Pain and Wellness with Dr Rao

Sudhir Rao
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Dr. Sudhir Rao is a triple board-certified physician in pain medicine, anesthesiology, and functional medicine with 20 years of experience and 50,000+ patients treated.On this podcast, you will find honest, science-backed answers on chronic pain, back pain, sciatica, neuropathy, and nerve pain. Dr. Rao also covers regenerative medicine, including PRP, exosome therapy, and peptides, plus hormone replacement therapy, minimally invasive spine procedures, and functional medicine approaches to inflammation, fatigue, and brain fog.If you are dealing with pain that won't go away, exploring alternatives to surgery, or looking to optimize your health and longevity, this channel gives you real answers with zero hype.New episodes posted weekly.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Give Me 8 Minutes Before You Agree to Spinal Fusion (And I’ll Show You What to Do Instead)

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com There's one question that can tell you whether you actually need that spinal fusion. Most people never get to ask it before they agree to surgery. If injections stopped working and a surgeon's name just landed on your referral, watch this first. Every year, thousands of patients get pushed straight from injections to fusion without ever hearing about the steps in between, and that gap in information is costing people surgeries they may not need. In this episode, I'm going to show you the two procedures that sit between injections and fusion, who they actually work for, and the exact questions to ask before you agree to anything permanent. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Give Me 8 Minutes Before You Agree to Spinal Fusion (And I’ll Show You What to Do Instead) 0:41 Why you've never heard of this option 1:53 What actually sits between injections and surgery 2:09 What the MILD procedure is 2:37 What a bio disc injection is 3:04 Who is a good candidate for MILD 4:03 Who is a good candidate for a disc injection 4:37 Why doing this first keeps surgery on the table later 5:20 What this can't promise, and when surgery is truly necessary 5:52 The exact question to ask your doctor ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q: What is MILD spine surgery? A: MILD stands for minimally invasive lumbar decompression, a procedure where a thickened ligament pressing on spinal nerves is scraped away through a tiny stab incision. It takes about 30 minutes, requires no rods or screws, and patients go home the same day with a much shorter recovery than fusion. Q: What is a bio disc injection? A: A bio disc injection places amniotic fluid membrane directly into a torn or bulging disc to seal it, increase disc height, and improve stability. It is a five minute needle based procedure done under imaging guidance with no incision, no general anesthesia, and minimal downtime compared to open spine surgery. Q: Do I need spinal fusion if my back pain isn't improving? A: Not necessarily. Studies and surgeons alike find only about 8 to 10 percent of people referred for spine surgery actually need an operation, meaning most patients have other options worth exploring first, including the two procedures covered in this episode, before agreeing to something permanent and irreversible. 📱 RESOURCES Website: https://www.raowellness.com 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO: I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  2. Sep 24

    Neuropathy Medication Not Working? Do This Instead

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com If your feet burn so badly at night that the sheets hurt, and your hands go numb for no clear reason, and Gabapentin or Lyrica isn't touching it, this episode is for you. There's a specific reason that medication isn't working, and it has nothing to do with the dose. It comes down to a test that was supposed to happen before the prescription was ever written. Most patients get handed a prescription at their first visit, and when it fails, they get a higher dose instead of an actual answer. That cycle can go on for years while the real cause of the nerve damage never gets identified or treated. In this episode, I'm going to explain why neuropathy medication fails, what tests get skipped, and exactly what to ask your doctor to get answers. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Neuropathy Medication Not Working? Do This Instead 0:38 The sentence I hear from every patient 1:05 Why doctors prescribe without testing first 1:39 Neuropathy is not one condition 2:31 Why primary care never runs this workup 2:47 The rock and a hard place cycle 3:22 The 3 tests a real workup requires 4:17 Small fiber neuropathy explained 5:06 Watch out for costly clinic sales tactics 6:05 The 3 questions to ask your doctor ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q: Why doesn't Gabapentin or Lyrica work for my neuropathy? A: These medications only work well for certain types of nerve damage, mainly large fiber issues. Without testing which type you actually have, you end up with the side effects like fatigue and brain fog but little to no pain relief. Q: What tests confirm the type of neuropathy I have? A: A real workup includes a TM flow test for blood flow and autonomic function, an EMG nerve conduction study for large nerve fibers, and a skin biopsy to check for small fiber neuropathy. Together they show exactly which nerves are damaged and why, instead of guessing based on symptoms alone. Q: Why didn't my doctor order these neuropathy tests? A: Primary care visits are built to match symptoms to a prescription quickly, not to run a full nerve workup that takes time and specialized equipment. That kind of testing usually requires a referral to a neurologist or pain specialist that many patients are never told about, so they stay stuck on medication that was never matched to their actual condition. 📱 RESOURCES Website: https://www.raowellness.com 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO: I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  3. Sep 17

