Joshua Prager (doctor)

Last updated
Joshua Philip Prager
Born
Queens, New York, United States
Education Stony Brook University, Harvard University, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Medical School at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford University Medical Center, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences
Medical career
ProfessionPhysician
Field Pain medicine
Institutions UCLA Medical Center
Website californiapainmedicinecenter.com

Joshua Philip Prager M.D., M.S. is an American physician. Prager specializes in pain medicine and is the executive director of Center for the Rehabilitation Pain Syndromes (CRPS) at UCLA Medical Plaza.

Contents

Early life and education

Joshua P. Prager was born in New York City, the son of Julian Arthur Prager (1914–1981) and Eleanor Vernon Goldsmith (maiden; 1917–2008). [1] Joshua is the son of a New York City police officer, and later, a public school mathematics teacher, and a United Cerebral Palsy shelter workshop supervisor. Prager was educated in the New York City public school system [2]

He studied as an undergraduate at Stony Brook University, [3] completed his premedical education, and was a graduate student at Harvard University. [4] Prager graduated from Stanford University with M.D. and attended Stanford Graduate School of Business receiving an M.S. in Management/Health Services Research in 1981. [5]

Prager financially put himself through college and medical school. He was a Resident Fellow at Stanford running an undergraduate residence. [2]

He completed training in internal medicine at University of California, Los Angeles before completing training in anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) at Harvard Medical School and Stanford University School of Medicine. [6]

Career

Prager served on the full-time faculty at MGH at Harvard Medical School and at UCLA School of Medicine where he served as Director of the UCLA Pain Medicine Center. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. [7]

In 2005, Prager was elected as president of the North American Neuromodulation Society, [8] and served two consecutive, one-year terms as president until 2007. Until 2012, he served as Director at Large of the International Neuromodulation Society. [9]

He has served two consecutive 2-year terms as Chair of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain. [10] He is also the Editor and Chair of the Pain and End-of-Life CME program from the California Society of Anesthesiologists. [11]

Prager is one of the few physicians in the US to perform Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for CRPS. [12]

Prager is a recognized expert who speaks nationally and internationally in the administration of Ketamine for depression, CRPS and other pain problems. [13] In 2016, he was involved in writing guidelines for Ketamine treatment under the aegis of the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA). [14] Dr. Prager is also a member of the Board of Directors for the RSDSA. [15]

He has been interviewed on ABC News, [16] CBS News, [17] The Doctors, [18] Lifestyle Magazine, [19] LA Times, [20] National Public Radio, [21] and Medscape. [22]

Public service

In 2005, he organized the first meeting of a coalition of pain organizations and all three manufacturers of spinal cord stimulator systems to collaborate on issues of patient access and reimbursement for neuromodulatory procedures. [23] The same year, Prager joined the Medical Evidence Evaluation Advisory Committee (MEEAC), a group appointed by the Governor of California to develop treatment guidelines for medical care of the injured worker. He continued in the role for six years.

He is a Medical Expert for the Medical Board of California, the California Attorney General and the District Attorney of the County of Los Angeles.and the City Attorney of the City of Santa Monica [24] [25] [26]

He helped establish or reorganize several inner-city health centers and provided volunteer internal medicine care at Haight Ashbury Free Clinics. He also provided volunteer anesthesia for children in the developing world who need corrective surgeries for congenital anomalies. [2]

He serves as the volunteer director of pain management and as a volunteer physician for Veterans in Pain (VIP) [27]

Personal life

Prager plays blues harmonica under the pseudonym Dr. Lester "Les" Payne. He has played with the late James Govan in Memphis, as well as with Jimmy Burns in Chicago. He lives in Los Angeles and has three children. [2]

Awards and distinctions

Select articles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ketamine</span> Dissociative anesthetic and anti-depressant

