Founder of Elite Pain Doctors: Ending Chronic Pain Without Opioids

Summary

Living The Red Life — Founder of Elite Pain Doctors: Ending Chronic Pain Without Opioids

Date: December 1, 2025
Host: Rudy Mawer
Guest: David Seagraves, Founder of Elite Pain Doctors

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Living The Red Life" features David Seagraves, founder of Elite Pain Doctors. The conversation centers on David's journey from a small-town Indiana upbringing deeply affected by the opioid epidemic to leading an innovative, non-opioid-based pain management company. The discussion explores the systemic issues behind opioid addiction, Elite Pain Doctors' pioneering medical approach, scaling a healthcare business, and the societal ramifications of chronic pain and addiction. Seagraves’ story combines personal recovery, entrepreneurial drive, and a mission to create lasting social impact.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. David’s Background and Motivation

• David grew up in a small Indiana town devastated by the opioid epidemic.
• Personal struggles: David and many friends and family dealt with opioid addiction firsthand.
• This experience motivated him to provide alternative, non-opioid pain solutions that are "more effective, better for the patient long term, and actually more profitable for your doctor." (A, 00:15)

2. The Opioid Crisis Landscape

• The epidemic is tied to economic collapse in the Midwest, especially where manufacturing jobs moved overseas, leaving people jobless and susceptible to substance use (A, 03:56).
• "You wouldn't believe how much advertising dollars these drug companies have spent selling that to you—not just to the end user, but also to the doctors that then you are supposed to trust." (A, 04:47)
• The destructive cycle is perpetuated by corporate profits, lack of meaningful interventions, and systemic healthcare issues.

3. Chronic Pain and Patient Journey

• Elite Pain Doctors is often the "last stop" for patients who have tried everything else (A, 00:53; 06:31).
• Interventions involve advanced imaging (MRI, X-ray, fluoroscopy) to pinpoint the problem and perform minimally invasive procedures, opening "a rehab window so that they're out of pain, and then they can get the rehab that they need." (A, 00:27; 06:31)
• Seagraves emphasizes the life-or-death stakes: “We’re the stop before they go home and, you know, decide to do something horrible. And it's like, far more permanent." (A, 06:31)

4. Building and Scaling Elite Pain Doctors

• The company started in 2018 with just four staff and now employs 250+, with over 5,000 awards (A, 11:59).
• Growth reflects shifting from elective procedures and regenerative medicine to insurance-based, minimally invasive interventional pain management (A, 11:59–12:48).
• Expansion across multiple states and plans for a nationwide footprint, while advocating for policy changes and Medicaid coverage for alternatives to opioids (A, 08:52; 09:13).

5. Multidisciplinary Approach & Innovation

• Integration of double board-certified pain specialists, anesthesiologists, chiropractors, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, and more—maximizing outcome and reach (A, 13:11).
• The objective is to treat “a whole wide range of anything pain,” breaking down silos in medicine.

6. Changing Doctor-Patient Relationships

• Emphasis on radical transparency and informed consent: “Everything that we do, we make sure that the patient is informed. We make sure that it is... we found the source of the problem and we're addressing that.” (A, 04:59)
• Seagraves also launched the "Medicine Uncensored" podcast to foster open dialogue, humanize doctors, and help patients make better decisions (A, 09:13).

7. Societal Context and Personal Stories

• The rise in chronic pain among baby boomers due to processed foods, diabetes, cancer, and aging—a population especially vulnerable to both pain and opioid risk (A, 05:33–06:13).
• Compelling stories of patients losing their ability to walk, drive, or live independently—underscoring the social costs and urgency of pain management breakthroughs (A, 08:01).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the cycle of addiction:
  “It’s fun when you’re jumping in the addiction and you’re always flying high. But then when you want to pull out and live this reality, it's... far terrible.” — Host (B, 00:46)

• On recovery realities:
  “For me, it was cold turkey. And that was a brutal experience. As soon as you’re through the physical withdrawals, there’s the emotional aspect… you find that you were doing something to replace confronting your problems or your life. And now when you don’t have that as a crutch, you’ve got to redeal with all the hard things you were avoiding.” — David Seagraves (A, 03:00)

• On corporate responsibility:
  "Billions and billions of dollars… You wouldn't believe how much advertising dollars these drug companies have spent selling that… not just to the users, but also to the doctors." — David Seagraves (A, 04:47)

• On Elite Pain Doctors’ mission:
  "We're an interventional pain group that gets people out of pain without the use of opioids." — David Seagraves (A, 11:44)

