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Why Choose Mountain View Pain Center in Denver

• Board-certified pain management physicians
• Ten Denver-metro clinics with same-week availability
• Interventional, non-opioid treatment focus
• Chiropractic care and physical therapy in the same clinics
• Most major insurance, Medicare, Colorado Medicaid, workers' compensation, and auto/lien cases.

The Difference: One Building, One Plan

Most pain journeys in Denver look the same. Your primary care doctor refers you to a pain specialist. The pain specialist refers you to physical therapy across town. Physical therapy suggests chiropractic. Four weeks disappear into scheduling, and every handoff loses a little more of your story.

Mountain View Pain Center was built to remove the handoffs. Our Denver clinics house board-certified pain management physicians, licensed physical therapists, chiropractors and acupuncturists under one roof, working from one shared treatment plan. Your physician can see what your physical therapist documented that morning. Your chiropractor knows which spinal levels your imaging flagged. When something is not working, the plan changes that week — not at the next referral.

That coordination is also why our care is deliberately opioid-conscious. Image-guided procedures and hands-on rehabilitation come first. Medication management is one tool among several, not the strategy.

How Pain Management Works at Our Denver Clinics

1. Evaluation. A board-certified physician takes a full history, examines you, and reviews any imaging you already have. If you are not sure what kind of specialist you need, this explanation of what a physiatrist is is a good place to start.

2. Diagnosis. If we need imaging or a diagnostic injection to identify the true pain generator, we order it. We do not treat a guess. Our guide to when an MRI is actually useful for back pain explains how we decide.

3. Your plan. You leave your first visit knowing which disciplines you will see, how often, and what improvement should look like.

4. Coordinated treatment. Physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and interventional procedures — scheduled together, in one building, wherever possible.

Pain Conditions We Treat in Denver

We treat lower back pain, upper back pain, neck pain, sciatica and nerve pain, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, cervical radiculopathy, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, facet joint syndrome, discogenic pain, sacroiliac joint pain, piriformis syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, myofascial pain syndrome, headaches and migraines, shoulder pain, knee pain, arthritis, post-laminectomy syndrome, and numbness and tingling, among many other conditions.

Back Pain Treatment in Denver

Low back pain is the single most common reason people book with our Denver clinic. The examination comes first: we want to know whether the pain is coming from a disc, a facet joint, the sacroiliac joint, or muscle and movement patterns, because each of those responds to something different. Facet-mediated pain that worsens with extension is not treated the same way as a disc that hurts when you bend forward.

If conservative care is the right starting point, you begin with physical therapy or chiropractic in the same building. If imaging and the exam point to a specific pain generator, a diagnostic medial branch block or epidural steroid injection both confirms the source and treats it. Read more about lower back pain and upper back pain, or when an MRI is actually useful.

Neck Pain Treatment in Denver

Neck pain in Denver patients most often traces to cervical facet joints, a disc, or a nerve root — and sometimes to headaches that start at the base of the skull and are mistaken for migraine. We examine range of motion, neurological signs in the arm and hand, and provocative testing before deciding on treatment.

Cervical radiculopathy with arm symptoms is treated differently from mechanical neck pain that stays local. Options run from therapy and manual care through cervical epidural or medial branch injection. See our neck pain page for how each of these is diagnosed.

Sciatica and Nerve Pain in Denver

Pain that runs from the low back into the buttock and down the leg is a symptom, not a diagnosis. In Denver we see it caused by a lumbar disc pressing on a nerve root, by spinal stenosis narrowing the canal, and by piriformis or SI joint problems that mimic it. Treating all three the same way is why sciatica so often fails to resolve.

We localise the level, then treat it — transforaminal epidural injection for a confirmed radiculopathy, targeted therapy for the rest. More on sciatica and nerve pain and herniated disc.

Shoulder Pain Treatment in Denver

Rotator cuff tendinopathy, impingement, adhesive capsulitis and cervical referral all present as shoulder pain, and the examination separates them. In Denver we test the cuff directly, screen the neck, and image when the findings warrant it rather than by default.

Depending on what we find, care may be therapy-led, or start with a subacromial or glenohumeral injection to break the pain cycle so therapy can work. See shoulder pain treatment.

