Using Psychedelics to Expand the Horizons of Pain Medicine with Timothy Furnish, MD

Exploring the boundaries of pain management, the Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative (PHRI) pursues groundbreaking research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for pain patients. By examining how these psychoactive compounds act at the intersection of pain, identity, and memory in our brains, Dr. Furnish’s work has challenged our understanding of pain mechanisms while paving the way for novel treatments that may offer effective long-lasting relief.In this episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, host Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and co-host Mustafa Broachwala, DO, are joined by Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and the Medical Director of PHRI at UC San Diego Health, Timothy Furnish, MD, to discuss the background, mechanism of action, and potential efficacy of psychedelics for pain management and what they tell us about pain pathways in the brain. Tune in to discover:An overview of the history and background in medicine and cultureHow psychedelics influence pain pathwaysPsychotherapeutic practices in pain medicineNovel therapies and prospective clinical trials for phantom limb painWhat psychedelics mean for the future of pain medicine