• On impact:
  "We're the stop before they go home and, you know, decide to do something horrible. And it's, like, far more permanent." — David Seagraves (A, 06:31)

• On the odd realities of his hometown:
  "When I went to school, we used to joke about our high school and call it the pharmacy. Because you could literally go in there and get any kind of pill." — David Seagraves (A, 10:55)

• On the company’s growth:
  "We went from one location to three in 2020 and 2023 we added the interventional pain component... now we’ve added in double board certified pain specialists and anesthesiologists. Really expanded our scope of what we can treat..." — David Seagraves (A, 11:59–12:48)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Origin Story & Opioid Epidemic: 00:00–03:56
• Physical & Emotional Aspects of Recovery: 03:00–03:51
• Economic Roots of the Crisis: 03:56–04:47
• Corporate Power & Systemic Issues: 04:47–05:25
• Elite Pain Doctors’ Interventional Process: 05:33–07:04
• Patient Stories & Chronic Pain: 08:01–08:48
• Business Growth & Nationwide Ambitions: 08:52–09:13, 11:59–12:48
• Unique Approach & Team Integration: 13:11–13:30
• Podcast & Spreading Transparency: 09:13–10:06, 13:47
• Personal Contact & Final Notes: 13:47–14:05

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How to Learn More

• Elite Pain Doctors: elitedoctor.com
• Instagram Podcast: @MedicineUncensored

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Conclusion

This episode provides a raw, insightful lens on the opioid crisis and innovative, compassionate medical entrepreneurship. David Seagraves’ journey offers hope—demonstrating how industry change, multidisciplinary science, and transparent care can disrupt the status quo and improve countless lives.

Transcript

[A]

I came up in a small town, Indiana, that was very much affected by the opioid epidemic and had my own struggles with that, and a lot of my friends and family did, and so I came from that. And now we're providing solutions to people to get them out of pain without the use of opiates that are actually more effective, better for the patient long term, and actually more profitable for your doctor.

[B]

From four staff to 250 employees, we. Wow, 5,000 awards.

[A]

We're changing lives that way. We're actually able to go in with imaging and fluoroscopy and X ray and mri, go in, find exactly what is wrong with a person, and then do a procedure to get them out of pain and create a rehab window so that they're out of pain, and then they can get the rehab that they need.

[B]

It's fun when you're jumping in the addiction and you're always flying high, but then when you want to pull out and live this reality, it's. It's far terrible.

[A]

We're never like, the first stop for these people, unfortunately. We're like the last stop.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

We're the stop before they go home and, you know, decide to do something.

[C]

My name's Rudy Moore, host of Living the Red Life Podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill, Take the red pill. Join me in Wonderland and change your life.

[B]

Welcome back to another episode of the Living youg Legacy podcast, the Red Life Edition. Joining me today is another amazing legacy, legacy maker David Seagraves. First of all, what an amazing name. You've been walking around like being called David Seagraves.

[A]

That's true.

[B]

God damn it. That's awesome. How are you, bubba?

[A]

I'm doing great. I'm doing great. Thanks for having me.

[B]

Oh, for sure. Our pleasure. You literally just finished filming your episode for Legacy Makers. How do you feel?

[A]

That was awesome. It was very cool. You guys have a very professional team, and I really appreciate how smooth it was and making me comfortable and feeling good in front of a camera, because that's not something I'm totally used to.

[B]

Right on. You should be on camera more often, sir.

[A]

You clean.

[B]

You clean well. Very well.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

What will we learn about you on your episode?

[A]

You're gonna learn about where I came from. Very humble beginnings and actually some pretty serious trials. You know, I came up in a small town, Indiana, that was very much affected by the opioid Epidemic. Oh, boy. I had my own struggles with that and a lot of my friends and family did, and so I came from that. And now we're providing solutions to people to get them out of pain without the use of opiates that are actually more effective, better for the patient long term, and actually more profitable for your doctor.

[B]

Yeah. I always go to that movie, man, with Jared Leto, and it's, it's the. It's the. The terrible movie with Rec Room for a Dream. Every time I think of drug addiction, I always think of that film because it's fun when you're jumping in the addiction and you're always flying high. But then when you want to pull out and live this reality, it's. It's far terrible because I'm sure you can talk about it. It's when you're. When you're releasing that toxin from your body, something your body's so used to and it's no longer there. It's quite a painful journey.