Hip Pain Treatment in Denver

Hip pain sends people to the wrong specialist more than almost any other complaint, because hip joint pain, greater trochanteric pain, SI joint dysfunction and lumbar referral overlap. Groin pain usually means the joint; lateral pain usually does not.

Our Denver evaluation distinguishes them before treatment, which may include therapy, image-guided intra-articular or bursal injection, or SI joint treatment when that is the true source.

Pain Treatments We Offer

Depending on your diagnosis, your Denver pain specialist may recommend epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, joint injections, trigger point injections, or other minimally invasive procedures — always paired with rehabilitation so relief lasts. Learn more about our pain management approach.

A few things worth knowing about how these are used:

• Epidural steroid injections are most often used for radiating leg or arm pain caused by a disc or by stenosis, where inflammation around a nerve root is doing the damage.
• Medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation are a paired diagnostic-then-treatment sequence for facet-mediated back and neck pain. The block tells us whether the facet joints are the source; the ablation gives longer relief if they are.
• Joint injections target the shoulder, hip, knee or sacroiliac joint directly, and are frequently used to make a joint tolerant enough of movement that physical therapy can finally work.
• Trigger point injections address the muscular component that almost always accompanies a long-standing spine problem.

If you are weighing a procedure against an operation, our comparison of a herniated disc injection versus surgery lays out the trade-offs honestly.

Physical Therapy, Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Denver

Every Mountain View Pain Center clinic in Denver offers all four disciplines, which is unusual. It means your plan can shift between them without a new referral or a new waiting list.

• Physical therapy in Denver — Colorado is a direct-access state, so you can begin PT without a physician referral.
• Chiropractic care in Denver — spinal adjustment and manual therapy, coordinated with your medical plan rather than separate from it.
• Acupuncture in Denver — often used for neuropathic pain, headaches, and patients who respond poorly to medication.
• Car accident injury treatment in Denver — including whiplash, with same-week visits and documentation for your claim.

Not sure which you need? Our comparison of a chiropractor versus a physical therapist is the plain-English version.

Our Denver-Area Pain Clinics

Central Park, Denver — 4660 Yosemite St #200, Denver, CO 80238 — (720) 749-5599 Serving Central Park, Stapleton, Park Hill, Northfield and northeast Denver.

Downtown Denver — 789 Sherman St #315, Denver, CO 80203 — (720) 749-5599 Serving Downtown, LoDo, Capitol Hill, RiNo, Five Points, Baker and the Golden Triangle.

Lowry, Denver — 63 North Quebec Street #300, Denver, CO 80230 — (720) 749-5599 Serving Lowry, Hilltop, Mayfair, Montclair, Glendale and east Denver. The clinic is on the third floor above Chase Bank; use the entrance between Torchy's and the Girl Scout DreamLab.

Elsewhere across the metro:

• Northglenn — 11990 Grant Street #400 — (720) 749-5599
• East Aurora (Southlands) — 6155 S Main St #220, Aurora — (720) 749-5599
• Southeast Aurora — 15901 E Briarwood Cir Suite 150, Aurora — (720) 749-5599
• Highlands Ranch — 640 Plaza Dr #270 — (720) 749-5599
• Lakewood — 165 S Union Blvd Suite 400 — (720) 749-5599
• Littleton — 5920 S Estes St Suite 220 — (720) 749-5599
• Lone Tree — 10375 Park Meadows Dr #270 — (720) 749-5599

All Denver-metro clinics are open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Friday, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. See the full clinic map for everywhere else we practice in Colorado and Arizona.

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Who You'll See in Denver

Every Denver patient is treated by named, credentialed clinicians. Interventional pain medicine across Colorado is led by Shaun Gabriel, MD, our Medical Director, and Matthew Gray, MD — both double board-certified and fellowship-trained in interventional pain.

Central Park — Calla Lopez, PA-C and Kelsey Pogatetz, PA-C handle pain management. Grant Johnson, DC provides chiropractic care. Francesca Fell, DPT leads physical therapy with Danelle Steele, PTA and Cayla Enger, PTA. William Ferguson, L.Ac provides acupuncture.

Lowry — Valeria Teplyakova, PA-C, Hailey Bojack, PA-C and Audrey Anderson, PA-C handle pain management. Ricardo Sauceda, DC provides chiropractic care. Lauren Hofman, DPT and Eric McNally, DPT lead physical therapy with Royce Oliveria, PTA and Margaret Merkling, PTA.

