Inspired by a close family member’s personal battle with severe debilitating pain, our founding physicians are idealistic about practicing pain medicine “the right way.”
When Dr. Tory McJunkin and Dr. Paul Lynch founded Arizona Pain, it was the realization of a dream decades in the making. The thriving medical practice, with more than 160 employees and helping more than 7,000 patients monthly, has blossomed from the seed of a college friendship.
Their freshman year of college, the pre-med students had many of the same classes. While intense competition is the landscape in such an environment, Paul and Tory decided cooperation was a better plan. They studied together during the week and prayed together on the weekends. Their plan and mutual passion for medicine worked.
Four years later, they were off to the university of Oklahoma College of Medicine. Life took an unexpected turn, when Paul’s mother-in-law was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. He spent weeks trying to find relief for her debilitating pain, and during the process learned about interventional pain procedures. before medical school graduation, he realized that this was his calling in life and immediately drove to Tory’s house. Tory heard the excitement in his friend’s voice.
I know what I’m going to do with my life! Paul said.
Tory listened with growing interest and firmly said, “Me too.”
Paul laughed in disbelief saying “Seriously, I’m going to become an anesthesiologist and then study pain management. This is what I’m supposed to do, I just know it.”
Tory stepped closer and with a tone that was unmistakably serious said “I know, and this is the specialty I was made to practice too, I just didn’t know it existed. I’m alsogoing to pursue this career, whatever it takes!”
That’s exactly what they did. They obtained positions in top-tier programs – university of Iowa and New york university, and then each secured a position at the most coveted interventional pain program. years later, with prayer and their passion to help others suffering from pain at the forefront of their motivation, the pair created Arizona Pain.
Today, the practice includes offices in Chandler, Glendale and Scottsdale with a handful of similarly minded, passionate physicians, chiropractors, therapists, and health care providers.