[A]

It's brutal. Yeah, absolutely brutal. And, you know, I did it. There's different ways to go about that. You know, obviously everybody has their own path. And for me, it was cold turkey. And that was a brutal experience. And then you're very much. As soon as you're through the, the physical withdrawals, there's the emotional oh, yeah aspect of it, and there' really dealing with is what I find, and this is with other people that I've talked to that have gone through the same kind of struggles is you find that you were doing something to replace confronting your problems or your life. And so instead of maybe dealing with something that's hard, you did this other thing. And now when you don't have that other thing as a crutch, now, you got to redeal with all the hard things that you were avoiding. And so that's. That's its own journey as well.

[B]

Do you find this journey to be common among men versus women or is it very equal among the.

[A]

You know, Very equal. Especially where I'm from. I mean, it was just so widespread. You know, that area of the country specifically, there was a lot of car companies and car manufacturing. That's Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, all very similar. And all that manufacturing at a certain point left the country for cheaper labor. Yeah. So when that happened, the people didn't necessarily leave, so then they were left without a job. And if that population stays, what do they turn to? Well, they turn to drugs to cope with their problems, and then they turn to it to handle money, you know, and have. Have an income source. And then it just compiles. And I've absolutely seen the destruction of my hometown.

[B]

Well.

[A]

And to the point where we now have Netflix episodes and things like that. On Drugs Inc. And, you know, it's not. It's not pretty.

[B]

It's not. And someone's making money off of that pain. And it's. It's cycle continues.

[A]

Billions and billions of dollars. You wouldn't believe how much advertising dollars these drug companies have spent selling that to you. And selling it really, not just to the end user, but also to the doctors.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

That then you are supposed to trust. And then they sell it to their patients. And we do get into the episode on breaking down why that is a systemic problem, because there's some things that we're trying to do. And on our team, we're very much about radical transparency. Everything that we do, we make sure that the patient is informed. We make sure that it is. We found the source of the problem and we're addressing that. And so changing lives really are.

[B]

How are you changing lives? How hands on are you? Is it essentially intervention? Is it a zoom call? What's the level of interference here?

[A]

So we deal with people that are suffering from chronic pain. So a lot of people, especially baby boomers this day and age, are suffering with diabetes. It's a growing issue for that era. Because they grew up on ultra processed food. Yep. They grew up on the fast food era. So there was all kinds of, like, media all the time pumping that this was a good thing and a convenient. They also had, you know, the commercials where they're smoking cigarettes, and that was, you know, advertised as healthy and cool.

[B]

I just did my second watch of Mad Men, so I'm very familiar.

[A]

All right, so that's that era. Well, they're all suffering now, and they're diabetic and they're overweight.

[B]

Sorry. Don Draper, rp. Don Draper's like, up to here. Like, what do I do in my life?

[A]

So we deal with a lot of older patients. Dude. That are now suffering with neuropathy because of diabetes or because they've had cancer or other complications. So they're in chronic pain. So a lot of times these guys, we're never like the first stop for these people, unfortunately. We're like the last stop.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

We're the stop before they go home and, you know, decide to do something horrible. And it's like, far more permanent. We're changing lives that way. We're actually able to go in with imaging and fluoroscopy and X ray and mri, go in, find exactly what is wrong with the person, and then do a procedure to get them out of pain and create a rehab window so that they're out of pain, and then they can get the rehab that they need so they're not suffering. So that. That is what we're doing, and it is pretty miraculous in. In how we're going about that.

[B]

I love. I love how you're framing these. These moments of. Some folks don't go into these. These interventions because they're thinking, oh, someone's going to give me a hug and take some notes. No, you're. You're packaging it. You're making it feel real, like it's a substantial thing. Talk about that process and how you've built this curriculum.

[A]

Absolutely. So basically, you know, over time. So I. I grew up in a family full of doctors and physicians, and so I. I went to business school. Did not want to go that route, but I still came back to. At the end of the day, I want to help people. And though we're not doing necessarily drug rehab, what we are doing is providing a solution to get people off of the medication so they get out of pain doing the procedures, and they're able to then start weaning down and getting back to the life that they really want to live, which I think is important. And that's, you know, nobody wants to be miserable. And I could tell you horror stories about some of these people with neuropathy. They can't feel their feet.

[B]

Oh, boy.

[A]

They can't tell the difference at a certain point between the gas pedal and the brake. Wow. So they end up. A lot of times you'll hear about somebody, well, somebody drove through the restaurant that they were trying to park at, or we've even had events where somebody went through a glass window at the event because they couldn't feel the difference. And when you.

[B]

My grandma's passed out on the highway because she was diabetic, and she was just. If it wasn't for the almighty Lord, she would have struck someone.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. So, you know, it's a terrible situation. And when you get into those situations, it's gone so far. They start to lose their independence because they're going to lose their license. And that is devastating to our older population. And so trying to provide a solution that. That gets them out of pain, gets them back to living the rest of their years at the highest possible level.

