Serving Houston TX, Texas Medical Center, MacGregor, Riverside Terrace, and more
Pain Management in Houston, TX.
Board-certified pain management in Houston — image-guided injections, nerve blocks, and non-opioid medical management for chronic back pain, sciatica, joint pain, arthritis, neuropathy, and headache, at an independent, physician-owned practice.
When to see a pain-management specialist
Should I see a pain management specialist?
Most patients reach our clinic through a referral, but you can also come directly if something on your labs or symptoms concerns you. Here are signs that specialty care is the right next step.
Pain lasting more than three months
Pain that outlasts normal healing is considered chronic and responds best to a targeted, multi-modal plan.
Back, neck, or joint pain that limits daily life
When pain interrupts sleep, work, or movement, an interventional evaluation can find the source and treat it directly.
Burning, tingling, or shooting nerve pain
Sciatica and neuropathy often need a different approach than typical muscle or joint pain.
Pain after an injury or surgery that won’t resolve
Ongoing pain weeks after an accident or procedure deserves review before it becomes a long-term pattern.
You want to rely less on pain medication
Image-guided injections, nerve blocks, and non-opioid options can reduce or replace daily pain pills.
Previous treatments haven’t helped
If therapy or medication alone hasn’t worked, a specialist can offer procedures a primary doctor can’t.
Not sure? Call (713) 597-5131 and ask to speak with someone in our intake team — we'll help you figure out whether a visit makes sense for you.
Heat & dehydration risk
Hot weather is a health risk for everyone.
Heat and dehydration strain the whole body — limit midday exertion, stay in shade or air conditioning, and check on older or vulnerable people. If you take medications that affect hydration or blood pressure, ask your care team how heat changes your plan.
Book a Pain Management visitWhat we treat
Pain Management conditions we treat.
Common reasons to schedule include new symptoms, abnormal labs, uncontrolled chronic conditions, and second opinions on complex cases. Tap a category to see the full list.
Conditions we treat22 conditions
Back PainBulging DiscCervical Facet SyndromeCervicogenic HeadachesChronic PainComplex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)Degenerative Disc DiseaseDiscogenic Back PainHeadachesHerniated DiscHip OsteoarthritisKnee OsteoarthritisOccipital NeuralgiaOsteoarthritisPhantom Limb PainPost-Laminectomy Syndrome (FBSS)Rotator Cuff SyndromeSciaticaShoulder PainSI Joint DysfunctionSpinal StenosisTendonitis
Treatments & services
Pain Management services offered at Remix Medical.
Beyond diagnosis, our clinicians provide ongoing management across every stage of care — from prevention and early management to coordinating advanced therapy. Tap any service for details.
Cervical Epidural Injection
A cervical epidural steroid injection calms swelling and eases long-term neck pain. It also relieves nerve pain that spreads down the arm. Guided by live X-ray at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Cervical Medial Branch Block
A cervical medial branch block finds the source of long-term neck pain and eases it. We target the small facet joints, guided by live X-ray, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Discography
Discography pinpoints the exact spinal disc causing your long-term back or neck pain when an MRI is unclear. Guided by live X-ray and done by our pain specialists at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Facet Joint Injections
Facet joint injections, guided by live X-ray, calm swelling in the arthritic joints of the neck, mid-back, and lower back. Given by our board-certified pain doctors at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Hip Joint Injections
Hip joint injections, guided by live X-ray and ultrasound, help find and treat hip arthritis. They also tell true hip pain from pain sent by the lower spine, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Intrathecal Pump
An implanted pump sends pain medicine straight to the spinal cord, so you need a much smaller dose. It helps severe pain that other treatments have not eased. We do a trial first at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Knee Joint Injections
Knee joint injections, guided by ultrasound, ease swelling and arthritis pain. We can also drain extra fluid from the joint. Given by our board-certified pain doctors at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Lumbar Epidural Injection
A lumbar epidural steroid injection, guided by live X-ray, calms swollen nerve roots. It eases sciatica, radiating leg pain, and spinal stenosis. Given by our board-certified pain doctors at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Lumbar Medial Branch Block
A lumbar medial branch block checks if facet joints are the source of your long-term low back pain. It also shows if you are a good fit for radiofrequency ablation. Guided by live X-ray at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Lumbar Sympathetic Injections
