Desert Pain Specialists

What Desert Pain Specialists does

Desert Pain Specialists is a private, physician-led interventional pain management medical practice founded in 2008 and headquartered in St. George, Utah. The practice operates 11 clinic locations spanning Southern Utah and Nevada, including St. George, Cedar City, Kanab, Hurricane, Panguitch, Beaver, Richfield, Fillmore, Mesquite, Overton, and an affiliated site in Draper, with several rural satellite clinics operating on limited weekly schedules to extend specialty care access into underserved areas. Its clinical portfolio encompasses diagnostic procedures (discography, EMG/nerve conduction studies, fluoroscopic imaging) and interventional treatments including cervical, lumbar, and thoracic epidural steroid injections; facet joint and sacroiliac injections; sympathetic, stellate, sphenopalatine, and occipital nerve blocks; radiofrequency ablation; spinal cord stimulation including high-frequency Nevro systems; peripheral nerve stimulation; Intracept basivertebral nerve ablation (Center of Excellence designation at Cedar City); platelet-rich plasma therapy; kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty; and SI joint fusion.

The practice is staffed by five fellowship-trained interventional pain physicians with training from Mayo Clinic, University of Louisville, Dartmouth, and the University of Utah, supported by approximately ten physician assistants and nurse practitioners and a full administrative team including a Director of Revenue Cycle. Desert Pain generates revenue through professional services billed to patients and insurance payors (commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, and VA Community Care), with a long-standing specialized VA healthcare channel serving Southern Utah's veteran community for over 15 years. The go-to-market model is sales-led and referral-driven, relying on relationships with primary care physicians, specialists, and hospital systems, supplemented by community sponsorships, educational content, and patient testimonials. Distribution is entirely through direct clinic operations across two states, with no third-party payor or employer accounting for a material share of revenue. The practice is independently owned with no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or parent company ownership, and broke ground on a new multi-specialty Endurance Medical facility in Cedar City in November 2025, signaling continued capital investment and ecosystem expansion.

Name

Desert Pain Specialists

Legal name

Desert Pain Specialists

Website

https://desertpainspecialists.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Desert Pain Specialists is a private, physician-led interventional pain management practice operating 11 clinics across Southern Utah and Nevada. It provides spinal cord stimulation, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, Intracept, regenerative medicine, and other advanced procedures to patients with chronic and acute pain, including a long-standing VA veteran care channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pain Management Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Pain Management Clinics (Interventional & Medical) (HLAFABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pain Medicine (Interventional/Neuropathic Pain) (HLAKAIAM), Pain Management (Spine & Musculoskeletal) (HLAKALAM), Pain Management & Interventional Procedure Centers (HLAFAIAH)

Keywords

• Interventional pain management
• Spinal cord stimulation
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Epidural steroid injections
• Chronic pain treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint George

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Patient Services - Healthcare Consultations and Procedures: Revenue generated from consultations, diagnostic procedures, interventional pain treatments, and follow-up care across all clinic locations in Utah and Nevada
2. VA and Government Healthcare Contracts: Specialized pain management services for veterans through the VA healthcare system, serving Southern Utah's veteran community for over 15 years

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Desert Pain Specialists is a comprehensive interventional pain management clinic providing diagnostic procedures, image-guided injections, neuromodulation (spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation), radiofrequency ablation, regenerative medicine (PRP), basivertebral nerve ablation (Intracept), and minimally invasive spine procedures such as kyphoplasty and SI joint fusion. The practice treats conditions including back pain, neck pain, arthritis, neuropathy, sciatica, cancer pain, migraines, and compression fractures for individual patients across Southern Utah and Nevada, with dedicated services for veterans through the VA healthcare system.

