Pain Medicine
Contact Us
Outpatient Pain Management Center |
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Clinical Phone: 415-885-PAIN (7246) General Clinical Fax: 415-885-7575 New Patient Referral Fax: 415-885-3883
Diane Ozawa Phone: 415-514-6633
Click here to see a list of UCSF Pain Management Center faculty |
Clinical Phone: 415-353-1328
Clinical Fax: 415-353-3729
Administrative Supervisor UCSF Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center Phone: 415-353-9517
Click here to see a list of Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center faculty |
Administrative Contact Information
Pain Medicine Fellowship Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 415 476-9767
Mission of the Division of Pain Medicine at UCSF
As our understanding of the mechanisms driving acute and chronic pain continue to develop, so too are the number of options available to effectively treat painful conditions.
However, effective pain management is not simply applying all possible therapeutic choices at once, but rather establishing a diagnosis through expert evaluation, providing evidence–based treatment options and allowing for meaningful follow up to ensure improved function and quality of life. In the majority of cases, such effective pain management utilizes an integrated team approach. The UCSF Pain Medicine Website provides a bridge linking the expertise of our UCSF pain medicine teams and educators to our patients and other health care providers in need of additional pain management resources.
Driven by a sense of urgency and our public mission, UCSF is advancing health by developing innovative pain care pathways that ensure continuity of pain management from inpatient to outpatient for both children and adults. This involves breaking down traditional boundaries through the integration of pain management care, education and research to ensure the best quality, safety and satisfaction for our patients. For more information, we invite you to explore the links at the left of the page.
Contact Us
Clinical Contact Information | Administrative Contact Information |
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Clinical Phone: 415-885-PAIN (7246) General Clinical Fax: 415-885-7575 New Patient Referral Fax: 415-885-3883 Diane Ozawa UCSF Pain Management Center |
Pain Fellowship Coordinator Phone: 415-476-9767 Fax: 415-514-0185 (no PHI please) |
Vice Chair, Pain Medicine
Chief, Division of Pain Medicine
Chris Abrecht, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Chief, Division of Pain Medicine
Medical Director, UCSF Pain Management Center
Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
Pain Medicine Service Members
Clinical Services and Directors |
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Pain Management Center (Outpatient Chronic Pain Service) |
Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service |
Inpatient Acute Pain Service |
Regional Anesthesia Service |
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Amber Borucki, MD (Pediatric Anesthesia Pain Director) |
Faculty and Trainees | Title/Role | Service |
Christopher Abrecht, MD |
Chief, Division of Pain Medicine, Medical Director, Pain Management Center |
Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service |
Pedram Aleshi, MD | Director, Regional Anesthesia Service and Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesia Fellowship | Regional Anesthesia Service |
Atsuko Baba, MD | Director, Pediatric PREPARE | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Matthias Behrends, MD | Director, Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service | Inpatient Acute Pain |
Cristina Benki, PhD | Pediatric Pain Psychologist | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Philip Bickler, MD, PhD | Regional Anesthesia Service | |
Amber Borucki, MD | Director, Pediatric Anesthesia Pain | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Matthias Braehler, MD, PhD | Regional Anesthesia Service | |
Daniel Burkhardt, MD | Medical Director, UCSF Parnassus Preoperative Evaluation (PREPARE) Clinic | Inpatient Acute Pain Service |
Nu Cindy Chai, MD | Progam Director, Pain Medicine Fellowship. PMC Neurologist | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service |
Lee-lynn Chen, MD | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | |
Mario De Pinto, MD | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service | |
Christina Dixon, MD | 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow | |
Gerald Dubowitz, MD | Regional Anesthesia Service | |
Marla Ferschl, MD | Director, Fetal Anesthesia, Director, Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Darren Fiore, MD | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center | |
Audrey Foster-Barber, MD, PhD | Medical Director Compass Care, UCSF Pediatric Palliative Care, Residency Director, Child Neurology | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Medical Director, Center of Pediatric Pain, Palliative and Integrative Medicine at Benioff Children's Hospitals in Oakland and San Francisco | ||
Seema Gandhi, MD | Regional Anesthesia Service | |
Justin Grubbs, MD | 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow | |
Zhonghui Guan, MD | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | |
Alicia Heilman, RN | Pediatric Nurse | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Melanie Henry, MD | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | |
Christina Inglis-Arkell, MD | Director, UCSF Mount Zion OR | Regional Anesthesia Service |
Valerie Jackson, PhD | Pain Psychologist, PMC | Pain Management Center |
Sunitha Kaiser, MD | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center | |
Cynthia Kim, MD | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center | |
Sakura Kinjo, MD | Medical Director, Orthopaedic Institute | Regional Anesthesia Service | Inpatient Acute Pain |
Kerstin Kolodzie, MD, PhD | Regional Anesthesia Service | |
Merlin Larson, MD | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | |
Thien Le, MD | 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow | |
David Lee, MD | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | |
