Dr. Zeltzer is an invited member of the CDC’s Special Advisory on the State of Opioids in America, the FDA’s Committee on Analgesia, Anesthesia, and Addiction, and more.

As a pediatric pain doctor, Dr. Zeltzer has been treating children who suffer from chronic pain for over thirty years. Having seen children visit multiple doctors, undergo numerous tests, and take many medications with no end to their pain in sight, it became clear that something is needed to help more children than she could possibly see in her practice.

In Dr. Zeltzer’s decades of working as a pediatric pain expert, the number one issue that children and teens with chronic pain face is feeling alone. Due to their pain most can no longer play sports, attend school, or participate in social functions. They become more and more isolated, which is a factor that leads to self-doubt. Doctors, friends, and families often do not even believe that the pain is real! When most of Dr. Zeltzer’s patients come to her, they feel that others believe that they are making it up or are “crazy.” These thoughts alone can cause more problems, such as anxiety or depression. Through CHYP, Dr. Zeltzer spreads the life-saving message that chronic pain is real, it can be helped, and these teens are not alone.