Product overview

Desert Pain Specialists is a comprehensive pain management clinic offering interventional pain treatments across Southern Utah and Nevada. The practice provides a unified portfolio of pain management services including diagnostic procedures (discography, EMG/nerve testing, diagnostic pain injections), interventional treatments (epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, Intracept basivertebral nerve ablation, platelet rich plasma injections), and minimally invasive procedures (kyphoplasty, SI joint fusion). The clinic utilizes latest diagnostic tools including EMG/Nerve testing, MRIs, x-rays, bone scans, and fluoroscopic imaging guidance for precise needle placement during procedures. With multiple locations throughout Utah and Nevada, they serve patients from head to toe addressing conditions including back pain, neck pain, arthritis, neuropathy, cancer pain, and various chronic pain syndromes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Epidural Steroid Injections (Cervical, Lumbar, Thoracic) Steroid injections into the cervical, lumbar, or thoracic epidural space to reduce inflammation and relieve neck, back, and radiating extremity pain caused by compressed or inflamed nerve roots.
• Nerve Block Injections Injections targeting specific nerves or nerve groups including celiac plexus, epidural, genicular, intercostal, lumbar sympathetic, pudendal, trigeminal, occipital, sympathetic, stellate ganglion, sphenopalatine ganglion, sciatic, and peripheral nerve blocks for diagnostic and therapeutic pain relief.
• Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Minimally invasive procedure using heat generated by radiofrequency waves to target and disable nerves responsible for sending pain signals, providing lasting relief for chronic back, neck, and joint pain including cervical and lumbar facet neurotomy.
• Spinal Cord Stimulation Implantable neurostimulation therapy that delivers electrical pulses to block pain signals from reaching the brain, including high-frequency stimulation with Nevro for chronic pain conditions such as failed back surgery syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome.
• Intracept Procedure (Basivertebral Nerve Ablation) Basivertebral nerve ablation procedure for chronic low back pain; Desert Pain Cedar City has been recognized as a Center of Excellence for this procedure.
• Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections Regenerative injection therapy using the patient's own platelets to promote healing in musculoskeletal conditions, with sterile processing and imaging guidance.
• Kyphoplasty (Vertebroplasty) Minimally invasive procedure to treat spinal compression fractures by injecting bone cement to stabilize the vertebra and restore height.
• SI Joint Fusion Minimally invasive surgical procedure to fuse the sacroiliac joint for chronic SI joint pain that has not responded to conservative treatments.
• Facet Joint and Sacroiliac Joint Injections Injections of local anesthetic and steroid medication into facet joints or the sacroiliac joint for diagnostic confirmation and therapeutic pain relief of spine and pelvic pain.
• Joint Injections and Trigger Point Injections Injections targeting various joints to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief, plus injections into painful muscle knots or trigger points to relieve muscle tension and pain. Includes carpal tunnel injections.
• Botox for Migraines Botulinum toxin injections specifically targeted for chronic migraine headache relief.
• Lidocaine Infusion Therapy Intravenous infusion of lidocaine to provide relief for chronic pain conditions by blocking pain signals.
• Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Implantable neurostimulation technology for chronic peripheral pain that uses electrical impulses to target specific peripheral nerves.
• Diagnostic Procedures (Discography, EMG/Nerve Testing, MRI, X-rays, Bone Scans) Diagnostic workup including discography to identify pain-generating intervertebral discs, electromyography and nerve conduction studies for accurate pain diagnosis, plus MRI, X-rays, and bone scans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Patients often achieve 50% or greater pain relief to warrant long-term implantation of spinal cord stimulator
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Advanced Spine and PainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated location relationship with Advanced Spine and Pain in Draper, Utah. This partnership expands geographic access for patients in the Salt Lake City area. Contact information: 96 Kimballs Ln. Suite 408, Draper, UT 84020, Phone: (801) 572-1186, Website: asappainclinic.com

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Intermountain Health: Utah-headquartered regional health system with employed pain medicine physicians and ASCs. Operates in Desert Pain Specialists' primary geography (St. George, Cedar City) and competes for the same interventional pain referrals and insured patients.
• US Anesthesia Partners: PE-backed (Berkshire Partners) anesthesia and pain management platform serving multiple states. Operates interventional pain services and chronic-pain practices that overlap directly with Desert Pain Specialists' procedural focus and represent a similar consolidation path in the specialty.
• National Spine & Pain Centers: Largest U.S. interventional pain management platform, with 100+ locations across multiple states. Offers a similar menu of interventional procedures (epidural injections, RFA, spinal cord stimulation) and represents the type of consolidated competitor or potential acquirer that Desert Pain Specialists would benchmark against.
• HCA Healthcare: National hospital operator with broad ambulatory and physician services lines, including pain management at affiliated clinics and surgery centers. Serves as a strategic-acquirer reference point for independent specialty practices of Desert Pain Specialists' scale.
• Mayo Clinic Pain Medicine: Academic pain medicine program at Mayo Clinic (where Dr. Empey trained). Provides the gold-standard clinical reference and is the talent source/pipeline for fellowship-trained interventional pain physicians of Desert Pain Specialists' caliber.
• Cleveland Clinic Pain Management Center: Academic and integrated delivery network running a high-volume interventional pain program (injections, SCS, neuromodulation). Represents the broader system-of-care comparator and brand benchmark for advanced pain medicine practice.

Direct peers

• Advanced Spine and Pain: Desert Pain Specialists' directly affiliated practice based in Draper, Utah. Operates a closely comparable interventional pain management model in the same state, providing obvious comparison on physician mix, in-office procedures, and patient-acquisition approach.
• Apex Spine and Pain Centers: Multi-provider interventional pain practice offering spinal cord stimulation, RFA, and regenerative injection therapy. Closely comparable to Desert Pain Specialists in physician-driven, procedure-heavy pain management delivery.
• Sonospine Surgery Center: Interventional pain and spine practice in the Southwestern U.S. performing advanced procedures such as spinal cord stimulation and basivertebral nerve ablation. Represents a direct regional peer in advanced-procedure case mix and Center of Excellence-type positioning.

Regional players

• University of Utah Pain Management: Academic pain medicine program based in Salt Lake City serving Utah patients. Operates in the same state with overlapping referral relationships and competes for the same fellowship-trained interventional pain physician talent pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/desertpainspecialists
• Instagraminstagram.com/desertpain
• Xx.com/desert_pain
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desert-pain-specialist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Desert Pain Specialists