Pacific Spine and Pain Society (PSPS)

What Pacific Spine and Pain Society (PSPS) does

Pacific Spine and Pain Society (PSPS) is a nonprofit professional medical society founded circa 2020 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, that serves healthcare providers along the U.S. Pacific Coast. PSPS represents more than 3,000 providers across neurology, radiology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology, and rehabilitative medicine, with over 800 actively registered members. The society's stated mission is to bridge the gap between spine surgery and pain medicine through cross-disciplinary education, advocacy, and research, addressing fragmentation between specialties that treat the same patient populations.

PSPS delivers its value through a portfolio of programs rather than a technology product. Core offerings include a premier annual conference (2026 at The Meritage in Napa Valley), a Mid-Year Pain Lab and APP Course with cadaveric skills labs, an ongoing webinar series, the PSPS Podcast, a Leadership Immersion Tract (LIT) two-year training program, research grants up to $5,000, the Dr. Michael A. Fishman Memorial Travel Scholarship, and a job board. Member-facing operations are run on Wild Apricot membership software, with webinar delivery on Zoom and archived content on YouTube. PSPS has no proprietary technology platform, patents, or AI/ML capabilities; its competitive differentiation is community-led and content-led.

The society's revenue model is a mix of event registration fees (tiered from free for residents to $250 for practicing physicians), industry sponsorships from major medical device and pharmaceutical companies across Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers (including Boston Scientific, Abbott, Medtronic, Stryker, Nevro, SPR Therapeutics, Saluda Medical, and VIVEX Biologics), job board posting fees, and a United Airlines travel partnership. First-year individual membership has historically been free; annual membership dues will begin May 1, 2026 as a requirement for the society's planned application to the AMA House of Delegates, where it intends to seek representation on the AMA CPT committee and RUC.

Name

Pacific Spine and Pain Society (PSPS)

Legal name

Pacific Spine and Pain Society

Website

https://pacificspineandpainsociety.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PSPS is a nonprofit professional medical society representing 3,000+ spine and pain medicine providers across the U.S. Pacific Coast, delivering cross-disciplinary education, advocacy, and research through annual conferences, cadaver labs, webinars, podcasts, and leadership programs, with 800+ registered members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Society Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Pain Management (Spine & Musculoskeletal) (HLAKALAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chronic Pain Rehabilitation & Functional Restoration (HSADAIAJ)

Keywords

• Medical society membership
• Spine pain education
• Continuing medical education
• Professional medical advocacy
• Healthcare professional networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Regional - Pacific Coast

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues structure introduced beginning May 1, 2026 to support society operations, infrastructure, and AMA House of Delegates membership application. Verified AMA members are eligible for discounted PSPS membership rates.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from annual conferences, mid-year pain labs, and educational events. Registration rates vary by attendee type: Practicing Physicians ($250), Fellows ($150 with $400 stipend), APPs ($50), Residents/Medical Students (Free observer badge).
3. Industry Sponsorships and Exhibitor Fees: Corporate sponsors and exhibitors at annual conferences including Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze tiers. Exhibitors include medical device companies (Boston Scientific, Abbott, Medtronic, Stryker, etc.) and pharmaceutical companies.
4. Job Board Submissions: Revenue from employers posting job listings for pain management physicians, APPs, and related positions on the PSPS job board.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pacific Spine and Pain Society is a multidisciplinary professional medical society that delivers educational programs, advocacy, and research support to healthcare providers specializing in spine and pain medicine. It operates the annual conference, mid-year pain labs, cadaveric workshops, webinars, a leadership development program (LIT), a research grant program, a podcast, and a job board for its 800+ registered members representing over 3,000 providers across the Pacific Coast of the United States.

Product overview

Pacific Spine and Pain Society (PSPS) is a multidisciplinary professional medical society, not a software product company. It offers a portfolio of educational programs and member services including the PSPS Annual Conference (premier annual meeting), PSPS Mid-Year Pain Lab and APP Course (hands-on training), Leadership Immersion Tract (two-year leadership development program), PSPS Podcast (informal educational discussions), Webinars (ongoing educational series), Research Grant Program (up to $5,000 grants for original research), Dr. Michael A. Fishman Memorial Travel Scholarship (annual scholarship for emerging physicians), Job Board (professional networking), and PSPS Gives Back (charitable giving initiative). These programs collectively serve the society's mission to bridge spine surgery and pain medicine through education, advocacy, and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PSPS Podcast: An informal podcast featuring leaders in pain management, interventional spine, and spine surgery, providing intimate discussions on medical topics and physician/colleague profiles.
• PSPS Gives Back
• Project Giving Light
• Dr. Michael A. Fishman Memorial Travel Scholarship
• PSPS LIT (Leadership Immersion Tract)

Products and services

• PSPS Annual Conference
• PSPS Mid-Year Pain Lab and APP Course
• Leadership Immersion Tract (LIT)
• PSPS Podcast
• PSPS Webinars
• PSPS Research Grant Program
• Dr. Michael A. Fishman Memorial Travel Scholarship
• PSPS Job Board
• PSPS Membership

