The UCLA Pain Management Center is a comprehensive and multidisciplinary treatment center dedicated to offering the broadest range of treatments to effectively manage all types of pain. Center physicians take a neurological approach to diagnosing and understanding pain disorders – based on knowledge of how pain is mediated by the nervous system and how it can be blocked – and offer treatments that range from conservative to very aggressive therapies.
Common conditions
The UCLA Pain Management Center offers expertise in diagnosing and treating a full range of pain disorders, including neurological and musculoskeletal disorders and pain related to disease conditions. Center physicians begin each case with a thorough history and a complete physical exam. They review all available diagnostic material and, when appropriate, order additional diagnostic tests; advanced imaging and diagnostic studies are available right at the Center. Common pain conditions that the Center treats include:
- Back and neck pain
- Cancer pain
- Complex regional pain syndromes
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Neuropathic pain
- Myofascial pain
- Post-traumatic injury pain
- Pain from neurologic disorders, such as neuropathies
- Pain from work-related injuries
- Peripheral vascular pain
- Raynaud’s syndrome
- Shingles (herpes zoster) and postherpetic neuralgia
- Spinal spasticity and related conditions
Available treatments
No predetermined courses of treatment exist. Center physicians consider each patient as an individual and devise a treatment plan to best suit his or her unique needs. Treatments include conservative options such as physical and occupational therapy, treatment with medications and non-invasive procedures, and more invasive therapies when called for. Treatment options include:
Cryoanalgesia – a cryoprobe uses extreme cold to temporarily interrupt the nerve’s ability to transmit pain.
Implantable drug delivery systems – a pump implanted in the abdomen allows for any of a number of analgesic agents to be applied directly to the spinal cord.
Nerve blocks – anesthetics, painkillers and steroids can be injected into the spine and nervous system. The Center has pioneered research in the use of botulinum toxin to treat muscular neck pain.
Radiofrequency ablation – nerves responsible for transmitting pain signals are cauterized using radiofrequency energy. Center physicians have pioneered the use of radiofrequency lesioning for sacroiliac pain and are leaders in its use for treating mechanical back pain.
Spinal cord stimulators – an implantable device allows the patient to use low-voltage electrical stimulation to alter the way pain signals propagate through the nerves.
In addition to offering a wide range of interventions, physicians at UCLA’s Pain Management Center can refer patients to other appropriate medical specialists at UCLA, including neurologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, surgeons, and traditional Chinese medicine specialists. All care at the UCLA Pain Management Center is coordinated with the patient’s primary care physician.
Contact information
To make an appointment or to consult with a UCLA Pain Management Center physician, call:
310-794-1841 Appointments
310-319-3375 Consultations
Program physicians
F. Michael Ferrante, M.D., Director
Abraham Hidalgo, M.D.
Eric Hsu, M.D.
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