Pain medicine · 2026
Chronic pain management,
evidence-based, opioid-sparing.
Image-guided injections, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation, neuromodulation, regenerative options and integrative acupuncture at Class A pain medicine departments. Opioid-sparing pathway with bilingual home-team handover.
$450–2,200
Image-guided injection
Epidural, facet, SI, sympathetic block per level
Partner clinic quotes 2024
$1,200–2,800
Radiofrequency ablation
Per side, for facet-mediated pain
Partner clinic quotes 2024
Class A
Pain departments
PUMC, Zhongshan, Huashan pain medicine
NHC ratings
Acupuncture
Guideline-supported
ACP / NICE recommend for chronic low back pain
ACP 2017 / NICE 2020
Opioid-sparing
Editorial policy
Multimodal pain management; long-term opioids only as last resort
Service standard
Bilingual
Pain plan + handover
Procedure log + home pain physician handover
Service standard
Tiers & pricing
Six tiers, transparent pricing.
Pain assessment + workup
Multidisciplinary pain consult, MRI / imaging review, BPI / NRS / ODI assessment, plan.
$650–1,400
Image-guided injection
Epidural, facet, SI, occipital, sympathetic block, joint injection.
$450–2,200 / level
Radiofrequency ablation
Medial branch RFA for facet pain, genicular RFA for knee, RF for SI, occipital RFA.
$1,200–2,800 / side
Spinal cord stimulation
Trial + permanent SCS for failed back surgery, CRPS, neuropathic pain. Boston Sci, Abbott, Medtronic.
$22,000–38,000
Pain pump (intrathecal)
Programmable intrathecal pump for severe refractory pain. Rare but available.
$30,000–45,000
Acupuncture / TCM
Guideline-recommended for chronic LBP, knee OA, chronic neck pain, headache.
$45–95 / session
Top hospitals
Six centres
open to international patients.
PUMC Pain Medicine 北京协和医院
Academic pain medicine · all interventional procedures · multidisciplinary clinic
Zhongshan Pain Medicine 中山医院
Class A · large pain department · SCS and intrathecal pump program
Huashan Pain Medicine 华山医院
Class A · neurology + pain integration · neuropathic pain expertise
Beijing Tiantan Hospital Pain 天坛医院
Headache and neuropathic pain · intracranial neuromodulation experience
United Family Hospitals 和睦家
JCI · expat-focused · routine injection therapy + multidisciplinary pain
TCM specialty hospitals 中医医院
Acupuncture, tuina, cupping for chronic pain · drug-interaction screened
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
- Why China for chronic pain?
- Three reasons: (1) Cost — image-guided injection or RFA at top Chinese pain centres runs 60–75% below US private pain clinics; (2) Integrative TCM — acupuncture is recommended as a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain in ACP 2017 and NICE 2020 guidelines, and Chinese pain centres routinely offer it alongside Western interventional pain; (3) Volume — Class A pain medicine departments perform tens of thousands of interventional procedures per year, often exceeding Western private pain clinics in case volume.
- What is your editorial position on opioids?
- Opioid-sparing. We follow CDC 2022 / IASP guidance: chronic non-cancer pain management should prioritise multimodal therapy (interventional, physical therapy, behavioural, integrative) over long-term opioid therapy. Where opioids are needed (cancer pain, palliative care, post-op acute), they are prescribed at lowest effective dose for shortest necessary duration. We do not coordinate Chinese controlled-substance prescription continuity into countries where the agent is restricted; long-term opioid therapy is best managed by your home pain physician.
- What conditions are most commonly treated?
- Top indications: chronic low back pain (mechanical, discogenic, facet-mediated, SI joint); cervical / neck pain and cervicogenic headache; lumbar / cervical radiculopathy; failed back surgery syndrome; complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS); diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia; chronic knee osteoarthritis (regenerative + RFA + injection); chronic migraine and tension-type headache (Botox, occipital nerve stimulation, neuromodulation). Pelvic pain and pudendal neuralgia are less commonly treated due to lower volume.
- What about regenerative pain therapies?
- PRP for tendinopathy and selected facet / knee OA: modest published evidence; offered selectively. Stem cell injections for back pain or joint pain: investigational with mixed evidence; we present as experimental and decline to recommend as first-line. Hyaluronic acid (viscosupplementation) for knee OA: NMPA-approved with weaker evidence than published in earlier trials. Prolotherapy: limited evidence; not routinely recommended.
- What about long-term continuity?
- Pain management is typically long-term. Standard handover: bilingual procedure note (with fluoroscopy / ultrasound images) for each interventional procedure; medication list with proposed taper; bilingual home-exercise and physiotherapy plan; recommended follow-up schedule with home pain physician. For repeat procedures (e.g. genicular RFA q12 months), we coordinate annual return trips or refer to a partner pain physician closer to home.
- Is there a multi-disciplinary pain program?
- Yes — Class A pain centres run multi-disciplinary clinics combining pain medicine, anaesthesia, neurology, physiatry / rehabilitation medicine, and clinical psychology / behavioural medicine. For complex chronic pain (FBSS, CRPS, refractory neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia), MDT review is standard before invasive intervention. Cognitive-behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction are increasingly available in English at expat-focused hospitals.
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Read the guideOrthopedic Surgery
When surgery becomes the right answer.
Read the guideAcupuncture
Guideline-supported indications and centre selection.
Read the guideRecords Translation
Bilingual pain assessment and procedure documentation.
Read the guideSecond Opinion
Independent pain medicine second opinion from $250.
Read the guideSend your imaging
for a written pain plan.
Upload your imaging, pain history and current medication. We return a written multidisciplinary plan from a partner pain physician — including which interventional, conservative and integrative options apply to your case.
This page is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Chronic pain management is a long-term partnership; we do not promise pain elimination. Acute severe pain with neurological deficit is a medical emergency.