August 31, 2022

At Washington University Orthopedics we treat musculoskeletal needs, but we care about our patients as a whole – including their mental wellness and healthy habits. That's why Abby Cheng, MD, is leading two research endeavors focused on mental health and lifestyle medicine in patients. 

Addressing Mental Health as Part of Orthopedic Care 

While orthopedic specialists work to restore quality of life for patients through non-surgical and surgical interventions that treat bones, muscles, and joints, patients can also face mental health challenges impacting their health journey. 

The goal in this research is to improve whole-person health by addressing the connection between pain, physical limitations, stress, trouble sleeping, and depressed and anxious feelings. "Pain, physical health, and mental well-being are linked," Dr. Cheng explains. "Treating physical problems like muscle and joint pain is more difficult to do when a person has a lot of stress, is anxious, or is feeling depressed. So, addressing mental well-being can actually improve physical pain and limitations." 

Ryan Calfee, MD, joins Dr. Cheng as a co-investigator. They are working to develop digital and printed wellness tools for orthopedic patients that effectively address physical and mental wellness. 

"I hope our research will improve orthopedic care by helping clinicians understand how to practically and effectively address patients' mental wellness as part of the orthopedic treatment plan," Dr. Cheng emphasized. 

Approaching Orthopedic Health Through Lifestyle Medicine 

Another line of research Dr. Cheng is working on includes the fundamental principles of lifestyle medicine as practiced at the Washington University Living Well Center. Musculoskeletal pain and problems are more common and more difficult to treat when a patient also has other conditions like diabetes, excess weight, tobacco use, sleep issues, and uncontrolled stress.

Making lifestyle changes, such as improving nutrition and increasing activity, can improve all these conditions at the same time, making lifestyle medicine important to research and important for orthopedic patients to consider. The goal is to reduce musculoskeletal pain and physical limitations by empowering patients to make lifestyle changes that improve whole-person health. 

Devyani Hunt, MD, Medical Director of the Living Well Center, joins Dr. Cheng in researching the benefits of lifestyle medicine for orthopedic patients. Dr. Cheng shares, "As a result of our research, we hope lifestyle medicine will become a more common and available treatment option for orthopedic patients. We also hope our research leads to improved insurance coverage of lifestyle treatments that are proven to help patients improve pain, physical limitations, and overall health."

For questions about our research, or to schedule a visit, call (314) 514-3500 or request an appointment online.