    Pain Doctor: 5 Breakthrough Treatments Replacing Spine Surgery

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com Spine surgery used to be the only next step once injections stopped working. That's no longer true, and most patients never hear it. There is a whole tier of treatments sitting between injections and open surgery that can fix the actual problem instead of just masking it, using tools that barely leave a mark on the skin. In this episode, I'm going to walk through the minimally invasive procedures now replacing spine surgery for many patients, and how to find out if one could work for you before you agree to anything permanent. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 The Breakthrough Treatments Replacing Spine Surgery in 2026 0:53 My background treating chronic pain for 20 years 1:20 How this mirrors what happened in heart surgery 2:15 The changing of the guard in spine care 2:50 Why your doctor may not know about these options 3:43 Disc repair without surgery 4:16 Fixing spinal stenosis and fusing the SI joint through tiny incisions 4:59 Why these procedures keep surgery as a backup option 6:03 When spine surgery is actually the right call 7:15 What to ask before agreeing to any procedure ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED What are the alternatives to spine surgery in 2026? Minimally invasive options like disc biologic injections, the MILD procedure for spinal stenosis, and SI joint fusion through a single guidewire now sit between injections and open surgery. They target the specific structure causing pain, whether that is a worn disc, a narrowed canal, or an unstable joint, without cutting through bone or disc tissue, and most are done through an incision the size of a paper cut. Is spine surgery reversible? No. Once bones are fused they stay fused, and that fusion often puts extra mechanical stress on the disc levels above and below it, which is a common reason patients end up needing a second surgery years later. Minimally invasive procedures address the same problem while leaving open surgery available later if it's ever truly needed. How many people who see a spine surgeon actually need surgery? Most spine surgeons report that only around 8 to 10 percent of patients who come through their door actually need an operation. The rest are often never told about the smaller, targeted procedures that could solve the underlying problem first and spare them a permanent fusion. 📱 RESOURCES Website: https://www.raowellness.com 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO: I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  4. Sep 10

    Ask These 4 Questions Before You Agree to Spine Surgery

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com There is one thing about spine surgery that most patients only find out after they have already had it. Once you know it, you walk into that appointment asking completely different questions. The cases I find hardest are not the complicated ones. They are the patients who come to me after surgery, still in pain, because they said yes without getting the right answers first. In this video, I'm going to walk you through the four questions you need to ask before agreeing to spine surgery, and what a good answer to each one actually sounds like. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Ask These 4 Questions Before You Agree to Spine Surgery 0:47 Why spine surgery is different from everything else you've tried 1:39 The domino effect of spinal fusion 2:00 Reversible options between injections and surgery 3:12 When surgery really is the right call 3:52 Question 1: Have you been evaluated for less invasive options 5:04 Question 2: What does the surgery and recovery really involve 5:43 Question 3: What happens if the pain doesn't go away 6:12 Question 4: Do you lose your shot at surgery by waiting ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED What percentage of spine surgery patients actually need the operation? Studies show only about 8 to 10 percent of patients referred to a spine surgeon truly need surgery. The other 90 percent are candidates for less invasive treatment first. Do you lose the chance to have spine surgery later if you try other treatments first? No. For most structural back problems, trying reversible options first does not close the door on surgery. Surgery generally remains available if those options do not work. What happens if spine surgery does not relieve the pain? It can lead to more scar tissue and extra stress on the spinal levels above and below the fusion, sometimes requiring another operation. Asking your surgeon this question directly before agreeing to surgery reveals how much thought has gone into your specific case. 🎥 Watch Next:  https://youtu.be/Awa6r2hq1WE 5 Pain Management Mistakes That Keep You Suffering 📱 RESOURCES Website: https://www.raowellness.com 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. 💬 If you were sent straight to a spine surgeon without ever being evaluated for less invasive options, tell me in the comments how long ago your standard treatments ran out. That timeline matters more than most people realize. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO: I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  5. Sep 3

