Q&A: Usman Choudhry, DO
- Category: Doctor Q&A
Usman Choudhry, D.O., specializes in the latest minimally invasive interventions to treat chronic pain and sports injuries throughout the body. He earned his medical degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV. He performed his internship at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, NY and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL. He also holds a bachelor's degree in business management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Dr. Choudhry is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Pain Management and Rehabilitation and is pending his Board Certification in Interventional Pain Management in 2024.
Q: What drew you to your specific field of medicine?
A: I was fascinated by the structure and function of how we are made and how our bodies operate. Studying neuromusculoskeletal, sports, rehabilitation and pain medicine was most interesting to me as it helps us maintain an active lifestyle. There is a saying among rehab doctors that we do not just add years to life, but life to years. Patients tell me difficult stories about their pain and I enjoy the challenge of helping them turn their lives around.
Q: Is there a particular treatment or technology on the horizon that has you excited about the future of pain management and the opportunities to help your patients?
A: I believe the minimally invasive approach to performing sacroiliac and lumbar fusions is the future of interventional pain. These procedures may help patients avoid major orthopedic and neurosurgeries. If a surgery does fail, the application of neuromodulation throughout the body is one of the best treatment modalities and will continue to improve. In addition, new ablation techniques are valuable for treating different pain sources in places such as the vertebra and disc.
Q: What do you enjoy the most about your job? What drives you to do it?
A: The rewarding feeling of relieving my patients’ pain, giving them hope again, and seeing smiles return to their faces. Improving their lives gives me that sense of purpose and meaning in my life.
Q: What gets you excited about working at NSPC?
A: I enjoy the vast network of physicians and the opportunities I have to learn from others. I like assisting others and the support and the expertise of NSPC as a whole.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time (hobbies, interests, etc.)
A: I enjoy traveling, playing sports, exploring nature, staying fit, studying philosophy and spending time with family. I also spend time educating other medical professionals and have volunteered for disaster relief medical mission projects around the world.
Q: What would you do for a living if you weren’t a doctor?
A: Growing up, I was able to understand and play almost every sport at a high level. I felt with my abilities and knowledge, if I invested in them full-time, I would be able to have a career or compete in the sporting arena. However, I decided to focus full-time on medicine instead.
Q: What is your philosophy about doctor-patient interaction and patient-centered care?
A: Knowing the latest treatments helps me maximize my toolbox to be able to tailor my treatment plan to each individual’s unique response to pain. I share my knowledge, enthusiasm and compassion with every patient as if they were my own family. I work with them to develop their treatment plans together. I want to foster a long-term relationship with my patients so I can deeply understand their functional daily life goals.
Dr. Choudhry treats chronic and acute pain in the:
- Back (cervical, thoracic, lumbar)
- Feet
- Head
- Hips
- Knees
- Neck
- Pelvis
- Shoulder
- Wrists and hands
Some of the treatments and procedures Dr. Choudhry performs include:
- Basovertebral Nerve Ablation
- Cervical Stellate, Lumbar Sympathetic Nerve Blocks
- Discogenic Gel Injections
- Epidural Injections
- Interspinous lumbar fusion/spacer
- Intra-Articular Injections (Shoulder, Thumb, Hip, Knee, Ankle)
- Medial Branch Blocks/Facet Joint Injections
- Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression
- Peripheral Nerve Blocks
- Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
- Radiofrequency Neurotomy
- Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Fusion
- Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Injections
- Spinal Cord Stimulation
- Steroid, Botox and Trigger Point Injections
- Vertebral Tumor Ablation & Kyphoplasty
- Viscosupplementation
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