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used medically for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. It is also used as a treatment for depression and pain management. It is a novel compound that was derived from phencyclidine in 1962 in pursuit of a safer anesthetic with fewer hallucinogenic effects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Complex regional pain syndrome</span> Array of painful conditions in humans

Complex regional pain syndrome is a severe form of chronic pain, in which pain from a physical trauma outlasts the expected recovery time. The symptoms of types 1 and 2 are the same except type 2 is associated with nerve injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back pain</span> Area of body discomfort

Back pain is pain felt in the back. It may be classified as neck pain (cervical), middle back pain (thoracic), lower back pain (lumbar) or coccydynia based on the segment affected. The lumbar area is the most common area affected. An episode of back pain may be acute, subacute or chronic depending on the duration. The pain may be characterized as a dull ache, shooting or piercing pain or a burning sensation. Discomfort can radiate to the arms and hands as well as the legs or feet, and may include numbness or weakness in the legs and arms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pain management</span> Interdisciplinary approach for easing pain

Pain management is an aspect of medicine and health care involving relief of pain in various dimensions, from acute and simple to chronic and challenging. Most physicians and other health professionals provide some pain control in the normal course of their practice, and for the more complex instances of pain, they also call on additional help from a specific medical specialty devoted to pain, which is called pain medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ankylosing spondylitis</span> Type of arthritis of the spine

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis characterized by long-term inflammation of the joints of the spine, typically where the spine joins the pelvis. With AS, eye and bowel problems, and back pain may occur. Joint mobility in the affected areas sometimes worsens over time. Ankylosing spondylitis is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. More than 90% of people affected in the UK have a specific human leukocyte antigen known as the HLA-B27 antigen. The underlying mechanism is believed to be autoimmune or autoinflammatory. Diagnosis is based on symptoms with support from medical imaging and blood tests. AS is a type of seronegative spondyloarthropathy, meaning that tests show no presence of rheumatoid factor (RF) antibodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baclofen</span> Medication for muscle movement disorders

Baclofen, sold under the brand name Lioresal among others, is a medication used to treat muscle spasticity such as from a spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis. It may also be used for hiccups and muscle spasms near the end of life, and off-label to treat alcohol use disorder or opioid withdrawal symptoms. It is taken orally or by intrathecal pump. It is also sometimes used transdermally in combination with gabapentin and clonidine prepared at a compounding pharmacy.

Neuropathic pain is pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Neuropathic pain may be associated with abnormal sensations called dysesthesia or pain from normally non-painful stimuli (allodynia). It may have continuous and/or episodic (paroxysmal) components. The latter resemble stabbings or electric shocks. Common qualities include burning or coldness, "pins and needles" sensations, numbness and itching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinal cord stimulator</span> SCS TREATMENT

A spinal cord stimulator (SCS) or dorsal column stimulator (DCS) is a type of implantable neuromodulation device that is used to send electrical signals to select areas of the spinal cord for the treatment of certain pain conditions. SCS is a consideration for people who have a pain condition that has not responded to more conservative therapy. There are also spinal cord stimulators under research and development that could enable patients with spinal cord injury to walk again via epidural electrical stimulation (EES).

An intrathecal pump is a medical device used to deliver medications directly into the space between the spinal cord and the protective sheath surrounding the spinal cord. Medications such as baclofen, bupivacaine, clonidine, morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl or ziconotide may be delivered in this manner to minimize the side effects often associated with the higher doses used in oral or intravenous delivery of these drugs.

North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) is a professional scientific organization that serves to promote and advance neuromodulation as a treatment for various diseases.

Dejerine–Roussy syndrome or thalamic pain syndrome is a condition developed after a thalamic stroke, a stroke causing damage to the thalamus. Ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic strokes can cause lesioning in the thalamus. As initial stroke symptoms dissipate, an imbalance in sensation causes these later syndromes, characterizing Dejerine–Roussy syndrome. Although some treatments exist, they are often expensive, chemically based, invasive, and only treat patients for some time before they need more treatment, called "refractory treatment".

