Pain Management

Washington University Pain Center

The Pain Center was established to provide relief for those who suffer from chronic and acute pain. We provide our patients with individualized treatment and the most advanced services available. The primary goals of treatment include:

• Decreasing pain
• Increasing mobility
• Diminishing dependency on pain medication
• Decreasing medical complications of pain
• Decreasing length of hospital stays and frequency of visits
• Allowing patients to be involved in their own pain management

Our primary office is located on the Washington University School of Medicine Campus. We are on the 10th floor of the Center for Advanced Medicine. This office is affiliated with Barnes-Jewish Hospital. We also have a suburban office which is located in Creve Coeur, at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. This office is affiliated with Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital.

Pain Medicine Fellowship

The Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University School of Medicine, together with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, sponsor an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Anesthesiology Pain Medicine. Through this fellowship training program, we are committed to providing top-quality experience to pain management fellowship trainees, with a balanced exposure to acute, chronic, and cancer pain. Washington University Pain Fellowship is a rounded training program with tailored didactics, strong interventional exposures, and a work-life balance. Currently, we have three adult pain fellows per year. We built our program on a collegial/family culture and have a small 1:4 fellow-to-faculty ratio. By training here, you’ll be part of our Washington University Pain family.  

Adult & Pediatric Pain Dual Fellowship

The Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University School of Medicine, together with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, sponsor an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Anesthesiology Pain Medicine. There is now an option for a pediatric-focused track through this training program. The fellow on this combined track will care for both children and adults experiencing acute and chronic pain, and spend half of their time in pediatric pain and other half on adult pain management. The fellow will be eligible to sit for the ABA Pain Board upon completion of his/her training. Currently, we have one adult/pediatric pain fellow per year.  

Featured News

Can we predict who will develop migraine headaches? (Links to an external site)

Dr. Nahman-Averbuch is leading two studies to help predict who is at risk of developing migraine disorder, and to identify the changes in brain connectivity and hormone levels that precede the onset of migraine headaches in adolescents.

WashU’s Anesthesiology Residency and Fellowship Classes Celebrate Graduates

WashU’s Anesthesiology residency and fellowship classes came together in June to celebrate the accomplishments of their graduates.

Study targets kappa opioid receptor to develop more effective drugs for pain management

In a study published in Nature Communications in March 2023, researchers from the Center for Clinical Pharmacology unveil promising research in the development of more effective, less addictive, and safer pain management drugs.