Pain management’s evolving place in spine care
By Admin | January 05, 2026
In spine care, surgeons and nonsurgical pain management physicians have had some tensions over who addresses different procedures, especially as minimally invasive procedures become more widespread.
However, interspecialty collaboration is becoming a bigger priority. William Mitchell, MD, president of the North American Spine Society, said this will be a major part of spine care in 2026.
“The biggest disruptor for spinal surgery is that numerous surgical procedures are now being requested and performed by interventionalists,” Dr. Mitchell said. “NASS represents high quality comprehensive care. We advocate for our members working together for the patient’s benefit, which often means not holding on to patients, but getting them to a provider with surgical training.”
Most recently spine and interventional pain groups endorsed or affirmed guidelines for addressing sacroiliac joint complex pain. A total of 21 organizations formally endorsed the guidelines, and The American Society of Anesthesiologists; and American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and the North American Spine Society affirmed them.
Brad Sorosky, MD, a physiatrist with Phoenix-based Desert Spine & Sports Physicians, also affirmed the importance of...(More)
For more info please read, Pain management’s evolving place in spine care, by Becker's Spine Review