    How Back Pain Patients Can Lose Weight Before Surgery

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com If your surgeon told you to lose weight before back or knee surgery, you already know how impossible that feels when pain keeps you from moving. This is not a willpower problem. It is a biology problem, and it needs a medical solution. Most patients get told to just eat less and move more, but that advice ignores what chronic pain does to your hormones, your metabolism, and your muscle mass. You end up stuck in a frustrating cycle where the pain that requires surgery is the same pain that prevents you from losing the weight needed to qualify for it. In this episode, I'm going to break down the three part protocol I use to help chronic pain patients lose weight, preserve muscle, and get cleared for surgery, even when normal exercise is off the table. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 How Back Pain Patients Can Lose Weight Before Surgery 0:43 The three part approach that actually works 1:09 Why lose weight advice fails pain patients 2:07 The biology working against you 2:52 How chronic pain raises cortisol and burns muscle 3:00 GLP one medications explained 4:12 The hidden problem with GLP ones alone 5:00 How M Sculpt Neo builds muscle without joint stress 5:57 The full protocol combined 6:57 What to ask your pain management practice ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED Can you lose weight before back surgery if pain stops you from exercising?  Yes, GLP one medications combined with non-invasive muscle stimulation like M Sculpt Neo can produce real fat loss and preserve muscle without requiring exercise. This matters because most surgeons will not clear a patient for surgery until specific weight and muscle mass thresholds are met, and pain often makes traditional exercise impossible. Why is it hard to lose weight with chronic back pain?  Chronic pain raises cortisol, which encourages your body to store fat and break down muscle, while inactivity slows your resting metabolism, so your body actively resists weight loss. This is a physiological problem, not a discipline problem, and it requires a targeted medical strategy rather than generic diet advice. Do GLP one medications cause muscle loss?  Yes, studies show 25 to 40 percent of weight lost on GLP one medications can come from muscle, which is why muscle preserving treatments are important for surgical candidates. Losing muscle instead of fat can actually work against surgical clearance goals, since strength and muscle mass are often part of what surgeons are evaluating. 📱 RESOURCES Website: https://www.raowellness.com Website: https://painandspinespecialists.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO: I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  6. Aug 27

    Baltimore Doctor For Longevity And Anti-Aging (What You Need To Know)

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com If you have been searching for a longevity doctor in Baltimore or anywhere in Maryland, there is a good chance something has shifted in your body and you can feel it. That feeling is real, and it is addressable. Most people think aging is just something that happens to you, but the research shows the pace at which you age is not fixed. In this episode, I'm going to break down the four most common causes of accelerated aging I see in my practice and what a real longevity evaluation and treatment plan actually looks like. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Baltimore Doctor For Longevity And Anti-Aging (What You Need To Know) 0:29 The four causes of accelerated aging 0:41 Chronic low grade inflammation explained 0:54 Hormonal decline and its symptoms 1:12 Nutritional depletion most labs miss 1:24 Metabolic dysfunction hidden in normal panels 1:29 What a real longevity evaluation includes 2:03 What good longevity treatment looks like 2:42 Real patient case in his 50s 3:41 How to book a Baltimore consultation ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED What causes accelerated aging even when lab work looks normal?  Chronic low grade inflammation, hormonal decline, nutritional depletion, and metabolic dysfunction often do not show up on standard blood panels but still drive the way your body ages. A comprehensive panel that includes advanced inflammatory markers, full hormone levels, and fasting insulin can reveal what a routine checkup misses. What does a real longevity treatment plan involve?  It starts with a detailed diagnostic picture using advanced labs, then builds a coordinated plan that may include hormone optimization, targeted nutritional correction, anti-inflammatory support, and regenerative treatments like peptide therapy. It is never a generic supplement stack or one size fits all protocol. Can normal lab results still mean something is wrong?  Yes. Testosterone or vitamin D levels can fall within the normal range on paper while still being far below what your body needs to function well. A deeper, more specific evaluation often uncovers the real issue behind symptoms like fatigue and weight gain. 📱 RESOURCES Website: https://www.raowellness.com Website: https://painandspinespecialists.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO: I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  7. Aug 20

