- SEVA Healthcare in Tulsa is staffed by 9 board-certified pain management providers across two clinics — the largest interventional pain team in the city.
- Six are fellowship-trained MDs/DOs in pain medicine, anesthesiology, PM&R, or orthopedic spine. Three are advanced practice providers (APRN/CNP) who run day-to-day follow-up and medication management.
- Combined training pedigree spans Harvard, Yale, Rush, Mayo Clinic, Stanford, and UNM — a level of fellowship depth uncommon outside academic medical centers.
- This guide compares all 9 providers side-by-side and helps you pick the right one for your specific condition: back pain , sciatica , knee pain , diabetic neuropathy , migraine, and complex spine.
- Same-week appointments at both SEVA Tulsa Midtown and South Sheridan. Most commercial insurance, Medicare, Oklahoma SoonerCare, MVA, and OK workers’ comp accepted.
If you have been searching “best pain management doctor in Tulsa” and ended up looking at a list of nine clinics that all sound interchangeable, this guide will help. I am Dr. Jayen Patel, founder of SEVA Healthcare and a board-certified pain management physician practicing in Tulsa for more than 15 years. Below is an honest, structured comparison of the nine pain management providers on our Tulsa team — what each of us trained in, what we specialize in, and which patient profile each of us serves best.
If you don’t want to read the full guide, jump straight to the side-by-side comparison table or call (918) 935-3240 and our intake team will match you with the right provider based on your condition.
How to evaluate a pain management doctor in Tulsa
There are roughly two dozen physicians and APRNs in Tulsa County who advertise “pain management.” They are not equivalent. Before comparing names, here is the framework I would use as a patient:
Look for certification by the American Board of Anesthesiology, ABPMR, ABPN, or ABOS in the specific subspecialty of Pain Medicine. “Board-certified” alone is not the same. The American Academy of Pain Medicine maintains the directory of subspecialty-certified physicians.
ACGME-accredited pain fellowship is the dividing line between general anesthesiology and modern interventional pain practice. Procedures like transforaminal epidurals and SCS are taught in fellowship.
Spine injections and joint procedures should be performed under live fluoroscopy or ultrasound — not blind. Image guidance is what separates precise medication delivery from a guess.
Look for a practice that offers everything from facet RFA up through spinal cord stimulation and genicular artery embolization — so referral churn doesn’t become its own delay. The North American Neuromodulation Society publishes outcome benchmarks for SCS programs.
For complex spine cases that fail injections, having a fellowship-trained spine surgeon on the same team avoids a months-long referral. Few Tulsa pain clinics have this in-house.
A modern pain doctor reduces or replaces chronic opioids using neuromodulation and targeted procedures — not extends them indefinitely. Ask the practice about their opioid taper philosophy.
The reason I built this directory is that I see Tulsa patients every week who have been “managed” for years without anyone identifying the structure generating their pain. The right pain doctor for you is the one whose fellowship training and procedural focus match your specific anatomy. A neuropathy patient, a failed-back-surgery patient, and a sacroiliac patient should not all see the same provider by default. Use this guide to match yourself to the right person on our team — or to evaluate any other Tulsa practice you are considering.
The 9 SEVA Tulsa pain management providers at a glance
Tap any name to jump to that provider’s detailed profile below.
| # | Provider | Credentials | Subspecialty | Best for | Tulsa clinic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Jayen Patel, MD | Anesthesiology, Pain Mgmt (ABA) | Interventional pain, SCS, neuromodulation | Failed back surgery, refractory chronic pain | Midtown, South Sheridan |
| 2 | Dr. Amit Mirchandani, MD | Double-boarded Anesthesiology + Pain Med | Spine procedures, image-guided injections, RFA | Sciatica, facet pain, herniated disc | Midtown, South Sheridan |
| 3 | Dr. Alex Pham, MD | Pain Management Physician (ABA) | Back/neck pain, neuropathic pain | Chronic back pain, nerve pain | Midtown, South Sheridan |
| 4 | Dr. David Do, MD | Anesthesiology, Pain Mgmt | Pain & anesthesia, interventional procedures | Multimodal chronic pain | Midtown, South Sheridan |
| 5 | Dr. Cara Guariglia, MD | Pain Med + Addiction Medicine (Stanford, Mayo) | Spine & neuropathic pain, addiction medicine | Patients on opioids needing taper + pain control | Midtown, South Sheridan |
| 6 | Dr. Aileen H. Padilla, DO, MBA | PM&R + Pain Medicine (double-boarded) | Minimally invasive spine, neuromodulation, SI joint | SI joint dysfunction, MILD/Vertiflex candidates | Midtown, South Sheridan |
| 7 | Dr. Babajide Ogunseinde, MD | Orthopedic Spine Surgeon (FAAOS, ABPS) · Harvard | Minimally invasive spine surgery, SI joint fusion | Complex spine after failed conservative care | Midtown, South Sheridan |
| 8 | Ruby Thomas, APRN-CNP | APRN-CNP (Pain + Addiction) | Chronic pain follow-up, opioid recovery | Medication management, OUD support | Midtown, South Sheridan |
| 9 | Christa McKellar, APRN | Family NP (APRN) | Preventive care, hormone therapy, weight mgmt | Whole-patient care alongside pain treatment | Midtown |
Meet each Tulsa provider
Dr. Jayen Patel, MD
Founder of SEVA Healthcare and recognized among the Three Best Rated pain physicians in Tulsa. Boston University MD, NYU/Bellevue residency, ABA board-certified. Specializes in ultrasound-guided nerve blocks, spinal decompression, and spinal cord stimulation for refractory chronic pain.
