Siddartha Simha, MD

👨🏽‍⚕️ Pain & Spine Specialist | MD 💪🏼 Restoring function • Relieving pain • Renewing life 📍Chicagoland

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Not all headaches feel the same.

This type of pain is often described as a deep aching pressure that radiates toward the temple, forehead, or behind one eye.

👉 What’s the diagnosis?

#Headache #NeckPain #PainManagement #ChronicPain #migraines

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Many people with chronic pain are not exaggerating symptoms. They are minimizing them just to function normally.

#chronicpain #invisibleillness #chronicillness #painmanagement #MedicalEducation

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

A lot of people with chronic pain are not working comfortably. They are working through pain while trying not to let anyone notice.

#chronicpain #invisibleillness #chronicillness #painmanagement #spoonie

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Toughest pain conditions. Part 3.

Some conditions come up over and over again when patients describe the worst pain they’ve ever experienced.

#chronicpain #painmanagement #medicaleducation #clusterheadache #kidneystones #pancreatitis

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Many people with chronic pain become experts at looking okay externally while struggling privately behind the scenes.

#chronicpain #invisibleillness #painmanagement #spoonie #chronicillness #MedicalEducation

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Certain numbness and weakness patterns in the hand can point toward a very specific issue. Did you guess this one?

#handpain #nervepain #chronicpain #painmanagement #medicaleducation

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Sometimes finally getting a diagnosis is not just about treatment. It’s about finally realizing you were never overreacting, dramatic, or “crazy” in the first place.

#chronicillness #ehlersdanlossyndrome #medicaleducation #invisibleillness #chronicpain

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

One of the hardest parts of chronic pain is how quietly it can change relationships over time.

#chronicpain #invisibleillness #spoonie #painmanagement #chronicillness

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

TRUE. Many herniated discs, often around 70-90% depending on the study, improve over time without surgery.

#backpain #herniateddisc #sciatica #painmanagement #MedicalEducation

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Many chronic pain patients become experts at compensating… until the body eventually stops tolerating it.

#chronicpain #invisibleillness #painmanagement #spoonie #MedicalEducation

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

One of the most rewarding parts of pain medicine is hearing from patients after they finally start functioning better again. Small improvements in pain can have a huge impact on quality of life.

#chronicpain #painmanagement #medicaleducation #spoonie #invisibleillness

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Sometimes chronic pain patients are not deciding whether they need the ER. They’re deciding whether the experience of going there will make them feel worse emotionally.

#chronicpain #emergencyroom #invisibleillness #painmanagement #MedicalEducation

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Certain pain patterns with sitting, pressure, and prolonged positioning can point toward very specific diagnoses. Did you guess this one?

#painmanagement #backpain #chronicpain #medicaleducation #spinehealth

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

This scene from The Pitt sparked a huge discussion about women’s health, feeling dismissed, and why proper EKG lead placement actually matters.

#thepitt #womenshealth #hearthealth #medicaleducation #cardiology

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

For many chronic pain patients, the answer is not “push through it” or “stay in bed.” It’s pacing. Finding the balance between activity and recovery without constantly crashing afterward.

#chronicpain #painmanagement #invisibleillness #spoonie #MedicalEducation

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

3 supplements with some actual evidence behind them for pain/inflammation:

1. Curcumin (turmeric)
2. NAC
3. Alpha-lipoic acid

I use/recommend Thorne:
https://t.co/BhUA4PZ2P4 for 25% off

#painmanagement #supplements #chronicpain #inflammation #medicaleducation

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Invisible illness is exhausting because so much of the struggle happens privately. Many people become experts at looking “fine” while managing pain, fatigue, brain fog, and recovery behind the scenes every single day.

#chronicillness #invisibleillness #chronicpain #spoonie

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

This The Pitt scene suddenly feels very relevant given the recent hantavirus cruise ship outbreak making headlines.

#hantavirus #thepitt #infectiousdisease #medicaleducation #healthnews

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Pain isn’t a competition. Someone else having severe pain does not make your pain less real. Comparing suffering rarely helps anyone.

#chronicpain #painmanagement #chronicillness #medicaleducation #invisibleillness

[Siddartha Simha, MD @AskPainDoc]

Neck pain patterns matter. Some symptoms point more toward joint-related pain, while others suggest nerve involvement. Did you guess the diagnosis?

#neckpain #chronicpain #spinehealth #painmanagement #MedicalEducation