Approaching Wellness from the Inside Out
Puja Shah, MD, is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain management specialist. She is also proud to be serving veterans as the current Chief Physician of Pain Management at the Long Beach VA Healthcare System. Approaching wellness from the inside out, she uses her intensive medical training and deep understanding of the mind-body connection to deliver comprehensive pain management care to her patients. Dr. Shah performs a variety of interventional procedures for spine pathology, headaches, inflammatory conditions and chronic nerve, joint and pelvic pain, among other ailments.
As one of the few female pain management specialists in Southern California, she also has a special interest in women’s health as it pertains to both mental and physical wellness. Dr. Shah taps her cultural roots to incorporate the concepts of Eastern and Western medicine, maintaining that success comes from treating the ‘whole’ patient. Passionate about promoting a greater understanding of chronic pain, she believes that many conditions may have multifactorial sources, and works diligently with each patient to find their own specialized wellness profile and treatment plan.
Dr. Shah was accepted into the highly competitive, accelerated seven-year BS/MD medical program at Drexel University College of Medicine, where she completed her education. She then completed a residency in Anesthesiology at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, where she won the “Resident of the Year” award, and a fellowship in Interventional Pain Management at Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University. Dr. Shah has authored numerous research presentations and is a member of several honorary and professional societies. She is also a thought leader who serves on the Women’s Health Advisory Council (WHAC) for HealthyWomen.org.
Prior to coming to DISC, Dr. Shah worked as an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist in New York City and the surrounding area. She now resides Southern California with her husband, Dr. Neel P. Shah, who is a member of DISC’s team of spine surgeons.
Dr. Shah grew up with a background in Indian classical dance and yoga, and continues to keep herself active and fit, just like the aim for her patients. She also enjoys learning to surf with her husband and throwing a ball to their beloved Australian Shepard, Bodhi, on the beach.
