Frequently Asked Questions About Augusta Pain Center

Augusta Pain Center is a comprehensive interventional pain management practice located in Augusta, Georgia. Founded in 2001, the practice has provided advanced, individualized care for chronic and acute pain to patients across the Central Savannah River Area for more than 20 years. Augusta Pain Center is led by Dr. Richard Epter, a board-certified pain management physician with over 30 years of experience, and combines medical management, minimally invasive procedures, physical and aquatic therapy, and behavioral health services under one roof.

Augusta Pain Center is located at 1321 Interstate Pkwy, Augusta, GA 30909. The practice operates a multi-purpose facility that houses both the pain management clinic and the surgery center, plus the onsite aquatic center for physical therapy. This allows patients to receive evaluation, therapy, and procedural care all in one place.

Augusta Pain Center is the area’s only comprehensive pain clinic, meaning patients have access to interventional procedures, medical management, physical and aquatic therapy, and behavioral health services at a single location. Rather than relying on long-term pain medication to mask symptoms, the practice focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of each patient’s pain. Augusta Pain Center is also the only practice in the area led by an interventional pain physician with 5 board certifications, a board certification in anesthesiology, and a track record of training pain management Fellows from around the world.

Augusta Pain Center treats a wide range of chronic and acute pain conditions, including back pain, neck pain, joint pain, nerve pain, headaches, arthritis pain, and pain that persists after previous spine surgery. The practice cares for patients of all ages and works with people whose pain has not responded to standard treatment elsewhere.

A referral is not required by Augusta Pain Center to schedule an appointment, but some insurance plans do require one in order for specialist visits to be covered. Whether you’ll need a referral depends on your individual plan, so it’s a good idea to check with your insurance provider before your first visit. If you have questions or aren’t sure, you can also call our office at (706) 738-7246 and our team will help verify your plan’s requirements when scheduling.

To schedule an appointment with Augusta Pain Center, call (706) 738-7246, request an appointment online, or use the chat tool in the bottom right corner of any page on our website. Our team will get you on the schedule as soon as possible!

If your pain worsens between appointments, call our office at (706) 738-7246 so our team can help determine the best next step, whether that’s adjusting your treatment plan, moving up your next visit, or scheduling additional evaluation. You can also send a message through the patient portal. For sudden or severe symptoms, or any signs of a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

For your first visit to Augusta Pain Center, please bring all current medications in their original containers, any recent MRI, CT scan, X-ray, or other imaging reports, your driver’s license or photo ID, and your insurance card. Visit our New Patient Information & Resources for more details.

Yes. Augusta Pain Center is intentionally focused on minimizing reliance on opioid pain medication. Long-term use of opioids only masks pain and can introduce new health concerns, so the practice prioritizes interventional procedures, physical and aquatic therapy, behavioral health support, and other non-opioid approaches that address the root cause of each patient’s pain.

Yes. Every Augusta Pain Center patient has access to Dr. William Schiff, the practice’s licensed psychologist, who has more than 20 years of experience helping patients manage the psychological and emotional toll of chronic pain. Behavioral health is a fully integrated part of our care model, not a separate referral.