Downtown Denver — Alexa Brady, DC and Nathan Peterson, DC provide chiropractic care. Matthew Harper, PT leads physical therapy with Marco Gomez, PTA and Cayla Egner, PTA. Mark Holmberg, MT provides massage therapy.

Not sure who to book with, or which service you need first? Central scheduling at (720) 749-5599 will match you to the right provider at the closest Denver clinic. You can also browse every Colorado pain management provider or see the full provider directory.

Insurance, Referrals and Cost

We accept Aetna, Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare and Colorado Medicaid, among others, and we verify your benefits before your first visit. We also treat workers' compensation cases and auto injury cases, including lien cases. Full details are on our insurance page.

Most patients can schedule directly, without a referral. Some insurance plans require a referral for coverage — not for the appointment — which is exactly the sort of thing we check for you in advance. Call (720) 749-5599 and we will confirm before you come in.

Also see chiropractic care in Denver, physical therapy in Denver and car accident care.

Call (720) 749-5599 to book at a Denver-metro clinic.

When Is It Time to See a Pain Specialist?

Most back and neck pain improves on its own within a few weeks. It is worth being evaluated when any of the following is true:

• Pain has lasted more than six weeks without meaningful improvement
• Pain radiates into an arm or leg, or comes with numbness, tingling or weakness
• You have already tried rest, over-the-counter medication and general exercise without result
• Pain is interrupting your sleep, your work, or your ability to exercise
• You have had imaging that showed something, but no one has explained what to do about it
• You were told surgery is the next step and you would like a non-surgical opinion first

None of these are emergencies. All of them are reasons to be seen sooner rather than later, because the longer a pain pattern persists, the more the surrounding muscles, movement habits and sleep get pulled into it.

Injection, Therapy, or Surgery?

It is the question almost every new patient arrives with, and the honest answer is that it depends on what is generating the pain — which is why diagnosis comes before treatment here.

Broadly: rehabilitation is the right starting point when the problem is mechanical, and it is what makes any other treatment hold. Injections are most useful when inflammation or a specific joint is blocking your ability to do that rehabilitation, or when a diagnostic answer is needed. Surgery is appropriate for a minority of cases — progressive neurological deficit, instability, or a structural problem that has genuinely failed conservative care.

What we will not do is send you toward a procedure without first establishing that it targets the thing actually causing your pain.

Denver Pain Management FAQs

Do I need a referral to see a pain specialist in Denver?

Most patients can schedule directly. Some insurance plans require a referral for coverage — call (720) 749-5599 and we will verify your benefits before your visit.

How soon can I get an appointment?

Same-week appointments are often available across our ten Denver-metro clinics, Monday through Thursday 8am-6pm and Friday 8am-1pm.

Which Denver clinic is closest to me?

With ten metro locations from Northglenn to Highlands Ranch, most Denver-area patients are within a short drive of an MVPC clinic. See the full clinic map.

Will I be put on opioids?

Our approach is interventional and rehabilitative first. Medication management is available where it is clinically appropriate, and it is not the default. You can read our opioid disclaimer for more.

Do I have to see all four disciplines?

No. Many patients only ever see one. The advantage of the integrated model is that if you do need another discipline, it is already in the building and already reading the same chart.

Do you treat car accident injuries in Denver?

Yes. Our car accident injury treatment in Denver includes same-week visits, and lien cases are OK.

What should I bring to my first appointment?

Photo ID, your insurance card, any prior imaging (on disc or through a patient portal), and a list of your current medications. If you were injured in a crash or at work, bring your claim number.

How long is the first visit?

Plan for a full evaluation rather than a quick check-in. Your physician will take a history, examine you, review imaging, and leave you with a plan before you go.

Who will I actually see?

Our Denver clinics are staffed by board-certified pain management physicians alongside physical therapists, chiropractors and acupuncturists. You can read about our providers before you book.

Do you accept Medicare and Colorado Medicaid?

Yes, along with most major commercial plans, workers' compensation, and auto and lien cases. We verify your specific benefits before your visit.

Still have a question? Call (720) 749-5599, or request an appointment online and we will call you.