Solmaz Manuel, MD | Regional Anesthesia Service | Inpatient Acute Pain | |
Robin McCrane, RN | Pediatric Sedation Nurse | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Rachel Eshima McKay, MD | Director, UCSF Mission Bay Preoperativev Evaluation (PREPARE) Clinic | Regional Anesthesia Service |
Hung Gia Nguyen, MD | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center | |
George Pasvankas, MD | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service | |
Thoha Pham, MD | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service | |
Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD | Director, Neuromodulation Program | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service |
Nitin Prabhakar, MD | 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow | |
Heidi Reetz, MD | PMC Family Medicine | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service |
Thomas Reid, MA, MD | Associate Program Director for the UCSF Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program, Director of the 4th year Medical Student elective in Palliative Medicine | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
David Robinowitz, MD, MHS, MS | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center | |
Glenn Rosenbluth, MD | Associate Professor, Pediatrics; Director, Quality and Safety Programs GME; Associate Director, Pediatrics Residency Training Program | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Michael Rowbotham, MD | PMC Neurologist | Pain Management Center |
Gabriel Sarah, MD | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center | |
Mark Schumacher, MD, PhD | Vice Chair, Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care | Inpatient Acute Pain Service |
Ann Cai Shah, MD | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | |
Prasad Shirvalkar, MD, PhD | PMC Neurologist | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service |
Claas Siegmueller, MD, PhD, MBA | Regional Anesthesia Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | |
Karen Sun, MD | Chief, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine; Associate Director, Pediatric Pain and Sedation Service | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Westin Tom, MD | 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow | |
Steve Wilson, MD, PhD | Associate Chief Medical Officer, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Xiaobing Yu, MD | Rotation Director, M-PN & Z-PN Anesthesia Resident Rotations and Medical Student Pain Clerkship | Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service |
Maurice Zwass, MD | Chief, Pediatric Anesthesia | Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center |
Psychology Faculty
Cristina Benki, PhD
Child and Adolescent Psychologist, IP3
Valerie Jackson, PhD, MPH
Pain Psychologist, PMC
Pain Fellows
Christina Dixon, MD
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia
Justin Grubbs, MD
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia
Thien Le, MD
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia
Nitin Prabhakar, MD
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia
Westin Tom, MD
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia
Pain Nursing
Nurse Manager, PMC
Nurse Practitioner, PMC
Alicia Heilman, RN
Outpatient Case Manager,
IP3
Charmaine Penaflor, RN
Clinical Nurse, PMC
Erica Fuchs, RN
PMC
Pain Staff
Administrative Director, UCSF Pain Management Center
Practice Assistant to Dr. Mario De Pinto
Patient Care Manager, IP3
Practice Assistant to Drs. George Pasvankas and Thoha Pham, PMC
Front Office Assistant
Pain Fellowship Coordinator
Practice Assistant, PMC
Medical Assistant
Practice Coordinator - Front Desk
Practice Assistant to Dr. Zhonghui Guan, PMC
Make an Appointment
New Adult Patients
Need a referral or consultation request submitted by their primary physician or care team, for:
Chronic Pain Management
Acute Pain Management
Returning Adult Patients
Call the UCSF Pain Management Center at (415) 885-PAIN (7246) or
Request your follow-up appointment via UCSF MyChart, an online resource for your routine healthcare needs.
Pediatric Patients
Caregivers can call the Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center at (415) 353-9517
Locations
Outpatient Clinics
Integrated Pediatric Pain & Palliative Care Clinics
1825 Fourth Street, Fifth floor, 5A
San Francisco, CA 94143-0106
Inpatient Locations

The UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine provides several non-pharmaceutical pain management services that can be integrated with the Pain Management Center's services, whether your pain condition is acute or chronic. Treatments that we offer are supported by scientific studies for pain management, and include:
- Mind-Body Medicine (Biofeedback, Guided Imagery, Mindfulness, and Yoga)
- Manual Medicine (Massage Therapy and Spinal Manipulation)
Services
The Division of Pain Medicine, in partnership with our colleagues, provides pain care pathways to ensure outstanding pain care from inpatient to outpatient settings for both children and adults. See below for details, and visit the patient section of the Pain Management Education at UCSF website.
Adult Pain Medicine
Outpatient Chronic Pain Management Center Clinic
Established in 1987 by the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, the PMC helps patients with various stages and types of complex, acute, and chronic pain. We offer a variety of treatment options with a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach.
Our Center, located at the UCSF Mount Zion campus, provides pain treatment for a wide variety of conditions, including but not limited to the conditions listed below.
Click the links below to get more details about these conditions and the treatments we offer for each.
Inpatient Acute and Chronic Pain Services
The Acute and Chronic Pain Services at the Moffitt-Long, Mission Bay, and Mount Zion Hospitals serve as consultant services for our medicine and surgical colleagues who request our help with acute or chronic pain management. For these patients, we make evidence-based recommendations in collaboration with our colleagues, and a final plan for pain management is implemented.
