TampaPainMD

Life-Changing Care, Compassion, & Expertise Dr. Kalava truly saved my life during the darkest and most painful period I have ever experienced. I came to him after traveling to numerous specialists for severe head and facial pain, including care at UF Shands, while suffering from a brain tumor, trigeminal neuralgia, occipital neuralgia, and throat neuralgia all at the same time. I was in constant, unbearable pain. I was emotionally exhausted, physically depleted, and felt very alone. Many doctors told me my case was “too complicated” or “above their pay grade.” Dr. Kalava never did. From the very beginning, he understood the severity of my pain on both an academic and human level. His intelligence, education, and depth of knowledge were immediately apparent, but what truly sets him apart is his compassion. He saw through my stress and distress and understood that the pain itself was what was breaking me down. That level of emotional intelligence is rare and invaluable in medicine. Dr. Kalava created a thoughtful, professional, and ethical pain management plan using both oral and topical medications, along with non-surgical, in-office treatments using advanced equipment that genuinely works. He is not a pill-mill doctor. He practices real medicine. He thinks holistically while also being grounded in evidence-based care, including medications like ketamine that have decades of proven benefit. He even prescribed a topical lidocaine cream and specialized mouthwash that quite literally changed my quality of life. One thing I will never forget is how he took the time to educate me. He would pull up anatomical brain models on the screen and explain exactly where my pain was coming from, in language I could understand. That care and patience mattered more than he may ever know. Understanding why the pain was happening made it feel less frightening and less isolating. Eventually, I found neurosurgeons who believed surgery could help alleviate some of the tumor-related pain, and I proceeded with surgery. As a result, I am currently pulling back from monthly pain management visits, with gratitude and hope. That said, there is still tumor remaining and it is growing, so I may need pain management again in the future. If that time comes, Dr. Kalava is the only doctor I would trust to care for me. His bedside manner is exceptional. He is kind, encouraging, and genuinely good-hearted. He is the type of person you would feel lucky to have as a friend or neighbor. Every visit left me feeling less alone. His positive energy and reassurance gave me strength when I had very little left. If I ever moved out of Florida, I would still travel from another state just to see him. There is a map on his website showing how far patients travel to see him, and there is a very real reason for that. The office staff is kind and professional as well, which only adds to the overall experience. Aside from my neurosurgeons, I owe an enormous amount of gratitude to Dr. Kalava for helping me survive one of the most complicated and painful medical situations imaginable. If I had the means, I would give him and my surgeons a million dollars each for their competence, compassion, and world-class care. If you are truly suffering from pain and your condition is one he treats, I cannot recommend Dr. Kalava highly enough. He is a healer in the truest sense of the word, and I will always be deeply grateful for his care. His office is beautiful, thoughtfully designed, and boutique-style, creating a calm and comfortable environment from the moment you walk in. One final detail that truly impressed me is his commitment to continued learning. During my time as a patient, he traveled to Austria to attend an advanced pain management seminar, which speaks volumes about his dedication to expanding his expertise and contributing meaningfully to his field. As someone who has navigated a highly complicated medical journey, I can say with confidence that doctors like this are exceptionally rare. Ps. So random but checkout the floor in his office in attatched photo.

Andrew Art • February 4th, 2026

Dr. Kalava’s knowledge and expertise has been refreshing after seeing multiple other specialists over the past two years. I commute almost four hours to see him and it has always been worthwhile. My issue is unusual but he was familiar and continues to research it for my benefit. His staff is also amazing.

W Dickey • December 15th, 2025

My dad has been in a lot of pain. Dr. Kalava explained all his options and perform a treatment on one of his knees to see if it would help and it did. We go back tomorrow for the other knee. So happy to see my dad a little more mobile. The doc and Hannah were very kind and patient with him and we're happy to have found Dr. Kalava.

maria alvarez • November 20th, 2025