About Dr. Paul Christo

Dr. Paul Christo is one of the world’s leading pain specialists and 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, 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.

Honors and Awards

2006

2003, 2006: America’s Top Physicians, Pain Medicine: Guide to America’s Top Physicians, Consumer’s Research Council of America

2007

2007-2008: Best Doctors in America, Best Doctor physician, Best Doctors
2007:  Top Doctor in Pain Medicine/Anesthesiology: Baltimore Magazine, Top Doctors
2007: America’s Top Anesthesiologists: Guide to America’s Top Anesthesiologists, Consumer’s Research Council of America

2008

2008-2009: Fellow, Mayday Pain and Society Fellowship Program: A Media and Policy Initiative, Mayday Fellows – One of six pain experts selected from the U.S. and Canada to advocate for better pain treatment by raising visibility with the media and policymakers.
2008: America’s Top Physicians, Anesthesiology: Guide to America’s Top Physicians, Consumer’s Research Council of America

2011

2011-2012: Best Doctors in America, Best Doctor physician, Best Doctors
2011: Top Doctor for Pain Management, US News & World Report
2011: Super Doctor for the Washington, DC-Baltimore-Northern Virginia area, Super Doctors
2011: 70 Best Pain Management Physicians in America, Becker’s ASC Review
2011: American’s Top Doctors, Castle Connolly

2012

2013: Association of University Anesthesiologists – Academic Honor Society
2012-2013: 150 Pain Management Physicians to Know, Becker’s Spine Review
2012-2013: Super Doctor for the Washington, DC-Baltimore-Northern Virginia area, Super Doctors
2012: Top Doctors in Pain Management, Baltimore Magazine, Top Doctors

2014

2014:  The Pain Community “Hero,” Patient Advocacy Association, The Pain Community
2014: America’s Top Physicians, Castle Connolly
2014: American’s Top Doctors, Castle Connolly
2014: Best Doctors in America, Best Doctors

2016

2016: Pain Educator of the Year, American Society of Pain Educators 
2016:  The John and Emma Bonica Public Service Award, American Pain Society

2018

American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) Patient Advocacy Award

2020
2021

Expertscape’s Top Expert in the World on Chronic Pain 

  • Top 0.47% of experts in the world based on peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals

Sample Publications

Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Botox

Updated Perspectives on Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – Download PDF
Single CT-Guided Chemodenervation of the Anterior Scalene Muscle with Botulinum Toxin for Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndromep – Download PDF
CT Guided Injections for Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – Download PDF

Opioids

Effectiveness of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain – Download PDF
The Effect of Morphine on Glial Cells as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Pharmacological Development of Analgesic Drugs – Download PDF
The Effect of Opiod Dose and Treatment Duration on the Perception of a Painful Standardized Clinical Stimulus – Download PDF
A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials of Long-Term Opioid Management for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain – Download PDF
Opioid effectiveness and side effects in chronic pain – Download PDF

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (RSD)

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Knee) – Download PDF
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Diagnostic Controversies, Psychological Dysfunction, and Emerging Concepts– Download PDF
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Treatments – Download PDF

Addiction

Physician Impairment: Is Recovery Feasible? – Download PDF
Opioid Abuse and Addiction – Download PDF
The Influence of Prescription Monitoring Programs on Chronic Pain Management – Download PDF
Opioid Effectiveness, Addiction, and Depression in Chronic Pain – Download PDF

Urine Drug Testing

Urine Drug Testing in Chronic Pain – Download PDF

Shingles Pain

Post-Herpetic Neuralgia in Older Adults – Download PDF
Postherpetic Neuralgia – Download PDF
Current Management of Postherpetic Neuralgia – Download PDF

Spinal Cord Stimulation

Spinal Cord Stimulators: Typical Positioning and Postsurgical Complications-Download PDF

Pain Pumps

Intrathecal Catheter Granuloma Associated with Continuous Sufentanil Infusion – Download PDF
Obstructed Catheter Connection Pin Discovered During Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Exchange – Download PDF

Cancer Pain

Combating Cancer Pain – A Look at Interventional Treatments – Download PDF
Cancer Pain & Analgesia – Download PDF
Opioid Use in Cancer Pain – Download PDF
Interventional Pain Treatments for Cancer Pain – Download PDF

Pelvic Pain

Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Chronic Pelvic Pain – Download PDF
Interventional Therapies for Controlling Pelvic Pain: What is the Evidence? – Download PDF
Pelvic Pain – Download PDF!

Torture

Chronic Pain in Torture Victims –Download PDF

Aging

Aging and the Neurobiology of Addiction – Download PDF
Effective Treatments for Pain in the Older Patient – Download PDF

Anti-Inflammatories

AJC – Selective and Nonselective Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Cardiovascular Risk – Download PDF

Botox

Botox in Scleroderma – Download PDF

Neuropathic Pain

Pharmacological and interventional treatments for neuropathic pain – Download PDF

Independent Medical Exam

Independent Medical Examinations Facts and Fallacies – Download PDF

Low Back Pain

Debating “Interventions” for Chronic Axial Low Back Pain – Download PDF
Clinical Predictors of Success and Failure for Lumbar Facet Radiofrequency Denervation – Download PDF

Trauma

Pain Management in Trauma Patients – Download PDF

Postoperative Pain

Strategies for postoperative pain management – Download PDF

Overview: Pain Medications, Spinal Cord Stimulators, Pain Pumps

Opioids, Nonopioids, Implantable Devices – Download PDF

Safety

Incidents and Root Cause Analysis of Wrong-site Pain Management Procedures – Download PDF

Ketamine

Ketamine Analgesia for the Opioid-Tolerant Cancer Patient – Download PDF

Spinal Headache

Postdural Puncture Headaches: An Overview – Download PDF

Placebo

Placebo in Pain Management – Download PDF