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Hawaii Pain Center

“Few things a doctor does are more important than relieving pain. . . pain is soul destroying.
No patient should have to endure intense pain unnecessarily.
The quality of mercy is essential to the practice of medicine here, of all places, it should not be strained.”

Marcia Angell

Dr Damien Tavares MD, LLC | Hawaii Pain Center | 2023

Dr Damien Tavares MD

Damien Tavares, MD

Medical School

John A. Burns School of Medicine

University of Hawai’i

Internship

General Surgery 

University of Hawai’i

Residency

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 

University of California, Irvine

Fellowship

Pain Medicine 

University of California, Irvine

Board Certifications

Interventional Pain

Pain Medicine 

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Damien Tavares, MD was born in Hawai’i and raised in Wai’anae on the Island of O’ahu. He earned his medical degree from the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine. After medical school, he completed a General Surgery Internship at the University of Hawai’i where he received training from some of Hawai’i’s finest surgeons. Following internship, Dr. Tavares left Hawai’i for specialty training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of California at Irvine where he was the recipient of the prestigious Dr. Jerome Tobis Award for Exemplary Performance. After residency, Dr. Tavares chose to further subspecialize in Pain Medicine and received ACGME accredited fellowship training through the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care at the University of California at Irvine.

Upon completion of his medical training in 2011, Dr. Tavares returned home and joined Tripler Army Medical Center’s Interdisciplinary Pain Management Team. After serving his country through the Department of Defense, Dr. Tavares entered private practice in 2013. He is the founder and owner of Hawaii Pain Center and holds medical staff privileges at The Queen’s Medical Center.

Dr. Tavares is triple board certified. He is ABMS double board certified in Pain Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. The ABMS is the gold standard for assessing a physician’s competency and scope of practice by regulatory bodies, insurance companies, and hospitals. His third board certification is in Interventional Pain through the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP) which involved a rigorous examination process. There are fewer than 300 certified physicians by ABIPP worldwide.  Dr. Tavares is the only ABIPP certified pain specialist in Hawai’i.

“The human body experiences a powerful gravitational pull in the direction of hope. That is why the patient’s hopes are the physician’s secret weapon. They are the hidden ingredients in any prescription.”

Norman Cousins

SYMPTOMS TREATED

    • Abdominal Pain
    • Arm Pain
    • Back Pain
    • Chest Wall Pain
    • Foot Pain
    • Hand Pain
    • Headache
    • Joint Pain
    • Leg Pain
    • Muscle Pain
    • Neck Pain
    • Nerve Pain
    • Pelvic Pain
    • Sciatica
    • Tailbone Pain

CONDITIONS TREATED

    • Arthritis
    • Bursitis
    • Coccydynia
    • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
    • Degenerative Disc Disease
    • Disc Herniation
    • Facet Arthropathy
    • Migraine Headache
    • Myofascial Pain Syndrome
    • Neuropathy
    • Occipital Neuralgia
    • Postlaminectomy Syndrome
    • Radiculopathy
    • Spinal Stenosis
    • Spondylosis
    • Vertebral Compression Fracture

To deliver the highest level of care to his patients, Dr. Tavares limits his practice to 60 patients per week. His goal is to ascertain an accurate diagnosis for each patient and provide the best non-opioid treatment options.

PROCEDURES

Dr Damien Tavares MD, LLC | Hawaii Pain Center | 2023
    • Botox Injections
    • Bursa Injections
    • Epidural Injections
    • Discography
    • Joint Injections
    • Nerve Blocks
    • Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
    • Radiofrequency Ablation/Neurolysis
    • Spinal Cord Stimulation
    • Sympathetic Blocks
    • Trigger Point Injections
    • Vertebral Augmentation/Kyphoplasty
    • VIA Disc Allograft
    • Viscosupplementation Injections

All procedures, except for surgical implants, are conveniently performed in the office.  This significantly reduces the healthcare costs for our patients and their insurers by eliminating the facility fee associated with the same procedures performed in an ambulatory surgery center or hospital. Most procedures are performed under x-ray or ultrasound guidance increasing its efficacy and safety. Our patients are also given the option for IV conscious sedation to minimize the anxiety and discomfort of their procedures.

“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”

William Osler

TESTIMONIALS

Dr. Tavares, Words cannot express how grateful I am for giving me my quality of life back! I will never forget your kindness and compassion. Everyone deserves the care you gave me over the last 3 years! Thank you for not giving up on me and offering different treatments. You are truly one of a kind. Thank you again for everything.

-CJ

I met Dr. Damien Tavares in October of 2014 and he completely changed my life. I had extensive nerve damage in my leg from blood clots and surgery. I couldn’t walk short distances without extreme pain, but five doctors failed to diagnose and treat me. Then, I met Dr. Tavares. He diagnosed me with chronic regional pain syndrome and suggested a spinal cord stimulator. Dr. Tavares gave me options that I never knew were possible. Today, with the help of the spinal cord stimulator and the correct medications, I am living my life to the fullest. Since my implant, I’ve been able to hike with my kids, walk on the beach with my husband, and play with my dog. None of that would be possible without Dr. Tavares.

– JR

Dr. Tavares and his staff are amazing! My husband and I are almost completely pain free. I would send my children to him and not feel worried. He is just amazing! I had severe back pain for 4 years and wouldn’t do most activities. Now I can do anything I want! Dr. Tavares and his staff were always kind and listened to any and all issues or concerns we had. They are family to us and we are sad to leave the island because we know we will not have the quality care we received here. Although we know he is busy, his waiting room was nearly always empty because of the flow his office maintains. We felt like we were his only patients. 5 stars!

