that’s a good thing. What went wrong?
The dangers of fentanyl use cannot be overstated, and there’s no question that the pandemic caused a troubling upward trend in addiction disorders, and a recent study predicts an additional 1.2 million drug overdose deaths in the next decade, with people in the Black community bearing the brunt of the opioid epidemic.
As the opioid crisis rages on, Dr. Paul Christo, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, wants to spread awareness and help people understand the risks of synthetic opioids and offer advice for talking with kids about the dangers of illegal drug use.
Selected Podcast
EP 1110B - Preventing Fentanyl Deaths
Featuring:
Paul J. Christo, MD, MBA
Dr. Paul Christo is one of the world’s leading pain specialists and the author of Aches and Gains, A Comprehensive Guide to Overcoming Your Pain. He’s an Associate Professor in the Division of Pain Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He served as Director of the Multidisciplinary Pain Fellowship Program for 8 years, and the Blaustein Pain Treatment Center for 5 years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Christo is a frequent contributor on NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and PBS television on pain and addiction. He hosts an award-winning, nationally syndicated SIRIUS XM radio talk show called Aches and Gains®. The show provides hope and treatment options for those suffering from medical illnesses, diseases, and the pain that often results from these conditions. Montel Williams, Joe Montana, and Maya Angelou have all been guests. His show has earned him the John and Emma Bonica Public Service Award from the American Pain Society, recognizing distinguished contributions to the field of pain medicine through public education, dissemination of information, and public service. The American Academy of Pain Medicine awarded him their prestigious Patient Advocacy Award as well. Dr. Christo was selected as a Mayday Pain and Society Fellow and named a “Hero” by The Pain Community, a patient advocacy association for his work on Aches and Gains. He was also honored by the American Society of Pain Educators as Pain Educator of the Year for his transformational work on public education through the media. Dr. Christo is an invited lecturer both nationally and internationally, serves on 4 journal editorial boards, has published more than 100 articles and book chapters, co-edited 3 textbooks on pain, and actively teaches medical students, residents, and pain fellows. He’s a member of Men’s Health Magazine medical advisory board, serving as their first pain specialist. He has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Academy of Integrative Pain Management and has served on Advisory Boards for the American Academy of Pain Medicine, American Society of Anesthesiologists, and The International Association for the Study of Pain, and the American Pain Society. He has also earned an MBA from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in Health Care Management. Tagged under