Eugene G. Lipov is a physician researcher and board-certified anesthesiologist who specializes in intervention-based pain management in the Chicago area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinal stenosis</span> Disease of the bony spine that results in narrowing of the spinal canal

Spinal stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal or neural foramen that results in pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. Symptoms may include pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs. Symptoms are typically gradual in onset and improve with leaning forward. Severe symptoms may include loss of bladder control, loss of bowel control, or sexual dysfunction.

Neuromodulation is "the alteration of nerve activity through targeted delivery of a stimulus, such as electrical stimulation or chemical agents, to specific neurological sites in the body". It is carried out to normalize – or modulate – nervous tissue function. Neuromodulation is an evolving therapy that can involve a range of electromagnetic stimuli such as a magnetic field (rTMS), an electric current, or a drug instilled directly in the subdural space. Emerging applications involve targeted introduction of genes or gene regulators and light (optogenetics), and by 2014, these had been at minimum demonstrated in mammalian models, or first-in-human data had been acquired. The most clinical experience has been with electrical stimulation.

Intractable pain, also called intractable pain syndrome (IPS), is a severe, constant, relentless, and debilitating pain that is not curable by any known means and which causes a house-bound or bed-bound state and early death if not adequately treated, usually with opioids and/or interventional procedures. It is not relieved by ordinary medical, surgical, nursing, or pharmaceutical measures. Unlike the more common chronic pain, it causes adverse biologic effects on the body's cardiovascular, hormone, and neurologic systems. Patients experience changes in testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, thyroid hormones, and/or pituitary hormones. Both men and women require testosterone, however many doctors neglect to test women for low testosterone. Untreated intractable pain can cause death.

Peter Sean Staats is an American physician, specializing in interventional pain medicine. He is the founder of the Division of Pain Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and was the Division's chief for nearly a decade. He is a past president of the North American Neuromodulation Society, the New Jersey Society of Interventional Pain Medicine,the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians ( ASIPP) the World Institute of Pain ( WIP), The Southern Pain Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabor B. Racz</span> Anesthesiologist and medical educator (born 1937)

Gábor Béla Rácz, is a Hungarian-American board-certified anesthesiologist and professor emeritus at Texas Tech University Health Science Center (TTUHSC) in Lubbock, Texas, where he is also Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Anesthesiology and Co-Director of Pain Services. He has worked in the field of chronic back pain and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

Ali R. Rezai is an Iranian-born American neurosurgeon and neuroscientist. His work and research has focused on neuromodulation treatments for patients with neurological and mental health conditions, including neuromodulation techniques such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) through brain chip implants to treat Parkinson's disease tremors, obsessive–compulsive disorder, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and addiction. Recent research since 2020 has focused on deep brain stimulation for addiction treatment, as well as focused ultrasound to treat tremor, addiction and Alzheimer's disease.

Peripheral mononeuropathy is a nerve related disease where a single nerve, that is used to transport messages from the brain to the peripheral body, is diseased or damaged. Peripheral neuropathy is a general term that indicates any disorder of the peripheral nervous system. The name of the disorder itself can be broken down in order to understand this better; peripheral: in regard to peripheral neuropathy, refers to outside of the brain and spinal cord; neuro: means nerve related; -pathy; means disease. Peripheral mononeuropathy is a disorder that links to Peripheral Neuropathy, as it only effects a single peripheral nerve rather than several damaged or diseased nerves throughout the body. Healthy peripheral nerves are able to “carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to muscles, organs, and other body tissues”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Konstantin Slavin</span>

Konstantin Slavin is a Professor and Head of the Department of Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is a former president of the American Society for Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery and current vice-president of the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. His specialties include Aneurysm, Brain surgery, Brain Tumor, Cerebrovascular Disorders, Craniotomy, Dystonia, Essential Tremor, Facial Nerve Pain, Facial Pain, Glioblastoma, Headache disorders, Laminectomy, Lower back pain, Movement Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, Neck Pain, Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Procedures, Pain, Parkinson Disease, Spinal Cord Injuries, and Stroke.

