Pain is a complex medical problem that can have profound effects on physical and mental well-being. The goal of Harbor UCLA Dept of Anesthesiology Pain management division is to help reduce the level of pain and suffering with return of patients to a maximum level of functioning and independence whilst attempting to help restore quality of life in a supportive and a compassionate environment.

With the help of a team of pain specialists, residents participate in a comprehensive range of services in hospitalized and ambulatory care settings and learn to treat patients with acute, chronic and cancer pain problems.

The residents participate in acute pain management for relief of pain from thoracic, abdominal and orthopedic surgeries. This includes consultation services where they help advise interventional and or medical management with placement of continuous thoracic and lumbar epidural catheters, spinal and epidural injections with narcotics and continuous nerve blocks of the brachial and lumbo-sacral plexus. Medical management allows them to learn and prescribe PCA`s and adjuvant medication.

Chronic Pain experience includes new and follows up patient evaluations in a clinical setting and inpatient consults. We offer a wide range of medical and interventional therapies for chronic pain using fluoroscopic, ultrasound and CT guidance.

List of common problems treated include:

Radiculopathies

Degenerative disc diseases

Facet pain syndrome

Spinal stenosis

Cancer or cancer treatment-related pain

Complex regional pain syndromes

Myofascial pain syndromes

Peripheral neuropathy

Post-herpetic neuralgia

Sacroiliac pain syndromes

Arthritis and bursitis

Sports medicine

Work injury

Post surgical pain syndromes

The training is geared to leave a graduating anesthesiology resident well equipped with knowledge and prepared for a pain fellowship.