We assess each patient's overall medical condition in the context of an acute or chronic pain episode or acute on chronic pain history. Our goal is to reduce pain while improving function, thus improving morbidity and mortality and decreasing length of stay. In addition, utilization of multimodal analgesia, including peripheral nerve and neuraxial catheters for adult and pediatric patients represents a frequently used technique to achieve such evidence-based goals.
The Acute and Chronic Inpatient Pain Services are available 24/7.
Pediatric Pain Medicine
Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Pediatric Patient Education Videos:
See article in UCSF Leaps and Bounds:
Zapping the Pain
See article in UCSF News:
Acupuncture Helps Pediatric Patients Manage Pain and Nausea
UCSF is One of Few Academic Medical Centers to Offer Treatment to Inpatients and Outpatients
Osher Center Mini Medical School for the Public – Pain: New Insights and New (and Old) Treatments
February 11
BACK TO THE FUTURE OF PAIN MEDICINE
Mark Schumacher, PhD, MD
Professor and Chief, Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, UCSF
February 18
BEING “UNSYMPATHETIC”: PSYCHOLOGY’S SECRET WEAPON FOR MANAGING PAIN
Jessica Pullins, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice
February 25
TECHNOLOGY VERSUS PAIN: TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY AND ELECTRICAL STIMULATION
Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care; Director, Neuromodulation Service, UCSF
March 3
MY ACHING NECK - MY ACHING BACK
Mario De Pinto, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care; Director, Pain Management Center, UCSF
March 10
EAST MEETS WEST: ACUPUNCTURE AND BEYOND FOR ALL AGES
Sanjay Reddy, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine; Director, Congestive Heart Failure, Bone Marrow Transplant and Nighttime Hospitalist Services, UCSF
Instructions for Outpatient Pain Procedures
Link to Verbal Instructions (English)
Link to Written Instructions (English)
Other Resources
Please visit the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine website. The Osher Center offers a variety of groundbreaking lectures, classes, workshops, and therapeutic programs for the public.
Information about various conditions and treatments can be found on the UCSF Medical Center Patient Education page.
The NIH Pain Consortium website includes press releases and news about federal pain activities. You can also find a pain information brochure, indexing various National Institute of Health publications about pain symptoms, conditions and treatments.
Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. We encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have.
Anesthesia Pain Faculty and Resident Clinical Schedule Assignments
Please click here for the Anesthesia Pain Services Clinical Assignments, now on QGenda.
Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Call Schedule
The Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicin Call Schedule is available on Amion.com.
Contact Us
Moffitt Long Hospital Pain Services Phone Numbers
Acute Pain Pager
(415) 443‑6889
Chronic Pain Pager
(415) 443‑4332
Acute Pain Resident ASCOM Day-Time Phone
(415) 514‑6593
Mission Bay Adult Hospitals Pain Services Phone Numbers
Adult Pain Pager
(415) 443‑2676 (voalte 20450)
IP3 (Pedi Pain) Pager
(415) 443‑6100 (voalte 514‑9500)
How to Refer a Patient
Non-UCSF Referring Providers
Please complete the UCSF Pain Referral and fax to us at (415) 885-3883.
UCSF Referring Providers
Please complete a referral within APeX.
Services Available
- Back / Spine Pain
- Cervical and Lumbar Facet Joint Disease
- Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)
- Herniated Discs
- Low Back Pain
- Cancer Pain
- Chronic Abdominal and Pelvic Pain
- Complex Medication Management Services
- Head, Neck, and Facial Pain
- Headaches
- Musculoskeletal Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Myofascial (Muscular) Pain
- Sacroiliac Joint Disease
- Shoulder, Hip, and Knee Pain
- Spasticity
- Spinal Stenosis
- Neuropathic (Nerve) Pain
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or RSD)
- Nerve Entrapment Syndromes
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Phantom Limb Pain
- Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (Shingles Pain)
- Spinal Cord Injury (Central Pain)
- Pediatric Pain
- Comprehensive acute and chronic pain management in both the inpatient and outpatient settings
- Post-Surgical Pain
- Pain Psychology Services
Related Clinics & Centers
The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine provides complementary non-pharmacological pain services that can be integrated with conventional medicine, including pharmacological approaches to pain. Integrative Medicine has much to contribute to the management of pain, whether acute or chronic, inpatient or outpatient. Our evidence-based integrative modalities, including acupuncture, mind-body medicine, and manual medicine, can help patients successfully manage their pain, while offering cost-effective alternatives and adjuncts to opiate and other pain medications.
