Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian and Daniel Lai
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Dr. Brian Lai, M.D. and I am a doctor who is board-certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. I am originally from New York City and moved to Los Angeles for my Pain Medicine fellowship at UCLA. I stayed after meeting my wonderful husband, Daniel.
I was born, in New York City, to parents who had just immigrated from Taiwan. In the late 1970’s, Taiwan was under martial law. It was a turbulent time in my parent’s birthplace, so they left to come to the United States in search of better opportunities.
For most of my life, I was considered the “model child.” I went to high school at Stuyvesant High School, one of the elite public New York magnet specialized high schools and went to college at Dartmouth College, one of the Ivy League schools. I majored in Biophysical Chemistry and graduated with honors. From an outsiders’ point of view, it appeared everything was it should seem.
Being the “model child,” meant that I did what was expected of me from my parents. Up until the end of high school I did what was expected: get into an elite high school and get good grades. My next expectation was getting into a top-rated college. However, that really meant getting into Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Being relatively new to the country and not knowing many colleges, those were the only colleges that they knew.
It was a source of contention that I applied to Dartmouth College early decision, which meant if I got into the school I was bound to go to the school. My parents did not understand why I chose to go to an “unknown” school. I am very proud that I was confident enough to make that decision. My time at Dartmouth College was a transformative time because I learned how to truly think for myself.
After college, I had another great moment of growth and self-discovery. It was during this that time I figured out that I was a cis-gender gay male. As part of my learning about this new identity, I became involved with the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, doing community outreach by educating members of the LGBTQIA+ community about HIV and AIDS. It was this experience that made me want to become a doctor. I wanted to be a resource for patients to learn about their medical conditions and get treatment in a safe, welcoming environment. It was for this same reason I started Specialty Pain Care: Pain can be complex, and I wanted a place for patients to both learn and get safe-effective treatments for their condition.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The idea for Specialty Pain Care started in 2021. There were some challenges along the way in making the idea a reality. People often say that things come in threes and this process was no exception.
The first challenge was finding a space that would allow me to offer as much as possible to my patients so they would not have to travel to multiple locations to get treatment for their pain conditions. As part of providing the most comprehensive care possible, I wanted to have inviting examination rooms, a modern and state-of-the-art procedure area, and a semi-private intravenous (IV) treatment area. Many landlords did not want the extensive renovations that were needed to meet the needs of my patients. Fortunately, I was able to find my current space at 11500 West Olympic Boulevard in the Sawtelle neighborhood of West Los Angeles.
The second challenge was my husband, Daniel, had a family emergency that caused us to be apart for a good part of 2022. This was when most of the planning and construction for Specialty Pain Care occurred. At the same time, I was also working over 40 hours a week for another large institution doing a combination of Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain. Trying to manage all the planning for Specialty Pain Care, while working full time and lacking one of my main sources of support was quite rough.
The third challenge was COVID-19. COVID-19 placed quite a few barriers in making Specialty Pain Care a reality. It slowed down the process of getting the administrative aspects of forming my medical corporation and obtaining the proper permits to renovate my office suite. It also made credentialing with the major insurance companies a longer process than expected.
Thankfully, these challenges were overcome and now Specialty Pain Care is now a reality. I have always believed things happen for a reason. Having to wait until 2023 to open Specialty Pain Care allowed me to more safely see patients as COVID-19, as opposed to earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’ve been impressed with Specialty Pain Care, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Before founding Specialty Pain Care, I was a practicing anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician in hospitals and health care plans. I noticed that many pain treatment protocols at these locations were driven by the operational needs of facilities or the financial recommendations of insurers.
The best interest of the patient didn’t always come first. I decided to open my own pain care practice so that I could provide the highly personalized diagnostics and closely-monitored, individualized treatment plans that it takes to effectively treat and resolve complex pain.
I even created my own diagnostic process, the Pain Unlayering Protocol. This allows me to take the time and do the research needed for every patient to get to the root cause of their complex and chronic pain. That’s something other clinics often don’t do. After the diagnostic protocol, I personally prescribe and administer every treatment. Patients see me at each visit, no one else. And I monitor and follow up my patient’s progress every step of the way, across the full course of the treatment plan.
Part of understanding the services at Specialty Pain Care is to understand the role of an interventional pain specialist. Interventional pain specialists are medical doctors who use minimally invasive techniques like injections, implantable devices, and intravenous therapies to directly target the cause of your pain. Examples of different injections include epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation, and joint injections. These interventions can be a next step in managing and treating your pain when non-interventional techniques like medications and physical therapy are not effective.
Daniel is the Office Manager at Specialty Pain Care. He is the welcoming face to our modern and state-of-the-art facility. He used his love of art and style to add the warm personal touches to our waiting room, exam rooms and hallways. Our miniature schnauzers, Keelah and Sayuri, make their appearance in each of the exam rooms, with different prints in each room that welcome you to Specialty Pain Care.
There are many things that make Specialty Pain Care stand out from other pain clinics in Los Angeles. The main thing is our personal and special attention to our patients. We try to make our patients feel like one of our family members and treat them as all patients should be treated, as a special VIP. In other words, we provide customized concierge pain care to each and every one of our patients.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Los Angeles because of its diversity of people, cultures and neighborhoods. I am a very food-oriented person and I love that you can find almost any cuisine in the world somewhere in Los Angeles. Being in the Sawtelle neighborhood of West Los Angeles, I love the different types and varieties of Japanese cuisine that is available. I am a big fan of noodles and the different styles and types of ramen available in this neighborhood are endless.
One thing I like least about Los Angeles is the traffic. It is a necessary evil to have traffic in any major urban metropolitan city. It does make it more difficult and more time-consuming to travel to explore the different neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Thankfully, that rarely stops Daniel and I from venturing outside of our own neighborhoods. At the same time, it also makes us appreciate our home and work neighborhoods, as well, because there is always a new restaurant explore.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.specialtypaincare.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/specialtypaincare
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Specialty-Pain-Care/100088350133465/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialtyPainCare
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/specialty-pain-care-los-angeles