    Referred to a Spine Surgeon? Do This First

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com 90% of patients referred to a spine surgeon are not surgical candidates. Nine out of ten sit through the consultation, hear that surgery isn't right for them yet, and go home with the same pain and no new plan. That is not the surgeon's fault. It is a gap in the referral path. In this episode, I'm going to show you the missing step between physical therapy and spine surgery that most primary care doctors never mention, and why skipping it wastes months of your life. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  0:00 Referred to a Spine Surgeon? Do This First 0:38 My background treating chronic pain patients  1:20 The one hop referral problem explained  2:38 Why patients get stuck with no new plan  3:38 The specialty most doctors skip  5:31 What an interventional spine specialist actually does  7:59 What that visit looks like step by step  9:22 What to bring to your appointment  10:06 The two questions you need answered first ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED  What percentage of patients referred to a spine surgeon actually need surgery?  Data shows about 8 to 10% of patients referred to a spine surgeon are genuine surgical candidates. The other 90% are sent home without a clear next step because the referral path skipped an important diagnostic stage. What should I do before seeing a spine surgeon?  Ask your primary care doctor for a referral to a fellowship trained interventional pain and spine specialist first. That evaluation determines which category you fall into and builds a treatment plan around your specific anatomy before you ever sit in a surgeon's office. What does an interventional pain specialist do differently than a spine surgeon?  They perform a full diagnostic workup, review your imaging in detail, and match your symptoms to the exact structural cause of your pain. They then treat that structure directly with minimally invasive techniques instead of jumping straight to a surgical decision. 📱 RESOURCES  Website: https://www.raowellness.com Website: https://painandspinespecialists.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO:  I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  8. Aug 13

    5 Warning Signs You May Need Back Surgery

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com Most people do not find out their back pain has become a surgical case until a surgeon's name is already on their referral. There are three warning signs that show up long before that point, and every one of them is something you can check for right now. These signs are simple to notice once you know what to look for, and they can save you from a surgery you may not actually need. In this episode, I'm going to break down the three warning signs that may mean you need back surgery, and what to check before you agree to it. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  0:00 5 Warning Signs You May Need Back Surgery 0:45 Why pain moving into your leg matters  2:17 When bread and butter treatments miss the target  3:53 Sign two, medications that stop working  5:56 Why injections stop lasting as long  8:00 The EMG test most patients never get  9:03 The gap between injections and surgery  9:52 Interventional options before surgery  10:26 What to ask your doctor next ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED  What are the warning signs you may need back surgery?  The three main warning signs are pain that travels down your leg in a consistent pattern, pain medications that stop working after a year with no improvement, and epidural injections that provide shorter relief each time. Each of these points to a specific gap in how the underlying nerve compression is being treated, and recognizing the pattern early can change your treatment path entirely. Do I need surgery if injections stop working?  Not necessarily. When injections stop lasting, it often means the structural cause has not been addressed directly, and there is a whole category of minimally invasive interventional treatments between injections and surgery that many patients are never offered. Talking through these options with a pain specialist, not just a surgeon, can open up choices you did not know existed. What tests should I ask for before agreeing to back surgery?  Ask whether an EMG or nerve conduction study has been done in addition to your MRI. An MRI shows the structure, while an EMG shows whether that structure is actually affecting nerve function, and without both your diagnosis may be incomplete. Getting both tests gives your doctor a much clearer picture of whether surgery will actually solve the problem. 📱 RESOURCES Website: https://www.raowellness.com Website: https://painandspinespecialists.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO:  I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  9. Aug 13

    Best Functional Medicine Doctor In Baltimore (What To Look For Before You Book)