UCSF Practice Guidelines
Visit the Pain Management Education at UCSF website
Drug Information Summary-Nalbuphine
Please find the following documents on UCSF CareLinks:
Antithrombotics and Neuraxial Intervention
Opioid Equivalence Table
UCSF Patient Provider Agreement Opioid Therapy
UCSF Pediatric- Patient Provider Agreement Opioid Therapy
UCSF Grand Rounds
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Combined Surgery and Anesthesia Grand Rounds
Prescribing Opioids in the Management of Chronic Pain
Osher Center Mini Medical School for the Public – Pain: New Insights and New (and Old) Treatments
February 11, 2016
BACK TO THE FUTURE OF PAIN MEDICINE
Mark Schumacher, PhD, MD
Professor and Vice Chair, Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, UCSF
BEING “UNSYMPATHETIC”: PSYCHOLOGY’S SECRET WEAPON FOR MANAGING PAIN
Jessica Pullins, PhD
TECHNOLOGY VERSUS PAIN: TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY AND ELECTRICAL STIMULATION
Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care; Director, Neuromodulation Service, UCSF
March 3, 2016
MY ACHING NECK - MY ACHING BACK
Mario De Pinto, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
March 10, 2016
EAST MEETS WEST: ACUPUNCTURE AND BEYOND FOR ALL AGES
Sanjay Reddy, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine; Director, Congestive Heart Failure, Bone Marrow Transplant and Nighttime Hospitalist Services, UCSF
Pain Summits
2015
Case 1 Presentations
Case 2 Presentations
Case 3 Presentations
Full Program
Date: May 8, 2015
Time: 8:00am-3:00pm
Location: Cole Hall, Millberry Union
Recorded Sessions:
Time: 8:45am Click to View
Time: 1:00pm Click to View
For more information, please contact: [email protected]
2013
Agenda
Pre- and Post-Test
EXTERNAL LINKS
American Pain Society (APS) Library - Clinical Practice Guidelines
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) - Guidelines
American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA)
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pain Consortium
North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS)
American Academy of Pain Physician (AAPM)
Scope of Education
Despite the prominence and the availability of resources and guidelines from national and international pain societies (American Pain Society; International Association for the Study of Pain), under-treatment of pain remains a widespread challenge. The source of pain management gaps are complex, both at the level of individual providers and at a systems level. Practice gaps include: inadequate understanding of pain assessment scales and appropriate use of analgesic medications, failure to assess and reassess pain in a systematic fashion, fear of producing iatrogenic addiction, concern about analgesic side effects (respiratory depression, hepatic, GI and renal dysfunction) and inability to differentiate opioid tolerance from physical dependence and addiction (Murnion BP et al. Pain Med. 2010 Jan;11(1):58-66. Epub 2009 Nov 17).
Many of these barriers are due to a combination of gaps in knowledge base and at the institutional level due to a failure to embrace an interprofessional model of pain management. A systematic review of the literature suggests that interprofessional education (IPE) is promising as an interventional tool for developing effective pain management skills (Satterfield JM, et al. Acad Med. 2004 Jan;79(1):6-15). As hosted by the Division of Pain Medicine, this website is intended as a tool to address this challenge by establishing a platform for meaningful collaborations across all four professional health science schools at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and beyond.
UCSF Center of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPE) 2012-2013
The National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium selected 12 health professional schools as designated Centers of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPEs). The CoEPEs acted as hubs for the development, evaluation, and distribution of pain management curriculum resources for medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy schools to enhance and improve how health care professionals are taught about pain and its treatment.
2012-2013 CoEPE Certificate of Award
Learning Modules
NIH CoEPE Curriculum Resources
Newsletters
UCSF CoEPE Newsletter, Year 1, Issue 1
UCSF CoEPE Newsletter, Year 1, Issue 2
Undergraduate Medical Education Opportunities
UCSF Anesthesia & Perioperative Care Pain Management Clerkship
This course in pain management allows students to participate in the assessment and treatment of patients with chronic pain in an outpatient setting.
For more information and a full Anesthesia Clerkships course list, please visit:
UCSF Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
UCSF Undergraduate Medical Education
For specific information for visiting students:
UCSF Undergraduate Medical Education - Visiting Students
For any other information, please contact:
Marie Lim
Anesthesia Clerkship Programs Coordinator
Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
University of California, San Francisco
Email: [email protected]
Graduate Medical Education Opportunities
INTERNS
The interdisciplinary Anesthesia internship program at UCSF is a rigorous yet richly rewarding year that includes intensive training in internal medicine, surgery, critical care, neurology, and emergency medicine alongside some of the finest physicians in the country. To gain pain management experience, interns may elect to rotate through our UCSF Pain Management Center and Inpatient Acute Pain Services.
RESIDENTS
The UCSF Pain Management Center welcomes any resident who would like to rotate through the clinic. Coordination with the UCSF Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care Residency Program is required for both visiting and UCSF trainees.
Applicants who would like to apply for a full Anesthesia Internship or Residency must complete an ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) application.
For more information, please contact:
Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
University of California, San Francisco
Email: [email protected]
FELLOWS
UCSF Pain Medicine Fellowship training consists of 12 months of full-time training after satisfactory completion of a core ACGME accredited residency program.