– GW

Dr. Tavares, Over the past few months, you have been my superman. You gave me my life back and I feel like I owe you so much. The past few years suffering with chronic pain was very difficult and I thought I would never be “normal” again. But with my implant, I have a chance to try to get back to being the person that I used to be. Mahalo.

– KD

Dr. Tavares and his staff are incredibly kind and caring. Dr. Tavares takes the time to really get to know his patients and find the best way to help them. I’m so grateful to Dr. Tavares for the care he provided me. After years of living with chronic back pain and going to physical therapy to no avail, Dr. Tavares has finally helped me to be pain free. I feel like I have my life back!

– VR

My experience with Dr. Tavares was superb. He is a good listener, compassionate, and extremely skilled. He answered my questions thoroughly. After two treatments, the pain that I have lived with for years is gone. His office staff is helpful and friendly and my entire experience has been great. I highly recommend him.

– MLL

Dr. Tavares is truly an extraordinary physician and a wonderful human being. For the past 8 years, I have suffered terrible pain and have seen many doctors who either given me shots or put me on pain medication. Dr. Tavares has gone way above and beyond to get to the root of what’s actually causing my pain and has successfully eliminated the vast majority of it. If you suffer from chronic pain and want to improve your quality of life, you need to see Dr. Tavares.

– KR

As a wife of a career military man I’ve been treated by countless doctors across six states over the last twelve years. I can confidently say that Dr. Tavares tops the list as one of the best. Dr Tavares and his staff treat every patient with kindness, dignity, and respect. Since my first visit to Dr. Tavares we have successfully transitioned me from extremely high doses of a very dangerous medication to a much safer dose with a much more effective medication. I went from barely being able to leave bed to being able to workout nearly every day, and even consider taking on a part time job. I’m so grateful to Dr. Tavares and his staff for thinking outside the box to treat pain, and for all the ways they make each office visit a good experience.

– CK

Dr. Tavares cared about me “the patient” and the affect the pain had on me and my daily life. He took the time to truly listen to me each time and he did all necessary to make me comfortable. My family is so grateful to him and his staff for all that was done in my care. After being treated by him it gave me hope that I could beat these pain issues that took over my body and my daily life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and my family’s hearts for never judging me or never giving up on me because of my many pain issues. I had never met a physician so caring and dedicated to patients until being referred to Dr. Tavares.

– PC

Thank you for everything you’ve done for me over the last couple of years. Although I wish I never needed to come to your office, I appreciate how amazing you and your staff have been. You were always professional and kind and words can’t express my appreciation. Thank you.

– MS

Dr. Tavares, I am very grateful and most appreciate all you have done for me. I almost lost complete faith in doctors as I was only prescribed medications to mask my pain instead of finding the cause. You are such an excellent physician and you reassured my faith in doctors. You listened, found the cause of my neck pain, and took action. I was able to trust you and knew I was in good care. When I first visited your office, I was extremely limited in my mobility. I wasn’t able to complete basic household chores and was in serious pain. You restored my mobility and relieved my pain.

– RE

Thank you so much for everything Dr. Tavares! It’s amazing to have a doctor who listens and cares. I can’t explain how thankful I am for how much you’ve helped me in such a short amount of time. I’m totally bummed to find a new doctor in Florida. Again, thank you so much for everything.

– SF

Thanks for being you and listening to me from the start. I never dreamed that I would adore a doctor as much as I adore you. You have a gentle spirit and you are a beautiful being. May the Lord continue to bless you and your family.

– AM

Frequently Asked Questions

As a specialty clinic, all patients require a referral from another healthcare provider. Medical records are reviewed before scheduling to ensure the best treatment outcome.

We are not accepting new patients that require opioid medication.

  • For new patients, we accept VA, Tricare, Hawaii Laborers, HMA, HMAA, Aetna, and Deseret Mutual.
  • We no longer accept new patients with HMSA (all plans), BCBS, United Healthcare, MDX, Humana, Cigna, UHA, Medicare, Medicaid, AlohaCare, Ohana/WellCare, Worker’s Compensation, and personal injury such as motor vehicle accidents.

Your insurance is likely not accepted for one or more of the following reasons:

1. Difficulty obtaining authorization for care.

2. Difficulty or delays in receiving payment for services rendered.

3. Reimbursement rates below the cost to deliver care.

Yes. However, self/private pay patients undergo the same referral and review process as insured patients.

We accept cash and credit card (Visa and Mastercard) payments.  Credit transactions are assessed a 4% fee. When applicable, a 4.712% General Excise Tax will be applied.

  • Insurance card
  • Government issued identification
  • Pertinent imaging on CD
  • Pertinent medical records

There is ample street and structure parking. Handicap parking is conveniently located in the basement of the building. Parking in the structure is $1 for every 30 minutes which can be paid by cash or credit card. There is a 15-minute grace period in the parking structure. We do not validate.

Where To Find Us

The office is located in the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Medical Pavilion. It is the building closest to Liliha Street on the campus of the St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii.

Office
2226 Liliha Street, Suite 407
Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone
808-445-9172
Fax
808-445-9182

Office Hours

OPEN   9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Monday • Tuesday • Thursday • Friday
CLOSED
• Wednesday • Saturday • Sunday
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
• Show Schedule
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