Nu Cindy Chai, MD

Dr. Nu Chai, who goes by Cindy, is a neurologist and pain medicine physician who cares for patients with chronic pain conditions. She has a special interest in treating pain resulting from problems with the nervous system.

Chai cares for patients who have neck and back pain, sciatica, disc herniations, headaches and many other conditions. She works closely with a team of specialists to recommend medications, physical therapy, psychological therapy and other complementary treatments. She provides a full range of interventional treatments, including epidural injections, joint injections, placement of neuromodulation devices (which send electric signals to control pain), nerve blocks (injecting an anesthetic to disrupt pain signals) and Botox injections.

Chai has published numerous papers related to neuropathic pain, migraine and other headache conditions. Her current research focuses on finding new treatments for neuropathic pain conditions, such as lumbar radiculopathy (often called sciatica) and post-herpetic neuralgia (lasting pain that can follow a shingles outbreak).

After earning her medical degree at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Chai completed a residency in neurology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center. She then completed a fellowship in pain management at UCSF. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, American Pain Society and North American Neuromodulation Society.