Akhtar Purvez, MD

Akhtar Purvez, MD, is a board-certified interventional pain physician, clinical researcher, author, and educator with more than two decades of experience in pain medicine. 

He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of acute and chronic pain conditions involving the spine, joints, nerves, and musculoskeletal system. His clinical interests include:

• Chronic spine pain
• Complex pain disorders
• Image-guided interventional procedures
• Musculoskeletal pain
• Neuropathic pain

He develops individualized treatment plans that may incorporate interventional procedures, medication management, rehabilitation, and other evidence-based therapies. 

“My patient-centered approach emphasizes careful listening, thorough evaluation, clear communication, and respect for each patient’s concerns and treatment goals, with the aim of improving comfort, mobility, function, independence, and overall quality of life,” he says.

Dr. Purvez received his medical degree from Government Medical College Srinagar. He completed a residency in anesthesiology at Boston University Medical Center and a fellowship in pain management at the University of Virginia.

He has more than 20 years of clinical research experience and has served as a principal investigator in numerous industry-sponsored clinical trials evaluating investigational therapies and emerging treatments. His research interests include:

• Chronic pain
• Pain neuroscience
• Clinical-trial development
• Evidence-based medicine
• The complex relationship between pain, the brain, and human experience

He is the author of numerous medical and scientific publications and regularly writes and speaks about chronic pain, clinical research, public health, and advances in patient care. He is also the author of two books, Managing Chronic Pain in an Age of Addiction and The Brain Behind Pain. 

Dr. Purvez is president and CEO of the Pain & Spine Center of Charlottesville and president of Momentum Medical Research. He is a clinical adjunct professor at Lincoln Memorial University, TN.

Organizations

• American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, fellow
• International College of Surgeons, fellow