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com You just Googled the best functional medicine doctor in Baltimore. That tells me you are not looking for another prescription to manage the same problem. You want someone who will actually find out why you feel the way you do, not just tell you your labs look normal. Most patients I see have already been through three or four other doctors before they find their way to real answers. In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the four criteria I'd use to pick a functional medicine doctor if I were the one sitting in the patient's chair. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  0:00 Best Functional Medicine Doctor In Baltimore (What To Look For Before You Book) 0:39 Criteria one, diagnostic depth  1:29 Why normal labs can still mean something is wrong  2:03 Criteria two, root cause thinking  2:36 What the first appointment reveals about your care  2:47 Criteria three, integration across both types of medicine  3:15 Criteria four, honest selectivity  3:35 Real patient case, executive who lost 40 pounds  4:00 Baltimore area consultation info ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED  What should I look for in a functional medicine doctor in Baltimore?  Look for diagnostic depth beyond standard labs, root cause thinking, integration of conventional and functional medicine, and honest selectivity about who they can help. A doctor who checks all four is far more likely to get you real answers instead of another prescription.  Why do my labs come back normal even though I still feel sick?  Standard labs are built to catch disease, not to identify when someone is functional but far from thriving, so key markers like inflammation and hormone balance often get missed. This is one of the most common reasons patients feel dismissed by conventional care.  How do I know if a doctor is only treating symptoms instead of the root cause?  Ask if they explore your sleep, stress, diet, and hormone history in the first visit. If they only focus on the single problem you walked in with, they are treating symptoms, not causes, and you are likely to be back in their office again soon. 📱 RESOURCES  Website: https://www.raowellness.com Website: https://painandspinespecialists.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO:  I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  10. Jul 30

    Can 5 New Treatments Actually Change How We Treat Chronic Pain and Aging?

    📌 Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com The average chronic pain patient suffers for three and a half years before finding real relief. These five treatments can cut that down to months. One of them uses no needles, no pills, and no recovery time, and it was called fringe just a few years ago. Doctors are quietly rewriting how they treat chronic pain and aging, and most patients never hear about these options until they ask the right questions. In this episode, I'm going to break down five treatments changing how we approach chronic pain and aging in 2026, and give you the exact questions to ask your doctor about each one. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  0:00 Can 5 New Treatments Actually Change How We Treat Chronic Pain and Aging? 0:41 Exosomes and cellular repair explained  1:41 Questions to ask your doctor about exosomes  2:02 Stacked peptide protocols vs basic hormone replacement  3:21 How to know if your peptide plan is real precision medicine  3:29 Noninvasive frequency therapy and PEMF explained  5:04 Basivertebral nerve ablation for chronic back pain  7:27 Full hormone profiles and what they reveal  8:52 The real question to ask before your next appointment ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED  What are exosomes used for in pain treatment?  Exosomes communicate with your cells to wake up repair systems your body already has, helping restore function disrupted by age and injury. Most patients notice optimal relief within four to six weeks, without needles, surgery, or downtime. What is basivertebral nerve ablation?  It is a minimally invasive procedure that treats pain signals coming from nerve endings deep inside the vertebral body, rather than just masking the signal. It gives patients an alternative to spinal fusion while keeping full mobility, and many return to normal activity within days rather than months. How is hormone testing different in 2026?  Instead of checking one hormone and adding it back, providers now run full panels covering free hormone levels, cortisol rhythms, and thyroid subsets to see the whole system. This approach catches problems basic bloodwork often misses, which is why patients with normal labs can still feel exhausted and inflamed for years. 📱 RESOURCES Website: https://www.raowellness.com Website: https://painandspinespecialists.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines. ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO:  I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com. #chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity

  • 10 Episodes

About

Dr. Sudhir Rao is a triple board-certified physician in pain medicine, anesthesiology, and functional medicine with 20 years of experience and 50,000+ patients treated.On this podcast, you will find honest, science-backed answers on chronic pain, back pain, sciatica, neuropathy, and nerve pain. Dr. Rao also covers regenerative medicine, including PRP, exosome therapy, and peptides, plus hormone replacement therapy, minimally invasive spine procedures, and functional medicine approaches to inflammation, fatigue, and brain fog.If you are dealing with pain that won't go away, exploring alternatives to surgery, or looking to optimize your health and longevity, this channel gives you real answers with zero hype.New episodes posted weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    Sudhir Rao
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pain and Wellness with Dr Rao