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

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.

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).

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)

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

How to Learn More

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

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.