A lumbar sympathetic block, guided by live X-ray, quiets certain nerve-driven pain in the leg. It is a key treatment for CRPS, phantom limb pain, and blood-flow pain, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Nerve Block
Nerve block injections, guided by imaging, ease long-term back, neck, joint, and post-surgery pain. Given by our board-certified pain doctors at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Neuroma Injection
Neuroma injections, guided by ultrasound, calm one specific painful nerve ending. They help Morton's neuroma, stump pain after amputation, and nerve pain after surgery, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Percutaneous Discectomy
This procedure takes pressure off a pinched nerve through a tiny opening, with no open surgery or fusion. It suits chosen patients with a contained disc herniation, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
PRP injections use a concentrate made from your own blood to spark healing. They can help long-term tendon problems and mild to moderate joint arthritis. Guided by ultrasound at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Radiofrequency ablation is a small procedure that blocks chronic pain signals from facet joints, SI joints, and an arthritic spine. Performed by our pain specialists at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Sacroiliac Joint Injection
SI joint injections, guided by imaging, help find and treat sacroiliac joint pain. This is an often-missed cause of one-sided low back and buttock pain. Given by our board-certified pain doctors at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Selective Nerve Root Injections
A selective nerve root block shows which spinal nerve is causing your pain and calms the swelling around it. Guided by live X-ray and given by our board-certified pain doctors at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation can help long-term pain that surgery and medicine have not fixed, like failed back surgery syndrome and CRPS. Every patient trials the device before any permanent implant, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Stellate Ganglion Injections
A stellate ganglion block, guided by imaging, quiets certain nerve-driven pain in the arm, hand, head, and neck. It helps CRPS, phantom limb pain, and shingles nerve pain, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Thoracic Epidural Injection
A thoracic epidural steroid injection, guided by live X-ray, eases mid-back pain and band-like chest wall pain. It also calms nerve pain that wraps around the chest. Given by our board-certified pain doctors at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections release tight, painful knots of muscle. These knots can send pain to the head, back, and limbs. Our board-certified pain doctors treat them at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Viscosupplementation
Hyaluronic acid injections add back the natural lube in knee joint fluid for mild to moderate arthritis. This non-steroid option can help you put off knee replacement, at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.
Your physician
Your pain management at Remix Medical.
Every clinician at Remix Medical is board-certified and owns the practice — so the physician in your exam room is the one making decisions about your care.
What to expect
Your first pain management visit at Remix Medical.
A first visit takes about an hour. You'll leave with a written plan in the patient portal the same day. Tap any step below for the details.
Before you come in
Bring any MRI, CT, or X-ray discs and reports, plus a list of what you’ve already tried — therapy, injections, medications, and how each one went. Old imaging saves you money and helps us skip repeats. Portal paperwork can be done from your phone the night before.
The first visit
We take a full pain history, examine you, and go through your imaging with you on the screen — not just the radiologist’s summary. The goal is to name the actual source of the pain before anyone talks treatment.
A plan that usually has more than one part
Real relief rarely comes from a single thing. Your plan might pair an injection with physical therapy and a non-opioid medication, sequenced so we can tell what’s working.
Scheduling a procedure
Injections and nerve blocks are booked as a separate visit, usually within a week or two. We’ll walk you through the prep, what the day looks like, and whether you’ll need a driver.
Follow-up that measures function
At your next visit we track what you can do again — walk farther, sleep through the night, get back to work — not just a number on a pain scale. If something isn’t helping, we change it.
Our approach
Pain Management, remixed.
Most specialty care is fragmented — different clinicians each shift, different hospitalists every admission, referral loops that make you re-explain your story three times. Remix Medical is structured differently.
Find the source, don’t just mask it
A diagnostic block or a careful exam tells us where the pain actually starts. Treat that, and you need less medication for less time.
Opioid-sparing by design
We lead with injections, nerve-specific medications, and therapy. Opioids are a last resort, used carefully and never as the whole plan.
