Michael Lupi, D.O., has joined Physician Partners of America Pain Relief Group in its newest location in Jacksonville as a pain management physician.  He is an innovator in spinal cord and genicular nerve stimulator implants, as well as a longtime fighter against the opioid crisis.

Dr. Lupi comes to PPOA from Pain Associates of South Georgia, where he served as medical director. He has practiced interventional pain management for nearly 25 years and specializes in the treatment of spine pain, as well as musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. He has advanced training and certification in spinal cord stimulator placement, peripheral nerve stimulation, radiofrequency ablation, percutaneous electrothermal treatment, and advanced EMG training at Harvard Medical School.

He recently implanted the nation’s first peripheral nerve stimulator of the genicular nerve as a treatment for chronic knee pain.

“I was attracted to this field because it is procedure-oriented,” he says. “One procedure can be life-changing.”

Dr. Lupi is also certified as an independent medical examiner and a medical review officer. He is an expert witness in the areas of physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain medicine, and toxicology.

He earned his medical degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Iowa and completed his internship at Northlake Regional Medical Center in Atlanta. He then completed his residency at Emory University, Atlanta Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

His longtime interest in stemming the opioid crisis aligns with PPOA’s mission to use interventional pain management techniques and tighten prescribing guidelines. “We have known for a long time how addictive opioids are,” he said. “We need to promote alternatives and come up with more guidelines for prescribing for chronic – as opposed to acute – pain patients.”

Dr. Lupi has traveled to Washington D.C. several times in an effort to generate federal interest in a pilot project using artificial intelligence to fight the opioid epidemic. It has been well-received. He is a fellow of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with board certification in the subspecialty pain medicine. He also serves as clinical instructor at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Patients can make appointments with Dr. Lupi at the Jacksonville office, 11705 San Jose Blvd., Suite 110, Jacksonville, FL 32223 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The phone number is (904) 579-1365. Same-day appointments are available.