Pain Management Specialists | The NeuroMedical Center

Pain Management from Louisiana's Top Specialists

The Pain Management Team at NeuroMedical Center brings a higher level of care to patients across the Gulf South who are struggling with painful acute and chronic conditions. 

Our Pain Management team includes Louisiana’s leading physicians specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Pain Medicine, and Interventional Pain. They offer credentials and experience you won’t find anywhere else in Louisiana. 

We have a singular goal that is always at the forefront of our pain management treatment plans: To help our patients live their healthiest lives by easing pain symptoms and restoring function and movement in the most conservative ways possible. 

Our team can achieve this goal by using the most advanced technologies and therapies to help patients comfortably recover from medically complex, immobilizing conditions such as stroke, brain injury, or spinal cord injury, as well as common conditions such as chronic lower back or neck pain.

Comprehensive Pain Management for Both Acute and Chronic Conditions

The Pain Management experts at The NeuroMedical Center offer comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and care management for all neurological, neuromuscular, and orthopedic conditions that affect our patients’ ability to live and be mobile without pain. 

We strike the right balance between following the tried-and-true methods and investigating and implementing innovative, cutting-edge pain management techniques. 

Our Pain Management team employs scientifically proven techniques to treat a wide array of painful conditions, including:

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) is a specialized area focusing on coordinated care in treating conditions related to the brain, spinal cord, bones, nerves, muscles, and joints.  

Physicians who specialize in PM&R are called “physiatrists.” Our team draws from a variety of treatment options, such as medications and therapy programs, to help patients:

  • Decrease pain
  • Improve performance
  • Return to an optimal level of independent functioning

PM&R Specialists at The NeuroMedical Center

Our team includes neurological experts as well as physical, occupational, and speech-language therapists who can work together to tailor a plan to treat the whole patient, not just the injury or problem area. 

They provide a range of non-surgical treatments, including electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies. With physicians working together across different specialties, our patients get the most advanced, effective neurorehabilitation programs currently available in Louisiana.

Get Around the Clock Care and Pain Management at Our Rehabilitation Hospital

Our NeuroMedical Center’s Rehabilitation Hospital, located on the 6th floor of The NeuroMedical Center, is a 27-bed facility that offers 24-hour care. This unique facility is designed to help patients with various neurological, neuromuscular, and medically-complex diagnoses improve function and achieve the highest level of independence.

When to See a PM&R Specialist

Consider seeing a PM&R specialist if:

  • You have severe pain that limits your activities and movement
  • You’ve been in an accident that has left you with pain or limited function
  • You’ve suffered a stroke or nerve damage
  • You’re dealing with chronic pain from a back or neck issue
  • You’re recovering from major surgery

Anyone dealing with physical limitations caused by a catastrophic injury or neurological condition needs specialized care from a physician who will take the time to find the best treatment for that patient’s specific needs.

Pain Medicine & Interventional Pain

Back and neck pain can keep you from doing the things you love most. The NeuroMedical Center’s Pain Medicine and Interventional Pain Specialists work to improve quality of life by providing minimally-invasive and maximally effective treatments for chronic back and neck pain conditions. 

Back and neck surgery can often be avoided with an interventional approach, or special procedures to treat and manage pain. We look for ways to minimize our patients’ dependence on opioids by exploring all non-surgical options to get them back on track, pain-free!

Interventional Pain Management Goals

When creating a treatment plan, we always keep our interventional pain management goals at the forefront. They include: 

  • Thoroughly assess and accurately diagnose your condition
  • Develop a comprehensive pain relief plan specific to your needs
  • Provide targeted treatments that deliver medicine to the source of your pain
  • “Turn off” pain signals or disrupt their communication
  • Reduce the amount of time pain is experienced and its severity
  • Reduce pain to allow for an increase in activities at home and at work
  • Improve the quality of life

Non-Surgical Treatment Options

The type of Interventional Pain Management treatment each patient receives is based on their condition and symptoms. Some of the most common interventional pain management techniques include:

The Spinal Hospital of Louisiana

The Spinal Hospital of Louisiana is a five-star hospital dedicated exclusively to spine-related pain management. The full range of pain management procedures are performed in five pain procedure suites located on the first floor of The NeuroMedical Center.  

The NeuroMedical Center’s Pain Management performs more than 7,200 procedures annually, utilizing the safest and most effective manners available, including fluoroscopic (x-ray) guidance, for excellent patient outcomes.

Meet The NeuroMedical Center's Pain Management Team

The NeuroMedical Center’s pain management specialists are dedicated to finding our patients the very best treatment, or combination of treatments to provide lasting pain relief and get you back to the life you know as quickly as possible.

William J. Graugnard, M.D.
Interventional Pain Specialist

Shaun M. Kuoni, M.D.
Interventional Pain Specialist

John E. Nyboer, M.D.
PM&R / Pain Medicine Specialist

Scott D. Nyboer, M.D.
PM&R / Pain Medicine Specialist

Samir K. Patel, M.D.
Interventional Pain Specialist

Jyoti S. Pham, M.D.
PM&R / Pain Medicine Specialist

Jake Trahan, III, M.D.
Interventional Pain Specialist

Jonathan D. Thompson, M.D.
PM&R/ Interventional Pain Specialist

KATE COSTANZA, PA-C

Kate Costanza, PA-C 
Pain Management

Michelle Dyess, PA-C 
Pain Management

Stephanie Guidry, FNP-C
Pain Management

Sarah Hammonds, PA-C 
Pain Management

Sara Hutchinson, PA-C
Pain Management

Daniel Boudreaux, PA-C 
Pain Management

EMILY LANIER, PA-C

Emily Wagner, PA-C 
Pain Management

Taylor Matherne, APRN, NP-C
Pain Management 

Amanda Iverson, PA-C 
Pain Management

The NeuroMedical Center's Chronic Pain & Opioid Medication Policy

Our goal when prescribing opiates is to reduce opioid usage while ensuring our patients continue to improve and experience a better quality of life. Many of our patients live with chronic neurological disorders; others suffer physical trauma and are on a long road to recovery. Our physicians recognize the delicate nature of opioid therapies and take pride in appropriately prescribing such medications. 

Although our physicians incorporate opioid therapy in treating some conditions and patients, opioids are never considered first-line therapy for chronic pain here at The NeuroMedical Center. You can read our full Chronic Pain & Opioid Medication Policy for more information or talk to your physician about any concerns you have.

Pain Does Not Have to Rule Your Life

There is no reason for pain to control your life. Pain may arise from a variety of sources, and this is why effective management of your symptoms often requires the expertise and coordinated efforts of a pain management physician along with other healthcare professionals. 

When you choose The NeuroMedical Center’s Pain Management department, our pain specialists work with other spine, brain, and nervous system specialists to come up with a realistic plan for you, specific to your unique situation, and the goals you’re hoping to achieve.  

With several pain management clinics located throughout South Louisiana, we bring effective and compassionate care from world-class providers closer to home.