Pain Medicine

Mayo Clinic's pain medicine specialists are experts in helping adults and children with a wide range of painful disorders. They listen to your concerns and develop a treatment plan for you to make sure you get the right therapy when you need it.

People with complex medical histories and pain syndromes might need more than one type of treatment and other approaches. Mayo Clinic's dedicated team of pain medicine experts carry out tens of thousands of procedures and surgeries each year. These healthcare professionals are experienced with the full range of options, including drug treatment, pain rehabilitation and management, injection therapies, and implantable pain management devices — such as spinal cord stimulators. Pediatric pain rehabilitation programs are offered at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

A team approach focused on you

Your pain medicine team members talk with you and answer your questions. They may consult with specialists in anesthesiology, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry and psychology, integrative medicine and health, or other areas to determine the best treatment for you. Your care team also may include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and clinical assistants — all working together in a focused effort on your treatment plan.

Mayo Clinic's team approach often means your test results are available quickly and appointments are scheduled in coordination. What might take months elsewhere may be done in days here.

Advanced diagnosis and treatment

The pain medicine team at Mayo Clinic includes doctors with advanced training in anesthesiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and neurology. These fellowship-trained experts also may have extra training in ultrasonography, fluoroscopy, facial pain, neurostimulation, palliative care, peripheral nerve stimulation and regenerative medicine.

Mayo Clinic pain medicine doctors offer the complete spectrum of advanced pain management therapies. These include the latest in interventional and injection therapies, medication evaluation and recommendation, rehabilitative approaches, implantable pain management devices, and regenerative therapies. The field of regenerative therapies is growing rapidly and includes treatments such as platelet-rich plasma and stem cell injections.

The combination of care providers from different backgrounds and access to many treatment options ensure that you receive comprehensive, innovative, supportive care and a treatment plan tailored to you.

Applying research to improve care

Mayo Clinic physician-scientists and other researchers seek new knowledge to improve therapies for people with chronic pain conditions. For example, one research group is looking at how stem cells can be used to repair damaged tissue in the disks of the spine. Because Mayo Clinic's pain medicine doctors are involved in research, they offer advanced therapies that are available at very few medical centers.

In addition, pain medicine doctors at Mayo Clinic are committed to conducting clinical research to improve diagnosis and treatment options for people with painful disorders. Talk with your doctor about innovative clinical trials that you might benefit you.

Expertise and rankings

Mayo Clinic is top-ranked in more specialties than any other hospital and has been recognized as an Honor Roll member according to the U.S. News & World Report's 2023-2024 "Best Hospitals" rankings.

Learn more about Mayo Clinic's quality rankings.