David W. Lee, M.D. Interventional Spine & Pain Management

BIO

Dr. Lee is double Board-certified in Pain Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. He is graduated from Chicago Medical School. He completed his residency training at State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), where he served as Chief Resident. He then completed his Interventional Spine Fellowship training Phoenix, Arizona.

Dr. Lee holds over a decade worth of experience in private practice. More recently he has joined the team at the University of California, Irvine where he specializes in both non-surgical and minimally invasive spine treatments for a variety of pain conditions, including:

Neck Pain
Back Pain
Failed Back Surgery/Post-laminectomy Syndrome
Sciatica
Degenerative Disc Disease
Spinal Stenosis
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Sacroiliac Joint Pain
Osteoarthritis
Peripheral Neuropathy
Scoliosis
Sports-related Injuries

Dr. Lee is proud to offer the most up-to-date treatments to address pain symptoms. He is one of the few pain physicians in Orange County with specialized training in neuromodulation (spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation) and minimally-invasive spine procedures.

He remains an active member in both PM&R and Pain societies, where he acts as both Chair and Executive Board member. He continues to teach and present on a variety of spine and pain-related topics at the local, regional and national level. He reviews interventional spine and pain manuscripts for the journals of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Pain Medicine and PM&R.

EDUCATION & POST-GRADUATED TRAINING

Interventional Spine Fellowship, The Orthopedic Clinic Association (TOCA), Phoenix, AZ | 2011–2012

Residency, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY | 2008–2011

Chief Resident | 2010–2011

Internship, General Surgery, RUSH University Medical Center, Chicago, IL | 2007–2008

Doctor of Medicine, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University | 2003–2007

M.S., Applied Physiology, Rosalind Franklin University | 2002–2003

B.S., Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside | 1998–2002

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

University of California, Irvine – Associate Clinical Professor | 2024–Present

USA Volleyball, Interventional Spine Consultant | 2013-Present

Fullerton Orthopedic Medical Group / Tenet Health – Physician | 2019–2024

Centers of Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine – Physician | 2014–2019

Orange County Orthopaedic Group – Physician | 2013–2014

The Spine and Orthopedic Center – Physician | 2012–2013

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP & LEADERSHIP

American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPMR)

Program Planning Committee (PPC) Member | 2024-Present
Quality and Research Strategic Coordinating Committee Member | 2023-2025
Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) Committee Chair | 2019-2025
Evidence, Quality and Performance Committee (EQPC) Member | 2019-2025
Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) Committee Member | 2017-2019
Interventional Pain Community Chair | 2019-2021

American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM)

Credentialing Committee Chair | 2024-2028
Credentialing Committee Member | 2018-2028

American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN)

Associated Vice President of Clinical Affairs | 2022-Present
President of Social Media and Communications | 2020-2022

North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) Member | 2018-Present

Orange County Medical Association (OCMA) Member | 2019-Present

Pacific Spine & Pain Society (PSPS)

Vice President/Executive Board Member | 2025-2027
Treasurer/Executive Board Member | 2023-2025
Leadership Immersion Track (LIT) Program Chair | 2022-Present
Research and Evidence Committee Member | 2021-2023
Education Committee Member | 2021-2024
Membership Committee Co-Chair | 2018-2021

Placentia Linda Hospital (PLH)

Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Member | 2019-2026
Medical Staff Members-At-Large | 2024-2025
Medical Executive Committee Member | 2024-2025

Spine Intervention Society (SIS) Evidence Analysis Committee Member | 2019-2024

PUBLICATIONS

Odonkor CA, Poole E, Nguyen ET, Padilla A, Siddique MU, Harris C, Noori S, Diep J, Giuffrida A, Jiménez DA, Gandhi PJ, Gutierrez DE, Whang PG, Lee DW. Mixed-Duration Basivertebral Nerve Ablation for Vertebrogenic Low Back Pain: Lesion Strategies and Clinical Outcomes in a Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study. Pain Med. 2026 Apr 21:pnag057.

Lee D.W., Ho J., Buchanan P., Yin C., Spatz M. New Methods of Sacroiliac Joint Fusion: The Posterior Approach. In: Minimally Invasive Spine Techniques: Modern Approaches. 2026; Chapter 8.