Dr. Amit Mirchandani, MD
Yale University residency, Rush University fellowship — two of the top US pain medicine programs. Specializes in minimally invasive spine procedures, image-guided injections, radiofrequency ablation, and neuromodulation for refractory back, neck, and joint pain. Author of multiple SevaPedia clinical guides including the sciatica and knee replacement alternatives series.
Dr. Alex Pham, MD
Comprehensive, patient-centered care for back pain, nerve pain, and chronic pain. Performs the full ladder of interventional pain procedures — epidural injections, medial branch blocks, RFA, peripheral nerve stimulation — with a focus on functional restoration rather than indefinite medication.
Dr. David Do, MD
Dual training in anesthesiology and pain management. Provides personalized, minimally invasive treatments for back pain, nerve pain, and chronic pain. Particularly strong on multimodal pain plans that combine procedural intervention with optimized medication management.
Dr. Cara Guariglia, MD
Stanford-trained MD with Mayo Clinic fellowship. One of the few Tulsa pain physicians with formal training in both interventional pain and addiction medicine — ideal for patients who need a structured opioid taper alongside non-opioid pain control. Treats spine pain, neuropathic pain, and complex chronic pain syndromes.
Dr. Aileen H. Padilla, DO, MBA
Board-certified in both Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine — a combination that's particularly valuable for patients whose pain has a strong functional or rehabilitative component. Specializes in minimally invasive spine procedures, neuromodulation (SCS, PNS), and image-guided treatment of sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Holds an MBA in addition to her clinical training.
Dr. Babajide Ogunseinde, MD, FAAOS, ABPS
Harvard-trained, fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (FAAOS) and American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS). One of the few Tulsa-area spine surgeons embedded full-time in a pain management practice — which means patients who escalate beyond injections can be evaluated for minimally invasive spine surgery without months of referral delay. Specializes in SI joint fusion and minimally invasive lumbar/cervical procedures.
Ruby Thomas, APRN-CNP
Provides compassionate pain management and addiction treatment in Tulsa, with a focus on chronic pain follow-up visits, opioid recovery support, and holistic patient-centered treatment. Works in close collaboration with the physician team — particularly valuable for patients who need frequent follow-up between procedures.
Christa McKellar, APRN
Board-certified family nurse practitioner providing preventive care, hormone therapy, weight management, and patient-centered treatment alongside the SEVA pain team. Especially valuable for patients whose chronic pain coexists with metabolic, hormonal, or general-health issues that often go unaddressed in pain-only practices.
How to pick the right SEVA Tulsa provider for your condition
Not sure which of the nine to start with? Here is how our intake team triages new patients by primary symptom:
| If your primary problem is… | Best matches on our Tulsa team |
|---|---|
| Chronic low back pain / sciatica | Mirchandani, Pham, Patel, Padilla |
| Failed back surgery / refractory pain | Patel (SCS), Mirchandani, Padilla, Ogunseinde (revision spine) |
| Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain | Padilla (SI joint specialist), Ogunseinde (fusion) |
| Diabetic neuropathy / nerve pain | Patel (10 kHz SCS for PDN), Mirchandani, Pham — see our PDN guide |
| Knee arthritis | Mirchandani, Patel ( GAE , PRP, genicular RFA) |
| Chronic migraine / headache | Patel, Mirchandani (Botox PREEMPT, occipital nerve block) |
| Currently on chronic opioids, want a plan | Guariglia (addiction medicine + pain), Ruby Thomas (NP support) |
| Complex spine needing surgical evaluation | Ogunseinde (Harvard-trained spine surgeon) |
| General pain + need primary-care coordination | Christa McKellar (FNP) alongside your physician |
Where the Tulsa team practices
SEVA Healthcare Midtown · 2811 East 15th Street, Suite 102, Tulsa, OK 74104 · (918) 935-3240
SEVA Healthcare South Sheridan · 6048-A South Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74145 · (918) 935-3240
Frequently asked questions
Tap any question to expand. The most common questions Tulsa patients ask when choosing a pain management doctor.
See a top-rated pain management doctor in Tulsa this week
Our intake team will match you with the right provider based on your symptoms, imaging, and prior treatment history. Same-week consultations at Midtown and South Sheridan.
Informational only; not medical advice. Written by Dr. Jayen Patel, MD , board-certified pain management physician and founder of SEVA Healthcare. Medically reviewed by Dr. Amit Mirchandani, MD. Last updated June 17, 2026. Provider roster verified against live SEVA Healthcare pages as of publication.
