Q&A: Sharukh Bengali, MD

Dr. Bengali joined the National Spine and Pain Centers in the summer of 2024 after completing a multidisciplinary pain medicine program at the University of Florida.

Dr. Bengali completed his undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Florida through a competitive 7-year combined BS/MD program. He started his anesthesiology training at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, TX and transitioned to the University of Florida where he graduated as a chief resident for the anesthesiology program. During training, Dr. Bengali earned multiple awards including Outstanding Senior Resident, Chair’s Award for Best Resident, and Outstanding Achievement in Pain Medicine.

Q: Are there any specific treatments, technologies or diagnostic specialties that you are particularly excited about, have expertise with or wish to promote?

A: The landscape of pain management has changed significantly in the last several years regarding advanced procedures. In particular, spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation have developed newer technology that can be good options for patients suffering from nerve-related pain.

Q: What drew you to the field of pain management and/or anesthesiology?

A: Pain management is one of the few specialties that emphasizes a shared decision-making model between patient and physician. Furthermore, the field has really accelerated in terms of options for treatment over the past decade and I am excited to offer a lot of these therapies to patients.

Q: What is your approach to medication management as part of developing treatment plans?

A: Medication management is another tool available for patients to improve function and daily living. Typically, I try to explain the risks, benefits, and alternatives of medications to help make an informed decision. Often, we can improve pain and function with interventional techniques and avoid some of the side effects from medications. Our approach is that each treatment plan is individualized to a patient based on history, physical, and imaging.

Q: What is your philosophy about doctor-patient interaction and patient-centered care?

A: Patient-centered care is an important aspect of pain management and I like to emphasize a shared decision-making model when making a patient’s treatment plan. With pain management, the goals of a treatment plan are always set by the patient and it is the physician’s job to help a patient towards that goal as much as possible. By informing a patient of what options they have and the risks, benefits, and alternatives that are available, an individualized treatment plan can be made and constantly re-evaluated.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time (hobbies, interests, etc.)

A: I absolutely love playing basketball and volleyball (indoor and beach) with friends and family as well as skiing during the winter season!

Q: What do you enjoy the most about your job? What drives you to do it?

A: I enjoy having the opportunity to help get patients back to what they love doing and improving their pain so that they can enjoy life without having chronic pain be the focus of their life.

Q: Is there a particular treatment or technology on the horizon that has you excited about the future of pain management and the opportunities to help your patients?

A: Closed-loop spinal cord stimulation is the newest technology that is on the horizon for patients. Previous spinal cord stimulation technology only relied on feedback from the patient for then a representative to make manual changes to the device. With closed-loop stimulation, the device receives feedback from the spinal cord itself and can make rapid changes to fine tune the stimulation.

Q: What gets you excited about working at NSPC?

A: I am excited to join a huge team of people working towards one goal of helping the patient get their quality of life back. NSPC provides me the opportunity to focus on the patient rather than administrative tasks.

Q: What would you do for a living if you weren’t a doctor?

A: I would have loved to pursue a career in sports journalism. I love the idea of traveling to different sporting events around the city and reporting on the journey of athletes, teams, and tournaments throughout the year.