Lee D.W., Araujo M., Singh N., Pak R. New Methods of Rehabilitation for the Multifidus Muscle. In: Minimally Invasive Spine Techniques: Modern Approaches. 2026; Chapter 17.

Khan I., Lee D.W., Leong M., Sokhom B., Shah S., Ali R. Spinal Cord Stimulation (Modern Advances). In: Minimally Invasive Spine Techniques: Modern Approaches. 2026; Chapter 19.

Lam C.M., Lee D.W., Francio V.T., Paul C., Sayed D. Best Practice Guidelines for Minimally Invasive Spine Procedures. In: Minimally Invasive Spine Techniques: Modern Approaches. 2026; Chapter 23.

Lee D.W., Budwany R., Deer T., Wilson D.K. Dorsal Column Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS). In: How to Treat Low Back Pain: A Guide for Treating Causes of Low Back Pain for Physicians and APPs. 2024; Chapter 18.

Giuffrida A, Saia-Owenby C, Andriano C, Beall D, Bailey-Classen A, Buchanan P, Budwany R, Desai MJ, Comer A, Dudas A, Tieppo Francio V, Grace W, Gill B, Grunch B, Goldblum A, Garcia RA, Lee DW, Lavender C, Lawandy M, Mandell L, Mata R, Rabii M, Patel K, Patel RG, Patel AA, Sayed D, Singh G, Strand N, Tate J, Schatman ME, Deer T. Social Media Behavior Guidelines for Healthcare Professionals: An American Society of Pain and Neuroscience NEURON Project. J Pain Res. 2024;17:3587-3599.

Paicius R, White ZS, Smith C, Lightner AL, Ransom JT, Lee DW, Speare S. Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous ExoFlo in the Treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Pain Physician. 2023 Nov;26(7):E851-E857.

Pritzlaff SG, Goree JH, Hagedorn JM, Lee DW, Chapman KB, Christiansen S, Dudas A, Escobar A, Gilligan CJ, Guirguis M, Gulati A, Jameson J, Mallard CJ, Murphy MZ, Patel KV, Patel RG, Sheth SJ, Vanterpool S, Singh V, SmithG, Strand NH, Vu CM, Suvar T, Chakravarthy K, Kapural L, Leong MS, Lubenow TR, Abd-Elsayed A, Pope JE, Sayed D, Deer TR. Pain Education and Knowledge (PEAK) Consensus Guidelines for Neuromodulation: A Proposal for Standardization in Fellowship and Training Programs. J Pain Res 2023 Sep 13:16:3101-3117.

Lee DW, Cheney C, Sherwood D, Wahezi S, Monteiro P, McCormick Z, Conger A, Duszynski B, Smith C. The Effectiveness and Safety of Sacral Lateral Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy (SLBRFN): A Systematic Review.Interv Pain Med. 2023 Jun 16;2(2):100259.

Chapman KB, Sayed D, Lamer T, Hunter C, Weisbein J, Patel KV, Dickerson D, Hagedorn JM, Lee DW, Amirdelfan K, Deer T, Chakravarthy K. Best Practices for Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Chronic Pain: Guidelines from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience. J Pain Res. 2023;16:839-879.

Lee DW, Pope J. Complications of Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (MILD). Complications of Pain-Relieving Procedures. Section 9. Chapter 59.

Sayed D, Grider J, Strand N, Hagedorn JM, Falowski S, Lam CM, Tieppo Francio V, Beall DP, Tomycz ND, Davanzo JR, Aiyer R, Lee DW, Kalia H, Sheen S, Malinowski MN, Verdolin M, Vodapally S, Carayannopoulos A, Jain S, Azeem N, Tolba R, Chang Chien GC, Ghosh P, Mazzola AJ, Amirdelfan K, Chakravarthy K, Petersen E, Schatman ME, Deer T. American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) Evidence-Based Clinical Guideline of Interventional Treatments for Low Back Pain. J Pain Res. 2022;15:3729-3832.

Lee JM, Lee D, Christiansen S, Hagedorn JM, Chen Z, Deer T. Spinal Cord Stimulation in Special Populations. Best Practices from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) to Improve Safety and Efficacy. J Pain Res. 2022 Oct 19;15:3263-3273.

Lee DW, Buchanan P, Vodapally S, James C, Diep J. Far-Contralateral Oblique (FCO) Sacroiliac Joint Injection: Description of a Novel Technique. Pain Res Manag. 2022 Aug 22;2022:3312589.

