When I founded SEVA Healthcare, I had one goal: to build a team of specialists who treat every patient the way they would want their own family treated. Finding a physician who lives that standard is not easy. Finding one who has lived chronic pain himself — and who came home to New Mexico specifically to serve this community — is extraordinary.
It is my honor to welcome Dr. Justin F. Averna, DO to the SEVA Healthcare family. Dr. Averna now sees patients at our New Mexico clinics in Santa Fe and Albuquerque — bringing board-certified, fellowship-trained interventional pain medicine to patients across the state who deserve exactly this level of care.
A doctor who understands chronic pain from the inside
What makes Dr. Averna different from most pain specialists begins with a chapter of his own life that most of his patients will find deeply familiar.
At the age of 17, Dr. Averna underwent his first spine surgery. Two more procedures would follow. Long before he ever treated a patient with chronic pain, he was one — navigating the healthcare system, the uncertainty, the frustration of not always feeling heard, and the hard work of recovery.
Those experiences did not just shape his empathy. They became the foundation of his entire approach to medicine. Dr. Averna does not see patients as diagnoses or imaging findings. He sees them as people — people who deserve a physician who genuinely understands what it feels like to live with pain, and who will not stop looking for answers until those people feel better.
"My own experiences as a patient shaped my empathetic, patient-first approach and my commitment to ensuring every patient feels heard, understood, and empowered."
Training and credentials
Dr. Averna's academic record is exceptional — and his path back to New Mexico is a story of intentional commitment to the community he grew up in.
What Dr. Averna treats in Santa Fe and Albuquerque
As an interventional pain physician with dual board certification in Pain Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Dr. Averna brings a uniquely comprehensive skill set to SEVA Healthcare New Mexico. His expertise spans both the interventional procedures that provide targeted pain relief and the rehabilitation perspective that helps patients restore function and quality of life long-term.
Why this matters for patients in Santa Fe and Albuquerque
New Mexico has long been underserved when it comes to advanced, minimally invasive pain management. Patients in Santa Fe and Albuquerque have historically had to travel significant distances — often to Dallas or beyond — to access the kind of board-certified, fellowship-trained interventional pain care that major metro areas take for granted.
That changes now. With Dr. Averna joining SEVA Healthcare New Mexico, patients across Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and the surrounding communities have access to the same standard of care that has made SEVA Healthcare one of the most trusted pain management networks in Texas and Oklahoma — delivered by a physician who grew up here, trained here, and chose to build his career here.
Dr. Averna is not just joining a clinic. He is joining a mission — one that SEVA Healthcare has been building for over a decade: that every patient, regardless of where they live, deserves access to world-class, compassionate pain care that treats the whole person, not just the symptom.
"Justin brings something rare — the clinical excellence of a top-trained interventional specialist combined with the perspective of someone who has personally navigated chronic pain. Our New Mexico patients are in exceptional hands. I could not be more proud to welcome him to the SEVA family."— Dr. Jayen Patel, Founder, SEVA Healthcare
Professional affiliations
- American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Spine Intervention Society
- American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians
- North American Neuromodulation Society
- Presbyterian Hospital
Book with Dr. Averna in Santa Fe or Albuquerque
Dr. Averna is now seeing new patients at SEVA Healthcare New Mexico. Same-week appointments available. Most insurance accepted including Medicare.
