Chasing Life Pain Becomes Personal for Sanjay
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Dec 30, 2025 Dementi Gupta, the guest, is an elderly patient and mother of host Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who experienced a severe back fracture after a fall. This personal journey of pain reshapes Sanjay's understanding of its impact. They discuss the urgent need for care following her diagnosis of an L1 fracture and the innovative kyphoplasty procedure she underwent. Dementi shares her rapid relief post-surgery, while Sanjay explains how acute pain can sometimes evolve into chronic pain, challenging traditional perceptions and treatment.
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Rapid Recovery After Spinal Fracture
- Sanjay Gupta's 81-year-old mother, Dementi Gupta, fell and broke her back, causing excruciating pain and near-total loss of function.
- A kyphoplasty rapidly reduced her pain from '80 out of 10' to about three and restored mobility.
Describe Pain Precisely To Your Doctor
- When describing pain to a doctor, identify how it feels, when it appears, and what makes it better or worse.
- Pinpoint location and triggers to improve diagnosis and treatment options.
Brain Keeps Pain Alive After Injury
- Chronic pain often lacks a clear root cause and can persist after physical healing because the brain retains pain memories.
- The brain may replay acute pain experiences and convert them into chronic pain circuits.