UCSF Pain Medicine Fellowship Program Overview
Pain Medicine Fellowship Application
The UCSF Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program is a one-year ACGME-accredited clinical fellowship devoted to training future leaders in all areas of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
UCSF Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program Overview
Applicants interested in pursuing training with the UCSF Palliative Medicine Fellowship should follow the instructions via the ERAS Fellowship Documents Office. More information can be found at UCSF Graduate Medical Education.
Inter-program training between the Pain Medicine Fellowship and Palliative Care Fellowship Programs are under discussion.
Other Educational Opportunities
Observational preceptorships of varying lengths are also available. Visiting physicians, scientists, physician's assistants, physical therapists, pharmaceutical representatives, and others have joined us in this capacity. No direct patient care is permitted.
To apply, please contact:
Chris Abrecht, MD
Medical Director, UCSF Pain Management Center
Pain Medicine Fellowship Programs
ACGME Approved Chronic Pain Medicine Fellowship
The Joint Commission Approved Pain Management Center
Nu Cindy Chai, MD
Fellowship Director
FROM THE DIRECTOR
The UCSF Pain Management Center specializes in the multidisciplinary management of patients suffering from acute, chronic, and cancer pain. The faculty consists of the Medical Director, the Administrative Director, the Fellowship Director, anesthesiologists, neurologists, psychologists, physical therapists, nurses, administrative staff, and consultants in Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Rheumatology, Radiology, Internal Medicine, Oncology, and Pharmacology.
ACGME Approved Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesiology Fellowship
Fellowship Director
FROM THE DIRECTOR
The UCSF Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesiology Fellowship is one of the first in the nation, with only 8 other institutions offering this ACGME approved fellowship in 2017. This fellowship includes structured acute and chronic pain rotations at UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights, UCSF Mission Bay, some at Kaiser South San Francisco and some at ZSFG. It includes an increased emphasis on acute pain and on multimodal pharmacologic approaches to treat it. “We have a much larger arsenal of tools to treat pain after complex surgeries, and with the opiate crisis, this is especially important,” says Dr. Aleshi. “Using that arsenal effectively demands another level of expertise and our fellows will be much better trained in this aspect of treating pain.”
To Read More, Please visit our Fellowships page
Resources for Current Trainees
Moffitt-Long Acute Pain Rotation (M-PN / ML-APS)
ML APS Resident Orientation Apr 2020.pdf
Mount Zion Adult Chronic Pain Rotation (Z-PN)
When: 7am arrival on your first day of rotation (Monday)
Where: UCSF Pain Management Center (PMC) at 2255 Post Street, MZ campus
Z-PN Rotation Welcome Letter_January 2018
Medical student PMC rotation handbook 2015
Pain and Addiction Research Center at UCSF
PARC is a transdisciplinary research center focused on developing and testing new approaches for treating pain, decreasing the negative consequences of opioids, and developing effective ways to mitigate the impact of opioid overuse. Click here for more info about the Pain and Addiction Research Center at UCSF.
Research in the Division of Pain Medicine
For up-to-date research lectures and more, check the Events section of the Anesthesia and Perioperative Care website. For more information, please contact:
Julie Leong
Research Administration Analyst
UCSF Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care
Email: [email protected]
Date | Speaker | Institution | Presentation | Recordings |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sep 28, 2017 |
Jose Moron- Concepcion, PhD Associate Professor |
Washington University Pain Center Washington University School of Medicine |
"Opioid-Induced Plasticity and the Intersection with Pain" | Click Here |
Oct 26, 2017 8:00AM-9:00AM N-721 |
Yeong-Ray Wen Attending Anesthesiologist |
China Medical University Hospital China Medical University Taichung, Taiwan |
"Pulse Radio Frequency Ablation of DRG to Treat Chronic Pain" | Click Here |
Nov 16, 2017 |
Franziska Denk, MSc Lecturer |
King's College London | "What Cell Sorting Can Teach Us About Pain and Neuro-Immune Interactions" | Click Here |
Apr 4, 2018 5:00PM-6:00PM S-170 |
Jianren Mao, MD, PhD Chief, Division of Pain Medicine |
Massachusetts General Hospital | "Current Challenges in Translational Pain Research" | |
June 14, 2018 8:00AM-9:00AM N-721 |
Prasad Shirvalkar, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Anesthesiology (Pain Management) Department of Neurology |
University of California, San Francisco | "Closing the Loop on Deep Brain Stimulation for Chronic Pain" | Click Here |