References

  1. ↑ Who's Who in America 2006 (60th ed.). Marquis Who's Who. 2005. Retrieved September 15, 2021.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) OCLC   62401678 (60th ed. publication), OCLC   4779680069 (bio).
    "Prager, Joshua Philip". Vol. 2. M–Z; Geographic index; Professional index. . 2005. p. 3771 – via Internet Archive. ISBN   0-8379-6992-1 (Vol. 2, Classic ed.). ISBN   0-8379-6996-4 (Vol. 2, Deluxe ed.)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lifetime Achievement Award - Dr Joshnua Prager (Powerpoint). Archived from the original on 2017-03-27. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  3. ↑ "Notable Alumni". Stony Brook University. p. 3. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Students 1976-77: First-Year Class". Cornell University Announcements. 68 (9): 132. 1976. Archived from the original on 2017-07-24. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  5. ↑ "Alumni Weekend Events". The Dean's Newsletter. Stanford Medicine. 13 May 2002. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Volunteer Physicians". ULCA. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Dr. Joshua Prager M.D., M.S." California Pain Medicine Center. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "The History of the International Neuromodulation Society". International Neuromodulation Society. 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Thomson, Simon (13 October 2015). "A Message from the President". International Neuromodulation Society. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "Complex Regional Pain Syndrome". International Association for the Study of Pain. 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  11. ↑ "Online CME Programs". California Society of Anesthesiologists. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "Patients". St. Jude Medical. Retrieved 20 September 2016.[ dead link ]
  13. ↑ Ketamine for CRPS. YouTube. 25 September 2015. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  14. ↑ "Ketamine: The State of the Art and the Science" (PDF). RSDSA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "About - RSDSA". rsds.org. 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  16. ↑ Nilsson, Siri (13 December 2006). "No Pain -- and Without a Warning System". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "There's No Cure For Complex Regional Pain Syndrome But Doctors Say Treatment Offers Hope". 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  18. ↑ "Ways to Lessen RSD Symptoms". The Doctors. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "McDougall Program Archives". Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  20. ↑ Olmos, David R. (9 March 1998). "The Mystery of RSD". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  21. ↑ Norris, Michele (8 April 2005). "Doctors Reconsider Treatments with Painkillers". All Things Considered. NPR. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  22. ↑ Bennett, Daniel S. (February 2006). "Highlights of the 22nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine". Medscape. WebMD. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  23. ↑ Prager, Joshua P. (27 February 2006). "Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems Offer Advantages in CRPS Treatment". CRPS Advisory. Archived from the original on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  24. ↑ Evans v. Dart Transit Co, 2:12-CV-186-JVB-PRC. (D.C. Indiana9 June 2015).
  25. ↑ Yu Zhang v. Li, B218013 (Cal.App.2nd16 November 2010).
  26. ↑ Mendoza v. McDonald's Corp, No. 1 CA-CV 07-0903. (Ari.App.1st7 June 2009).
  27. ↑ "Veterans in Pain (V.I.P.) - Board Members, Nonprofit, Pain Physicians".
  28. ↑ "An Overview of the Decade of Pain Lecture From AAPM 2008". Medscape Neurology. WebMD. 2008. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  29. ↑ "Hassenbusch Lectureship". Texas Pain Society. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  30. ↑ Oluigbo, Chima (2013). "NANS 16th Annual Meeting: Overview and Highlights" (PDF). North American Neuromodulation Society Newsletter. 8 (1): 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-14. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  31. ↑ "From Innovation to Reality" (PDF) (16th Annual Meeting – December 6–9, 2012, Wynn Las Vegas). North American Neuromodulation Society. December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2013– via Wayback Machine.
  32. ↑ "North American Neuromodulation Society 22nd Annual Meeting". North American Neuromodulation Society.

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