Anesthesiology

Pain Medicine

Pain medicine at UCLA extends across the full continuum of health care. World-class care in chronic pain management is available through the UCLA Comprehensive Pain Center. Pain management is tailored to each patient's specific need utilizing a combination of cutting-edge interventions as well as medication management.

Clinical Services

At the UCLA Comprehensive Pain Center, we offer world-class diagnosis and treatment of pain problems in a caring environment. Our practice is located in Santa Monica, with community offices in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Our team is specially trained to treat injuries, disorders and complex conditions that cause pain.

Highlights of our program include:

Board-certified team of experts: As part of the UCLA Health Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, all our doctors are board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine. We’re leaders in pain management, uniquely qualified to deliver a precise diagnosis and innovative treatments.
Comprehensive diagnostics and tailored treatment plans: We offer a full array of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Our team uses the latest advances in pain medicine to determine the cause of pain and the best way to treat it. Patients receive a full evaluation and thorough care plan. Our goal is to deliver an accurate diagnosis and the safest, most effective treatments.
Whole-person care: Our pain management experts understand that physical discomfort can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being. Therefore, our approach to pain may include lifestyle changes, medications, therapy and interventional procedures. Furthermore, we work with specialists across UCLA Health to achieve this comprehensive approach.

Our Areas of Care

Our board-certified physicians help people with all types of pain. We lead the nation in effective pain management and treatments for:

Back pain and neck pain
Disc Herniation
Compression Fractures
Radiculopathy
Scoliosis
Spinal stenosis
Spinal tumors
Cancer pain
Joint pain (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, avascular necrosis, bursitis)
Post-Surgical Pain
Neuropathic Pain (Brachial plexus injury, Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), Diabetic neuropathy, Peripheral neuropathy, Occipital neuralgia, Post-Herpetic Neuralgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia)
Other Chronic pain disorders (Myofascial pain, Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Spasticity)

Pain Treatments We Offer

Our highly skilled specialists help patients find pain relief using a combination of medication management with interventional procedures. We offer:

Noninvasive pain treatments including medications, physical therapy, and acupuncture
Interventional Procedures
- Epidurals
- Facet injections
- Sympathetic blocks
- Joint injections
- Trigger point injections
- Botox® injections
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Kyphoplasty
Intrathecal pumps
Spinal cord stimulation
Peripheral nerve stimulation
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (MILD)

Education

At UCLA Health, our mission is to:

Render superior clinical service to the UCLA community.
Provide outstanding didactics to fellows, residents and medical students.
Perform superior clinical research, so that the Division is nationally recognized as one of the top academic Pain Centers in the United States.

The UCLA Chronic Pain Management Fellowship Program consists of a comprehensive outpatient pain practice, along with an inpatient consult service. We offer six CA-4 (PGY-5) positions each year. The program is set up according to ACGME guidelines with rotational experience in neurology and psychiatry, along with core fellowship training in clinic and interventional-based chronic pain. The acute pain requirement is met by providing in-patient pain consultation services at Santa Monica-UCLA Orthopedic Hospital. Our goal is to provide a well-rounded experience which will prepare our fellows for the pain medicine board exam, and more importantly, future practice.

Learn more about our Pain Medicine Fellowship