Puja Shah, MD
Anesthesiologist
Interventional Pain Management Specialist
Chief Physician of Pain Management
Southern California
Puja Shah, M.D., is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain management specialist at DISC Sports & Spine Center. 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 B.S./M.D. 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.
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 in Southern California with her husband, Dr. Neel P. Shah, who is a member of DISC's team of spine surgeons.
