Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) – A Personal Perspective in Orthopedics

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is often thought of as a gastrointestinal condition — Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, abdominal pain, flares, medication adjustments.

This part of my practice is deeply personal.

I have Crohn’s disease.
My father has ulcerative colitis.
I grew up in and out of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and I spent five years on human growth hormone therapy as a kid. Those experiences — being a patient first — are what led me into medicine. They shaped how I think, how I communicate, and how I treat the people sitting in front of me.

For many people, IBD reaches far beyond the gut. It affects energy levels, joints, tendons, the immune system, mood, and daily life.

How IBD Shows Up Outside the Gut

Many patients with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis experience extra-intestinal symptoms, including:

• Joint pain or swelling (arthritis associated with IBD)

• Tendon and enthesis irritation (enthesitis)

• Back pain or sacroiliac joint inflammation

• Persistent fatigue

• Side effects or reactions to biologic medications

These symptoms can easily be mistaken for:

• “Normal orthopedic issues”

• Overuse injuries

• Age-related wear and tear

• Or, sometimes, dismissed entirely

That’s where things get complicated — and where thoughtful evaluation matters.

Where Orthopedics and Gastroenterology Meet

My role is to help answer an important question:

Is your pain coming from the musculoskeletal system itself, from your immune system, or from your medication?

I work closely with gastroenterologists and, when needed, rheumatologists to determine:

• What is inflammatory vs. mechanical

• What requires medication adjustment vs. physical therapy vs. procedure

• How to treat the issue without disrupting IBD control

There is rarely a single “right answer.”
But there is a right approach:
Slow down, listen, examine, think, collaborate.