Chronic pain affects an estimated 86 million American adults to some degree. Which explains why pain management continues to grow as a specialty area in the field of medicine.
Pain management (also known as pain medicine or algiatry), employs an interdisciplinary approach for easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with pain.
Medicine treats injury and pathology to support and speed healing; and treats distressing symptoms such as pain to relieve suffering during treatment and healing. However, when a painful injury or pathology is resistant to treatment and persists, when pain persists after the injury or pathology has healed, it may be wise to seek treatment from a pain management specialist, The role of the pain management physician is to help identify the underlying cause of the pain, and when options for cure are not available, to reduce the devastating impact that chronic pain can have on one’s life.
At K and B Surgical Center, our approach to pain management is to provide state-of-the-art, individualized care that addresses the particular needs of each patient — through evaluation and treatment that draw on all the resources available to us.
Meet our Pain Management Expert
Dr. Natalie Strand, M.D.
Dr. Strand is an interventional pain management physician who takes a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to patient care. In addition to her duties at the K and B
Surgical Center, she is currently an Assistant Professor in Clinical Anesthesiology, and a practicing physician of interventional pain management at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.
Her interest in medicine began at age 12 when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Through compassion and humor, the doctors and nurses who cared for her helped her understand the disease and provided a path to wellness that not only inspired her to become a doctor but also made her realize the importance of the personal touch in caring for patients.
Dr. Strand completed her medical training at Mayo Clinic and also did an internship and fellowship there. She then completed her residency at UCLA. A motivational speaker, fund raiser and expert medical commentator for television and radio, she gained national attention as the inspirational half of the winning team on season 17 of the CBS series The Amazing Race, where she competed by travelling over 32,000 miles across 4 continents in 3 weeks — while managing her diabetes. ‘Dr. Nat’ continues to inspire millions of people as a dLife Patient Champion, spokesperson, and contributor, by connecting with the diabetes community across dLife’s multi-channel media platform and providing practical insights on coping with the daily realities of diabetes. Dr. Strand works extensively with the JDRF to promote an active lifestyle to those living with diabetes.
Dr. Faisal Lalani, M.D.
Dr. Faisal Lalani is an Interventional Pain Management Specialist with expertise in treating back pain and abdominal pain. He is currently faculty at Cedar Sinai Medical Center where he teaches fellows as well as residents interventional pain medicine. Dr. Lalani is board certified in anesthesiology. After completing his anesthesiology residency at University of Southern California, Dr. Lalani went on to complete a pain management fellowship at Cedar Sinai Medical Center. He was fortunate to train under
one of the most prominent specialists in pain management, Dr. Howard Rosner. In certain cases, Dr. Lalani is known for achieving dramatic improvement in pain management without major surgery. Dr.Lalani prides himself on being a compassionate, caring physician with an excellent bedside manner. He is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.
Professional Training
Per Diem Staff: Anesthesiologist / Pain Medicine Attending Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Fellowship: Interventional Pain Medicine / Anesthesiology Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Residency: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Southern California
Residency: Department of Medicine, Maricopa Medical Center
Education
Doctorate of Medicine: Ross University School of Medicine
Bachelor of Economics: The University of California at Santa Barbara 1995-1999
Professional Licensure and Certification
- Medical Board of California
- Basic Life Support
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
- American Board Anesthesiology
Professional Experience
- Per Diem Anesthesiologist Cedars Sinai Medical Center
- Per Diem Physician, Maricopa Medical Center
- Per Diem work as a Hospitalist 2008
Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Anesthesiologists
- California Society of Anesthesiologists
- American Medical Association
Dr. Nadiv Y. Samimi, M.D.
Dr. Samimi is an Interventional Pain Management specialist. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Samimi attended college at UC Berkeley and attended medical school at Drexel in Philadelphia, He completed an internship at St. Vincents in New York, completed an anesthesia residency at USC, and went on to complete a pain fellowship at Cedars Sinai. He is in a partnership practice with Faisal Lalani called the Pain and Healing Institute. He currently lives in Venice where when he is not working, he is spending a significant amount of time outdoors bike riding and painting indoors.
RESIDENCY / FELLOWSHIP
Fellow, Pain Medicine: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Chief Resident, Department of Anesthesia: U.S.C. / L.A. County Hospital
Intern, St. Vincent’s Medical Center / Cabrini Hospital / Mount Sinai Affiliates NY, NY
EDUCATION
Drexel University School of Medicine, M.D.
University of California, Berkeley B.A., Social Welfare
Ventura County Moorpark Community College
BOARD CERTIFICATION
Anesthesia: Board Certified 10/2012
Pain: Board Eligible as of 8/12
LICENSURE
California Medical Board
DEA
Dr. Beny Charchian, M.D.
Dr. Beny Charchian is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician (also known as a Physiatrist), with sub-specialty training in Interventional Spine and Pain Management techniques using Fluoroscopy (live X-Ray). He is part of an elite group of physicians serving the greater Los Angeles area who are double boarded and certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in both his primary specialty and the subspecialty of Pain Medicine. He specializes in non-surgical approaches to treating a wide array of spine and joint disorders, including the treatment of acute and chronic low back pain, neck pain, failed back surgery syndrome, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, spinal stenosis, whiplash syndrome, muscle spasms, and arthritis of the knee, hip, shoulder, and hand.
Dr. Charchian is a leading expert in the field of Regenerative Medicine including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Bone Marrow Concentrate Therapy (BMC), Prolotherapy, and Neural Prolotherapy – serving as an author, researcher, lecturer, and instructor.
Following completion of a Masters Degree in Applied Physiology at the Finch University of Health Sciences and a Medical Degree at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/The Chicago Medical School, Dr. Charchian returned to his alma mater to complete residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UCLA. His academic achievement and leadership skills earned him the title of Chief Resident in his final year. He then pursued advanced training in pain management and non-surgical spine techniques including epidural injections, facet joint injections, spinal cord stimulator, and radiofrequency ablation at the prestigious ACGME-accredited UCLA PM&R Pain Medicine Fellowship.
With an established role in academic medicine and the advancement of medical care through the education of future generations, Dr. Charchian has served as a clinical instructor to medical students at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Western University of Health Sciences and Adjunct Clinical Professor at Touro University. He has also served as a contributing author and editor for textbooks and peer-reviewed medical publications.
Benjamin Taimoorazy, MD
Benjamin Taimoorazy, MD renowned Headache and Pain Management Subspecialist now calls Beverly Hills home, bringing Twenty years of experience and knowledge to serve the community.
Dr. Taimoorazy is triple board certified in Pain Medicine, Headache Medicine, and Anesthesiology. He is one of only seven interventional pain management 
anesthesiologists in the nation and the only one in the State of California that is also sub- specialized in the field of Headache Medicine by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS). These unique trainings and qualifications allows for the most advanced, multidisciplinary and cutting edge management of not only all types of headache including migraines but also other types of chronic painful disorders including back , neck, and Knee pain.