October 18, 2018 8:00AM-9:00AM HSW302 |
Thomas Buchheit, MD Chief of Pain Medicine
|
Duke University | "Nerve Injury, Arthritis, and the Future of Biologic Therapies for Pain" |
|
January 10, 2019
8:00AM-9:00AM
N721
|
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Neurosurgery, and by courtesy, Molecular and Cellular Physiology
|
Stanford University | "The Neural Basis of Pain Unpleasantness and its Modulation by Opioids" | Click Here |
February 14,
2019
8:00am- 9:00am
N721 |
Irene Tracey, MA (Oxon), Dphil., FRCA, FMedSci Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences |
University of Oxford | "Pain Biomarkers: Is There a Role for Neuroimaging?" |
Click Here |
April 17, 2019 7:00am-8:00am N217
|
Chad Brummett, MD Associate Professor, Anesthesiology Director, Anesthesia Clinical Research Director, Division of Pain Research |
University of Michigan Medical School | "The Role of Acute Care Prescribing in the Opioid Epidemic" | |
May 2, 2019 8:00am-9:00am N721 |
Dr. Larry Carbone, DVM, PhD, DACAW, DACLAM Director, IACUP |
UCSF | "Clinical Pain Management for Lab Animals: Some Notes from Your Mouses’s Veterinarian" | |
June 13, 2019 8:00am-9:00am N721 |
Fan Wang, PhD Morris N. Broad Professor, Department of Neurobiology |
Duke University Medical Center | "General Anesthesia, Sleep, and Pain" | |
TBA |
Stephen McMahon |
King’s College | TBA |
2016 - 2017 UCSF Pain Research Group Schedule
Date |
Speaker | Institution | Presentation | Recordings |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 29, 2016 |
Frank Porreca, PhD |
University of Arizona | "Brain Circuits Mediating Pain and Its Relief" | Click Here |
Nov 10, 2016 |
Hui-Lin Pan, MD, PhD |
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
"Epigenetic and Synaptic Mechanisms of Neuropathic Pain" | Click Here |
Dec 8, 2016 8:00AM- 9:00AM N-721 |
David Bennett, MB PhD, FRCP |
University of Oxford | "Human Pain Channelopathies" | Click Here |
Feb 23, 2017 8:00AM- 9:00AM N-721 |
Donald Manning, MD, PhD |
Adynxx | "Found in Translation" - Transcription Factor Targeting for Pain Management and Prevention | Click Here |
Mar 9, 2017 8:00AM- 9:00AM N-721 |
Theodore Price, PhD |
University of Texas at Dallas | "Translation Regulation in Chronic Pain: Targeting Translation from the 5' and 3' Ends and New Insight from New Generation Sequencing" | Click Here |
Mar 21, 2017 5:00PM- 6:00PM N-721 |
Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD |
University of California, San Francisco | "Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Neuralgia: Case Presentations and Results of Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trail" | Click Here |
RESCHEDULED Mar 22, 2017 |
Quinn Hogan, MD |
Medical College of Wisconsin | "The Sensory Neuron T-junction is a Natural Impulse Filter and a Potential Therapeutic Target" | |
Apr 20, 2017 |
Andrew Todd |
University of Glasgow | "Defining the Roles of Dorsal Horn Interneurons in the Spinal Processing of Pain and Itch" | |
May 25, 2017 |
Qiufu Ma, PhD |
Harvard Medical School Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
TBA |
|
2015 - 2016 UCSF Pain Research Group Schedule
Date | Speaker | Institution | Presentation | Recordings |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nov 12, 2015 8:00AM-9:00AM N-721 |
Neil Schwartz, PhD |
University of California, San Francisco | "Striatal Regulation of the Impact of Pain on Reward-Directed Behavior" | Click Here |
Dec 3, 2015 |
Michael Rowbotham, MD |
University of California, San Francisco | Patient Presentation | Click Here |
Jan 14, 2016 8:00AM-9:00AM N-721 |
Jeffrey Mogil, PhD |
McGill University Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
"Sex Differences in Pain from Both Sides of the Syringe" | Click Here |
Feb 11, 2016 8:00AM-9:00AM N-721 |
John Neubert, DDS, PhD |
University of Florida | "Operant Assessments of Orofacial Pain (Building a Better Mouse Trap)" | Click Here |
Apr 14, 2016 8:00AM-9:00AM N-721 |
Gregory Scherrer, PhD Assistant Professor |
Stanford University School of Medicine |
"Molecular Mechanisms of Pain Modulation by Endogenous and Exogenous Opiods" | |
May 12, 2016 |
Xinzhong Dong, PhD |
Xinzhong Dong, PhD |
"Mechanisms of Pain and Itch" | Click Here |
2014 - 2015 UCSF Pain Research Group Schedule
Date | Speaker | Institution | Presentation | Recordings |
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Dec 4, 2014 |
William Schmidt, PhD |
NorthStar Consulting, LLC |
"Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: |
Click Here |
Jan 22, 2015 |
Andrew Charles, MD |
University of California, Los Angeles |
"Advances in the Basic and Clinical Science of Migraine" | Click Here |
Feb 26, 2015 |
Mark Schumacher, MD, PhD |
University of California, San Francisco |
"Chronification of Pain: The Role of Sp1-like Transcription Factors" | Click Here |
Apr 9, 2015 |
Bradley Taylor, PhD |
University of Kentucky | "Endogenous Opioid Receptor Analgesia and Dependence" | Click Here |
