Pain Management Center
The Columbia Pain Management Center provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for patients with acute and chronic pain. Our team of fellowship-trained interventional pain physicians, pain psychologists, and allied health professionals delivers individualized, evidence-based treatment plans designed to improve function, restore quality of life, and enhance overall well-being.
Recognizing that pain is influenced by biological, psychological, and lifestyle factors, we integrate advanced interventional procedures with medication management, behavioral health, acupuncture, health coaching, and nutritional support to address the full spectrum of pain and its contributing conditions, including metabolic and obesity-related disease. Through close collaboration across specialties, we provide coordinated, patient-centered care tailored to each individual's needs.
The Center also offers consultation for select pediatric patients (ages 10–18) with complex chronic pain conditions or persistent post-surgical pain. Pediatric consultations are considered on a case-by-case basis following comprehensive review and are conducted in close partnership with referring pediatric specialists to ensure thoughtful patient selection and seamless continuity of care.
CONDITIONS WE TREAT
- Chronic Spinal pain and radiculopathy
- Post-surgical pain syndromes
- Headache and Migraines
- Abdominal pain syndromes
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Neuropathic pain (peripheral and central)
- Pelvic pain and pudendal neuralgia
- Myofascial pain syndromes
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Connective tissue disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Cranial nerve neuralgias
- Phantom Pain Syndrome
- Peripheral nerve disease and neuropathy of diabetes and other diseases
- Headache disorders (including occipital neuralgia)
- Cancer-related pain
- Musculoskeletal and degenerative spine conditions
Although a diagnosis or condition may be focused on a particular region or body part, we know that pain often is not limited to a single body system. We care for our patients with a comprehensive, “whole body” approach.
PROCEDURES AND TREATMENTS OFFERED
- Pre-surgical pain management consultation
- Image-guided spinal injections (epidural steroid injections, transforaminal injections, caudal epidural and selective nerve root blocks)
- Facet joint interventions (medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation of medial branches in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine)
- Sacroiliac joint injections and ablation
- Peripheral nerve blocks (including pudendal, occipital, intercostal, and others)
- Cranial nerve blocks (facial/trigeminal/glossopharyngeal and others)
- Sympathetic blocks (stellate ganglion, celiac plexus, lumbar sympathetic, ganglion impar)
- Trigger point injections and myofascial pain treatments
- Neuromodulation (spinal cord stimulation, dorsal root ganglion stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation)
- Intrathecal drug delivery systems (pain pumps and trials)
- Minimally invasive spine interventions (MILD/Vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, Basivertebral nerve ablation)
- Infusion therapies for select chronic pain conditions (e.g., ketamine, lidocaine)
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Joint and bursa injections with ultrasound and other x-ray guidance
- Infusion treatments with lidocaine and others
- Botox acupuncture
- Nutrition, supplements and metabolic management
- Menopause and Women’s health
- Integrative medicine services
- Behavioral therapy with Pain Psychology
OUR PROVIDERS
Dr. Nnamdi Abalihi is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and an interventional pain medicine specialist dedicated to the comprehensive management of acute and chronic pain. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, a residency in Anesthesiology at Columbia University and completed fellowship training in Interventional Pain Medicine at Weill Cornell. Dr. Abalihi provides evidence-based, patient-centered care through a thoughtful, multidisciplinary approach that integrates advanced image-guided interventional procedures with medical management, and collaborative specialty care. He believes that the most effective pain treatment is individualized, balancing technical precision with careful clinical judgment to improve function, reduce suffering, and enhance quality of life. His clinical interests include minimally invasive spine interventions, neuromodulation, and the treatment of complex chronic pain conditions. As an academic physician, Dr. Abalihi is committed to delivering innovative, evidence-based care while advancing education, multidisciplinary collaboration, and excellence in pain medicine.
Dr. Bawany is a board certified emergency medicine and interventional pain physician. He specializes in the comprehensive evaluation and comprehensive management of complex pain conditions stemming from cancer, and non-cancer related conditions of the spine and non-spinal sources.
Dr. Chaois a board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician specializing in the comprehensive management of complex cancer-related and non-cancer pain. Her expertise spans spine and non-spine conditions, utilizing advanced interventional techniques alongside a multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach to improve function, restore quality of life, and optimize long-term outcomes
Dr. Mathew is a board-certified physician specializing in the comprehensive management of complex chronic pain through an integrative, evidence-based approach. She combines advanced precision image-guided interventional techniques with metabolic and lifestyle-focused strategies to address underlying drivers of pain. In addition to her procedural expertise, Dr. Mathew incorporates principles of functional medicine and acupuncture into individualized treatment plans, emphasizing nutrition, inflammation-focused assessment, minimally invasive alternatives to surgery, and multimodal non-opioid strategies aimed at restoring function and optimizing long-term quality of life.
Dr. Patricia Wang, MD is a board-certified physician specializing in the diagnosis and comprehensive management of acute and chronic pain. She delivers evidence-based, patient-centered care by integrating advanced image-guided interventional procedures with multimodal medical management, behavioral health strategies, and complementary therapies to restore function and improve quality of life. As part of the multidisciplinary team at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Dr. Wang develops individualized treatment plans for patients with complex pain conditions, emphasizing minimally invasive therapies, thoughtful collaboration across medical and surgical specialties, and the latest advances in pain medicine. Her clinical approach is guided by the understanding that effective pain management extends beyond symptom relief to improving mobility, independence, and overall well-being. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Wang is committed to medical education, clinical innovation, and research. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of pain physicians and advancing evidence-based, compassionate care through academic scholarship and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Dr. Weinberger is board-certified in Pain Medicine, Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He specializes in the comprehensive evaluation and management of complex chronic pain conditions, including both spine and non-spine disorders. Drawing on his multidisciplinary training, he integrates advanced interventional techniques with medical optimization and palliative principles to deliver individualized, compassionate care focused on improving function, comfort, and overall quality of life.
Dr. Sonty is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialization in pain management and behavioral medicine. Dr. Sonty evaluates and treats the psychological aspects of many chronic pain conditions, including headache disorders. She performs pre-surgical behavioral evaluations for implantable devices and offers individual psychotherapy for those suffering from chronic pain and other chronic medical illnesses. She also is experienced in using biofeedback for pain disorders.
Dr. Tsui is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with individuals who suffer from chronic pain since 2001. She treats patients with an approach that considers psychological, biological, and social factors, and, as a practitioner of cognitive behavioral therapy, she often teaches patients to elicit the relaxation response and to manage stress. She incorporates elements of mindfulness meditation, hypnosis, and biofeedback into her practice, with the goal of pain reduction, improving quality of life, and restoring function. She also is engaged in training future physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and psychologists.