Connected to your other doctors
Your primary care, nephrology, and neurology teams share one chart with us. A medication change or new diagnosis is visible to everyone the same day.
Measured by what you get back
Success is the flight of stairs, the full shift, the night of sleep — the function pain took from you, tracked visit to visit.
Where we see patients
Pain Management offices across Greater Houston.
Our pain management clinicians see patients at 3 offices.
Serving Houston TX, Texas Medical Center, Midtown, Montrose, and more
Serving Pearland TX, Friendswood, Manvel, Fresno, and more
Cost & insurance
Insurance we accept for pain management care.
In-network with most major commercial plans, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Texas Medicaid. Don’t see your plan? Our benefits team can verify coverage on the spot — most calls take under a minute.
Commercial Plans
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
- Centene / Ambetter
- Cigna
- Community Health Choice
- Houston Physicians IPA
- Humana
- UnitedHealth Group
- UnitedHealthcare
Medicare, Medicaid & Government
- Cigna
- CMS / Medicare
- Humana
- Molina Healthcare
- SCAN Health Plan
- Texas Medicaid
- Wellcare
- WellMed Medical Management
- Wellpoint / Amerigroup
Patient voices
What pain management patients say about Remix Medical.
Verified reviews from Google — unedited.
- ★★★★★
“I've been seeing Dr. Mantena for about 8 or 9 years now, and I still stand by my original post: I greatly appreciate Dr. Mantena and his staff. They are professional but friendly....but most importantly, they put up with me!! 😆 Seriously, Dr. Mantena is a wonderful pain Dr. He listens to me and involves me in my plan of care. I trust him, and coming from me, that says a lot! If you're in need of a good pain dr, I would definitely recommend Dr. Mantena!”
Verified Google review - ★★★★★
“Dr. Mantena is an amazing, caring, and professional doctor. Before I found him I suffered so much with pain. Very professional and awesome staff. He truly cares for his patients”
Verified Google review - ★★★★★
“Awesome care. Easy to make an appointment by phone. Didn't take long to get in. Was treated very respectfully. Dr Mantena spent a lot of time with me discussing my history to help determine the best treatment regiment moving forward.”
Verified Google review
Frequently asked
Pain Management questions, answered.
Do I need a referral to see a pain management specialist?
Most patients can book directly with us — you don’t need a referral to be seen. A few insurance plans require one before they’ll cover the visit, so check your plan or call the front desk at (713) 597-5131 and we’ll help you confirm.
Will you just put me on opioids?
No. We’re an opioid-sparing practice, which means we start with injections, nerve-specific medications, and physical therapy. Opioids are reserved for specific situations, used at the lowest effective dose, and never stand in for treating the source of the pain. If you came in already on them, we can help you taper safely.
What conditions do you treat?
Chronic back pain, sciatica, neck pain, joint pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine and chronic headache, diabetic neuropathy, and post-surgical or injury pain. If your pain has lasted more than three months and hasn’t responded to the usual steps, we’re a good place to start.
Do injections hurt, and how long does the relief last?
We numb the skin first, so most people feel pressure more than pain during the injection itself. How long relief lasts depends on the problem — a steroid injection can help for weeks to a few months, while radiofrequency ablation of a spinal joint often lasts six to twelve months. We track your response and adjust from there.
Is pain management covered by insurance?
We accept most major commercial plans, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage. Office visits and many injections are covered, though some procedures need prior authorization first — we handle that paperwork for you. Call (713) 597-5131 with your plan details and we’ll tell you what to expect.
How soon can I be seen?
New patients are usually seen in person within a week. If you’re in a lot of pain, tell us when you call at (713) 597-5131 — we keep room for urgent cases and can often move you up.
Can follow-ups be done by telehealth?
Yes. New patients are seen in person first so we can examine you and review imaging, but many follow-ups — medication checks, results, progress reviews — can happen by video. Injections and procedures are always done in the office.
Learn more
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Ready to see a pain-management specialist in Houston?
Book your first visit, or call us to verify your insurance and ask any questions about pain management care.
Referring a patient? Fax to (713) 000-0001 or send a referral online.