Brain & Body Things

Joint pain with Dr. Heidi Prather.

February 13, 2023 Dr. Natasha Mehta Season 2 Episode 3
Brain & Body Things
Joint pain with Dr. Heidi Prather.
Show Notes

Dr. Heidi Prather is an Attending Physiatrist at Hospital for Special Surgery. She specializes in sports medicine and the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of spine and hip disorders and conditions.

After receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors in biology and chemistry from Drury College, she received her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. Following medical school, she completed a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. 

Dr. Prather served as Professor, Vice Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Founder and Division Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri from 1998-2020. Dr. Prather also served as the Outpatient Medical Director of the Joint and Spine Center at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, and Founder of the Living Well Center. Dr. Prather co-founded the Sports Medicine Fellowship in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and served as Co-Director of the NASS recognized Spine and Intervention Fellowship.

Dr. Prather is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners and board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. She is also a Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. She has been an Oral Board Examiner and Written Board Examination-item writer and self-examination assessment writer for the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She is a founding Senior Editor for the journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, PM&R. She has served as President of the Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation and North American Spine Society.

Dr. Prather has authored many peer-reviewed articles, review articles, and book chapters teaches and lectures nationally on topics related to the sports, spine, and musculoskeletal medicine. Her clinical and research interests include the lifestyle medicine approach to care for musculoskeletal conditions with a special interest in gender differences, pre-arthritic hip disorders and their relationship to pelvic girdle and lumbar spine disorders.

In this episode we discuss:

  • Common reasons joints can become painful.
  • Joint anatomy.
  • Determining the cause of joint pain.
  • Joint pain over a lifespan. 
  • Lifestyle choices and impact on joint pain.
  • Integrating lifestyle medicine into joint pain management.
  • Decision making for joint replacement.
  • The lumbar pelvic and hip connection - challenges in evaluation and management. 
  • The importance of individualizing treatment.

The podcast episodes drop weekly on Mondays in seasonal chunks. 

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Follow Dr. Heidi Prather on Twitter @heidipratherpmr. 

This episode is not sponsored.