Apr 30, 2015* |
Yves De Koninck, PhD |
Laval University Quebec City, Canada |
"Targeting Chloride Transport for the Treatment of Chronic Pain" | Click Here |
May 7, 2015 |
Michael Rowbotham, MD |
University of California, San Francisco |
"Case Presentation" | Click Here |
May 21, 2015 |
Cheryl Stucky, PhD |
Medical College of Wisconsin | "Mechanisms Underlying Pain in Sickle Cell Disease" | Click Here |
2013 - 2014 UCSF Pain Research Group Schedule
Date | Speaker | Institution | Presentation | Recordings |
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Dec 5, 2013 |
Bruce Hammock, PhD |
University of California, Davis |
"Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitors Reduce Neuropathic Pain in Diabetic Models and in Companion Animals" |
Click Here |
Jan 16, 2014 |
Merlin Larson, MD |
University of California, |
"Opioid Effect on Pupillary Unrest - Theory and Clinical Application" | Click Here |
Mar 6, 2014 |
Robert Gereau, PhD |
Washington University Pain Center |
"Translational Pain Research: Targeting Central Sensitization" | Click Here |
Apr 24, 2014 |
Ru Rong Ji, PhD |
Duke University Medical Center |
"Neuroinflammation Drives Chronic Pain" | Click Here |
May 8, 2014 |
Tor Wager, PhD |
University of Colorado, Boulder |
"Towards fMRI-Based Biomarkers for Pain and Emotion" | Click Here |
Jun 5, 2014 |
Zhonghui Guan, MD |
University of California, San Francisco |
"How Do Injured DRG Neurons Activate Microglia and Contribute to Neuropathic Pain" |
Click Here |
2012 - 2013 UCSF Pain Research Group Schedule
Date | Speaker | Institution | Presentation | Recordings |
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Nov 29, 2012 |
Tomoyuki Kawamata, MD |
Shinshu University |
"TRPV1 and TRPV2 Detect Different Modalities
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Dec 6, 2012 |
Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD |
Cedars Sinai Medical Center | "How Significant is Non-Synaptic Transmission? Very Significant in the Sensory Ganglion" |
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Jan 10, 2013 |
Pamela Palmer MD, PhD |
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals |
"Sublingual Sufentanil NanoTab PCA System for Postoperative Pain Management" |
Click here |
Feb 7, 2013 |
Tony Yaksh, PhD |
University of California, |
"Spinal Toll Receptors in Nociceptive Signaling |
Click here |
Mar 28, 2013 |
Kenneth Hargreaves, DDS, PhD |
University of Texas |
"Wham, Bam, OLAMs - Studies on the Role of Endogenous TRPV1 Agonists" |
Click here |
May 16, 2013 |
Pain Summit |
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Jun 6, 2013 |
Mark Zylka, PhD |
University of North Carolina |
"Sensory Mechanism for Heat Inhibition of Cold" | Click here |
The UCSF Pain Management Center, located at the UCSF Mount Zion campus, was established in 1987 by the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care to help patients with various stages and types of complex, acute, and chronic pain. We offer a variety of treatment options with a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach.
Contact
UCSF Pain Management Center
2255 Post Street
San Francisco, CA
94143-1654
(Express mail ZIP 94115)
Phone: 415.885.PAIN (7246)
Fax: 415.885.7575
Fax for New Patient Referrals: 415.885.3883
Our Center
Combines traditional and complementary approaches
- Was designated as a Clinical Center of Excellence in Pain Management in 2007 by the American Pain Society
- Empowers patients through education about their conditions
- Identifies the best methods to relieve pain, promote healing, and restore maximum levels of function
- Has extensive knowledge of the latest pain management treatments and techniques
- Averages about 800 patient visits per month
Our Center provides pain treatment for a wide variety of conditions, including but not limited to:
- Back / Spine Pain
- Cervical and Lumbar Facet Joint Disease
- Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)
- Hermiated Discs
- Low Back Pain
- Cancer Pain
- Chronic Abdominal and Pelvic Pain
- Complex Pain Management
- Headaches
- Head, Neck and Facial Pain
- Musculoskeletal Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Myofascial (Muscular) Pain
- Sacroiliac Joint Disease
- Shoulder, Hipe and Knee Pain
- Spasticity
- Spinal Stenosis
- Neuropathic Pain
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)
- Nerve Entrapment Syndromes
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Phantom Limb Pain
- Post Herpetic Neuralgia (Shingles Pain)
- Sciatia / Radiculopathy
- Spinal Cord Injury (Central Pain)
- Post Surgical Pain
Chronic pain is a multifaceted medical problem that affects all aspects of a patient’s life. Our Center is staffed by professionals from multiple disciplines, including Anesthesia, Neurology, Psychology, and Nursing to address the range of issues brought about by pain. Patient involvement and education are important components of our program.