Chakravarthy K, Lee D, Tram J, Sheth S, Heros R, Manion S, Patel V, Kiesel K, Ghandour Y, Gilligan C. Restorative Neurostimulation: A Clinical Guide for Therapy Adoption. J Pain Res. 2022;15:1759-1774.

Desai MJ, Khatri N, Hagedorn JM, Strand N, D'Souza RS, Tieppo Francio V, Abd-Elsayed A, Lee DW, Petersen E, Goree JH, Weisbein JS, Deer TR. Social Media and Professional Conduct (SMART): Best Practice Guidelines from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN). J Pain Res. 2022 Jun 14;15:1669-1678.

Gill B, Cheng DS, Buchanan P, Lee DW. Review of Interventional Treatments for Cluneal Neuropathy. Pain Physician. 2022 Aug;25(5):355-363.

Ehsanian R, Malone DC, Hambraeus J, Monteiro PM, Hodde M, Lee D, McKenna M, Wahezi SE, McCormick ZL, Duszynski B, Cheng DS. Guidelines for composing and assessing a paper on the treatment of pain: A practical application of evidence-based medicine principles to a cost-effectiveness analysis of the MINT randomized clinical trials. Interv Pain Med. 2022 Jan 28;1(1):100010.

Buchanan P, Vodapally S, Lee DW, Hagedorn JM, Bovinet C, Strand N, Sayed D, Deer T. Successful Diagnosis of Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction. J Pain Res. 2021 Oct 8;14:3135-3143.

Lee DW, Paicius R, Deer T. Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation (DRGS) for Treatment of Chronic Upper Abdominal Pain: A Case Report. Pain Medicine Case Reports, November 2021. Vol 5, Issue 8.

Hurley RW, Adams MCB, Barad M, Bhaskar A, Bhatia A, Chadwick A, Deer TR, Hah J, Hooten WM, Kissoon NR, Lee DW, Mccormick Z, Moon JY, Narouze S, Provenzano DA, Schneider BJ, van Eerd M, Van Zundert J, Wallace MS, Wilson SM, Zhao Z, Cohen SP. Consensus practice guidelines on interventions for cervical spine (facet) joint pain from a multispecialty international working group. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2022 Jan;47(1):3-59.

Lee DW, Pritzlaff S, Jung MJ, Ghosh P, Hagedorn JM, Tate J, Scarfo K, Strand N, Chakravarthy K, Sayed D, Deer TR,Amirdelfan K. Latest Evidence-Based Application for Radiofrequency Neurotomy (LEARN): Best Practice Guidelines from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN). J Pain Res. 2021 Sep 8;14:2807-2831.

Lee DW, Deer T. Pain Fellows Survey: COVID-19 Impact on the Training and Job Market. Pain Med. 2021 Dec 11;22(12):3106-3109.

Tekmyster G, Jonely H, Lee DW, Myerson J, Avery M, Moradian M, Desai MJ. Physical Therapy Considerations and Recommendations for Patients Following Spinal Cord Stimulator Implant Surgery. Neuromodulation. 2023 Jan;26(1):260-269.

Lee DW, Patterson DG, Sayed D. Review of Current Evidence for Minimally Invasive Posterior Sacroiliac Joint Fusion. Int J Spine Surg. 2021 Jun;15(3):514-524.

Lee D.W., Bunnell A.E., Miciano A.S. Jr., Poduri K.R., Radecki J. AAPM&R Clinical Practice Guideline Commentary Review: NASS Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines for Multidisciplinary Spine Care: Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain. American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPM&R). June 2020.

Lee D.W., Lesher J.M., Standaert C.J., Thomas S.A. Clinical Domain Expert Reviewer, AAPM&R CPG Commentary Review: NASS Low Back Pain Guideline. American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPM&R). 2020.

Lee DW, Lai A. Sacral Burst Neuromodulation via Caudal Approach as a Treatment for Chronic Coccydynia. Neuromodulation. 2019 Dec;22(8):992-994.

Lee DW, Huston C. Fluoroscopically-Guided Cervical Zygapophyseal Therapeutic Joint Injections May Reduce the Need for Radiofrequency. Pain Physician. 2018 Nov;21(6):E661-E665.