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dr. Michael A. Fishman Memorial Travel Scholarship (in honor of Dr. Michael A. Fishman)coreOthers · 1 January 2026Annual scholarship award by PSPS to one outstanding medical student, resident, fellow, or young physician who embodies the spirit of Dr. Fishman's life and work. Dr. Fishman was a distinguished physician, researcher, innovator, and leader in spine and pain medicine trained at Yale and Stanford. The scholarship provides funding to attend the PSPS annual meeting and was established to honor his legacy of patient advocacy and clinical excellence.
• AbbottminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Abbott sponsors the PSPS Advanced Spine & Pain Webinar Series, specifically the Next-Generation Neuromodulation webinar focusing on closed-loop vs open-loop SCS, programming, and clinical outcomes.
• MedtronicminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Medtronic co-sponsors the PSPS Advanced Spine & Pain Webinar Series, supporting education on neuromodulation technologies and clinical outcomes.
• United AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026United Airlines is the official airline partner for PSPS events, providing meeting discount codes (ZRY8474479) and MileagePlus accrual for members traveling to conferences.
• Boston ScientificminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Diamond sponsor and exhibitor at PSPS 2026 Annual Conference in Napa Valley. Company showcased in Abstract Viewing area.
• AbbottminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Diamond sponsor and exhibitor at PSPS 2026 Annual Conference. Company showcased in Abstract Viewing area.
• MedtronicminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Abstract viewing sponsor at PSPS 2026 Annual Conference. Company highlighted for neuromodulation and spinal cord stimulation technologies.
• NevrominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Nevro sponsors PSPS APP Webinar series, supporting educational content for advanced practice providers in pain management.
• SPR TherapeuticsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025SPR Therapeutics featured in PSPS APP Webinar on Introduction to SPRINT 60-day PNS technology, supporting education on peripheral nerve stimulation.
• WAPMU (World Academy of Pain Medicine United)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborative partnership on PSPS/WAPMU Advancements in Ultrasound Technology webinar, combining educational resources from both pain medicine organizations.
• Saluda MedicalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Exhibitor and abstract viewing sponsor at PSPS 2026 Annual Conference focused on closed-loop spinal cord stimulation technology.
• VIVEX BiologicsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024VIVEX Biologics sponsors the PSPS Leadership Immersion Tract (LIT) Program, supporting the development of future healthcare leaders in spine and pain medicine.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS): NANS is a national society focused on neuromodulation, including spinal cord stimulation and emerging neurostimulation therapies—a clinical area heavily sponsored within PSPS programs. Members and industry sponsors (Boston Scientific, Abbott, Medtronic, Saluda, Nevro) overlap significantly, and NANS's annual meeting competes with PSPS for both attendee and exhibitor mindshare.
• American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP): ASIPP is a national specialty society for interventional pain physicians focused on procedural pain medicine and advocacy for reimbursement of interventional techniques. PSPS members overlap significantly with ASIPP's interventional pain focus, and ASIPP also maintains aggressive CPT/RUC engagement—a key benchmark for PSPS's AMA application.
• North American Spine Society (NASS): NASS is the largest multidisciplinary spine society in North America, drawing orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and allied spine care professionals. PSPS positions itself on the spine/pain boundary, and NASS represents the spine-surgery half of that equation, making it a directional competitor for spine practitioners along the Pacific Coast.
• American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM): AAPM is a national, multidisciplinary medical society for pain medicine physicians across anesthesiology, neurology, physiatry, and psychiatry. PSPS competes for the same pain medicine member base and pursues overlapping advocacy and educational programming, though AAPM operates nationally and has established AMA House of Delegates representation.
• American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine): ASRA Pain Medicine is a national society for anesthesiology-based regional anesthesia and pain medicine physicians. It targets overlapping clinical specialties to PSPS, offers competing educational events (including cadaveric and ultrasound workshops), and engages similar device industry sponsors—making it a natural comparison set for membership and industry support.
• International Spine Intervention Society (ISIS): ISIS is a national/international society dedicated to interventional spine procedures, including image-guided spine injections and radiofrequency techniques. It directly overlaps with PSPS's interventional spine focus and member base (pain physicians and spine surgeons performing image-guided procedures), and offers competing cadaveric training courses.

Broad incumbents

• American Pain Society / United States Association for the Study of Pain: The U.S. Association for the Study of Pain (formerly American Pain Society) is a broad, research-oriented pain science organization. While it overlaps less procedurally with PSPS, it represents the academic and research half of the pain community—members of PSPS's research committee cross-publish and present in this network, and USASP offers alternative research conference venues and grants.
• World Institute of Pain (WIP): WIP is an international, multidisciplinary pain medicine society offering certification (FIPP) and global congresses. It competes with PSPS for educational content leadership and pain medicine thought leadership, but operates at a much broader international scale rather than a regional U.S. focus.

Regional players

• California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (CASIPP) / Midwest Pain Society: Regional pain medicine societies in California (e.g., CASIPP) and elsewhere in the Midwest mirror PSPS's regional, multi-disciplinary model. They compete for the same Pacific Coast / regional provider membership pool, and their experience scaling a regional model serves as a useful comparison for PSPS's growth trajectory.

Others

• World Academy of Pain Medicine United (WAPMU): WAPMU is a global pain medicine academy co-hosting educational webinars with PSPS (e.g., Ultrasound Technology webinar). As an explicitly listed PSPS partner and overlapping pain medicine educator, it is comparable on programmatic educational content even if not a direct membership competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacificspinepainsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Pacific Spine and Pain Society (PSPS)