Map and Directions
Pathway is your guide to getting directions to UCSF at Parnassus Heights, UCSF at Mount Zion, and UCSF at Mission Bay and China Basin.
Referral Information
The UCSF Pain Management Center is a consultative practice and all patients must be referred for consultation by their primary care physician or other health care provider.
NON-UCSF REFERRING PROVIDERS:
Please complete the UCSF Pain Referral and fax to us at (415) 885-3883.
UCSF REFERRING PROVIDERS:
Please complete a referral within APeX
ALL REFERRING PROVIDERS:
Along with a completed referral form, please include:
- Reason for referral
- Most recent medical evaluations
- Most recent operative reports
- Most recent X-ray/MRI reports
- Any psychological evaluations or reports
- A list of the patient’s current medications
- If required by the patient’s insurance, the authorization for the referral to the PMC
Evaluation Process:
- We receive your referral
- We contact the patient and schedule them for an initial evaluation
- We send the patient an appointment confirmation letter, with:
- Directions and parking and transportation information
- Information about enrolling in UCSF MyChart, a confidential on-line resource for UCSF patients’ routine health care needs.
Once we have evaluated the patient, the referring provider will be sent a copy of our evaluation summary, treatment plan & recommendations. If you need additional info, please contact us at (415) 885-7347.
Treatments and Recommendations
We will provide recommendations about the proposed treatment or suggested medication regimen to the referring provider.
If required by the patient’s insurance, we will secure prior authorization for recommended treatments prior to scheduling the patient’s appointment.
Pain Psychology Services Available
Osher Mini Medical School for the Public Lecture
BEING “UNSYMPATHETIC”: PSYCHOLOGY’S SECRET WEAPON FOR MANAGING PAIN
Jessica Pullins, PhD
Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
The Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center is dedicated to relieving pain and improving quality of life for our youngest hospitalized patients, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our team includes pediatric hospitalists (specialists in managing the care of hospitalized patients), pediatric anesthesiologists, pediatric palliative care specialists, a nurse practitioner, a psychologist and nurses.
To provide the right care for each patient, the service is staffed by two teams. The acute and chronic pain team focuses on comprehensive pain management, while the palliative care team provides an extra layer of support for children and families facing serious illness. When a patient is ready for discharge, we work collaboratively with providers from all relevant specialties to bridge the transition home.
Acute and chronic pain team
We embrace innovative and integrative approaches to relieving and managing pain. Our services include:
Palliative care team
For children with serious illnesses, our team – which includes specialists from several fields – focuses on relieving symptoms and stress, fostering wellness and offering comfort. The overarching goal is to improve quality of life for both the child and their family by partnering and collaborating with everyone affected and by ensuring that care meets individual needs and values. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided together with curative or life-prolonging treatment.
Our services include:
- Treatments for acute pain, or short-lived pain related to illness or injury
- Treatments for chronic pain
- Specialized treatment for amplified pain, an abnormal neurological response that causes pain to be felt with unusual intensity
- Sedation for medical procedures
- Regional anesthesia (numbing the area of the body being treated), such as an epidural injection
- Complementary and integrative therapies:
- Acupressure and acupuncture
- Aromatherapy
- Biofeedback
- Massage therapy
- Music therapy
- Relaxation training
- Short-term cognitive behavioral therapy
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Management of symptoms, such as pain, nausea, constipation, shortness of breath and anxiety
- Discussions to clarify individual goals of care
- Help understanding medical conditions
- Decision-making support
- Advance care planning
- Support for emotional, psychological and spiritual issues in developmentally appropriate ways
- Care coordination for complex and chronic conditions
- Support and counseling for grief and loss
- Complementary and integrative therapies, such as massage, music therapy and art therapy
- Coordination with hospice agencies
- Coordination with home-based palliative care programs
Click here to see a list of Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center providers.
Patient Education Videos
Location
1825 Fourth Street, Fifth and Sixth Floors
San Francisco, CA 94143-0106
(415) 353-9517 Phone
From UCSF News
Acupuncture Helps Pediatric Patients Manage Pain and Nausea UCSF is One of Few Academic Medical Centers to Offer Treatment to Inpatients and Outpatients
From UCSF Leaps and Bounds
From NPR
Pain Rescue Team Helps Seriously Ill Kids Cope In Terrible Times
Pain and Addiction Research Center Events
Anesthesia Grand Rounds
For more information, please visit the "Events" section of the Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care website.
UCSF Osher Center Intergrative Medicine Grand Rounds
To make a secure donation online, please visit our make a gift page, select “Direct your gift to a specific area,” and choose [Division of Pain Medicine].
For more information, please contact:
Allison White
Assistant Director, University Development
220 Montgomery Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Office Tel: (415) 502-5868
Email: [email protected]