[B]

So what's next for you after you leave Miami? Like, what's your next big step?

[A]

We're continuing to expand and grow. We're taking this thing nationwide. And basically we've got a model that I do believe will be adopted by the pain industry in full once these doctors really believe in seeing it. We're already in multiple states and that is continuing to grow without giving away too much strategy.

[B]

Right on.

[A]

But we are, we are taking it nationwide. And this is a model that is. Should be adopted by every state, especially the ones that had opioid epidemics, because it should be more profitable for the state as well. You've got these Medicaid programs and things like that. And unfortunately, a lot of times those programs in only a handful of states really cover the procedures that we do. But when, when they do cover them, we get better results and we don't end up with addicts. Yeah. And so that's what needs to change. And so I'm really trying to expand that nationwide. I'm trying to spread the message through a podcast that we launched as well called Medicine Uncensored, where we're interviewing doctors and interviewing experts. And you really. I think it's important that people get to know their physicians on a personal level. And we see that we get better results when somebody actually connects with their doctors. And that's what we're trying to do.

[B]

It's funny because of the age of social media, there's a level of transparency, authenticity. And there's also a level of being a gypsy. You're faking it. But as that generation, our generation just grows older and wiser. We want more transparency. We want to know more. We don't want to be told, here's how this works. No why. But why? But why? I think that's actually a but why.org? that actually asks the question like, but why? Yeah. So I'd love to know how does. I gotta go back. You mentioned a family of doctors. How does one. And you mentioned a moment of your addiction with opioids. How does someone come from a family of doctors and still find a path into opioids community?

[A]

That I grew up in is what I would say. You know, I grew up in a very odd place. And it is. When I went to school, we used to joke about our high school and call it the pharmacy.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Because you could literally go in there and get any kind of pill. Somebody had pain pills, somebody had muscle relaxers, somebody had Xanax, etc, so on. And so that was. That was how we grew up from an early age. And people were doing it because they came from nothing and they were poor and they had to make money. And so that's how they went about it. And so, you know, I do, I do think that people to a large degree can end up becoming a product of their environment. Luckily I got out of that. Unfortunately, it has destroyed so many lives in that community and others just like it all across the Midwest.

[B]

So I'm just going to ask you point blank, Elite Pain Doctors, what is it? Just give me the pitch and then I'm going to go through and pull some questions from your actual script that we used for your interview because I love some folks if you're watching this part of the format to get to know more of your journey.

[A]

Elite Pain Doctors, we're an interventional pain group that gets people out of pain without the use of opioids.

[B]

Fantastic. So from four staff to 250 employees. Wow. 5,000 awards. Sorry, just. Can you name us some of your milestones?

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. So I started this thing in 2018 when I simultaneously started it while I was helping my father sell his clinics off in a private equity sale and so started this clinic with a totally different vision. We were delivering all elective procedures, regenerative medicine, very cutting edge stuff. It has evolved further to where we can service many more patients and a more insurance based model that is still providing minimally invasive procedures. And we've grown, grown, grown. In 2020, we exploded. We went from one location to three and 2023 we added the interventional pain component to where now we've added in double board certified pain specialists and anesthesiologists. Really expanded our scope of what we can treat in terms of pain.

[B]

So this is real, this is the real deal.

[A]

Absolutely. And like I said, we're in, we're in multiple states now and that is going to continue to grow. And I'm in touch with legislators and senators and things like that and trying to make some movement on some policy changes across the country.

[B]

Are you the only person in this space or is a lot of folks kind of fighting for top of the hill here for, for the solution of fighting against opioids? Are you the only person in this space?

[A]

I'm the only person in this area that has brought together double board certified pain specialists and anesthesiologists with chiropractors, massage PT, nurse practitioners, PAs, on and on. And so we treat a whole wide range of anything pain.

[B]

David, I gotta ask, if someone makes a Netflix special about you, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

[A]

We'll find out, man.

[B]

It was such a pleasure to meet you and talk to you, bud. I hope you had an amazing experience here at Inside Success. How can people find you and follow your journey?

[A]

You can find us at Elite Pain Doctors, or, excuse me, Elitedoctor.com. you can also find me at Medicine Uncensored on Instagram.

[B]

Medicine Uncensored. Great name, David Seagraves. Such a pleasure, my friend. That concludes another episode of the Living youg Legacy podcast, the Red Life edition. For Inside Success. I am Ray Gutierrez.

[A]

Sam.