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Home > CA Providers > Interventional Pain Specialists

Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD

Accepting New Patients

(4 Ratings)

Specializes in: Interventional Pain Medicine and Physiatry (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation)

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (2001)

22 CORPORATE PLAZA DRIVE
NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660

(949) 722-5008

Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD is an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA specializing in interventional pain medicine and physiatry (physical medicine & rehabilitation). He graduated from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 2001 and has 25 years of experience. Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD is affiliated with Greater Newport Physicians, Hoag, Newport Orthopedic Institute and ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE OF NEWPORT BEACH LIMITED PARTNERSHIP.

Office Locations

Newport Orthopedic Institute

22 CORPORATE PLAZA DRIVE
NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660

(949) 722-5008

(949) 630-4900

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Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 5%

By Volume:

nerve block

pain management

selective nerve root block

spinal procedures

subarachnoid block with local anesthetic

transforaminal epidural steroid injection

In 2023, Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD performed more nerve block, pain management, selective nerve root block (SNRB), spinal procedures, subarachnoid block with local anesthetic (numbing medicine), and transforaminal epidural steroid injection procedures for Medicare patients than 95% of providers in related specialties within California.

Top 10%

By Volume:

facet rhizotomy injection

injections

major joint aspiration

rhizotomy

In 2023, Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD performed more facet rhizotomy injection, injections, major joint aspiration, and rhizotomy (nerve ablation) procedures for Medicare patients than 90% of providers in related specialties within California.

Top 25%

By Volume:

spine MRI

By Affordability:

nerve procedures

In 2012, among providers in related specialties within California, Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD performed more spine MRI procedures for Medicare patients than 75% of them and he also had a list price for nerve procedures that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 75% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2012 were spinal procedures, rehabilitation, injections and pain management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	118
diagnostic evaluation	37
diagnostic procedures	293
doctor visit	1086
injections	697
manual therapy	586
minimally invasive procedures	21
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	46
musculoskeletal imaging	18
nerve block	521
nerve procedures	21
pain management	600
pelvic imaging	15
rehabilitation	702
spinal procedures	703
X-rays	111

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2013 were injections, spinal procedures, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	169
diagnostic evaluation	18
diagnostic procedures	34
doctor visit	1095
injections	657
manual therapy	157
minimally invasive procedures	47
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	33
nerve block	435
nerve procedures	47
pain management	535
pelvic imaging	12
rehabilitation	282
spinal procedures	595
X-rays	86

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	270
Female	368

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	594
Black	0
Hispanic	12
Asian	21
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	316
From 75 to 84	203
85 and over	93
Less than 65	26

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2013

Hypertension	66
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	21
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	24
Dementia	8
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2014 were injections, spinal procedures, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	283
doctor visit	1358
injections	702
minimally invasive procedures	66
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	45
musculoskeletal imaging	20
nerve block	371
nerve procedures	66
pain management	485
pelvic imaging	13
spinal procedures	555
X-rays	124

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	273
Female	375

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	593
Black	0
Hispanic	19
Asian	25
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	324
From 75 to 84	206
85 and over	91
Less than 65	27

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2014

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	60
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	24
Dementia	9
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2015 were injections, spinal procedures, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	203
doctor visit	1319
injections	614
minimally invasive procedures	109
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	35
musculoskeletal imaging	23
nerve block	340
nerve procedures	109
pain management	520
pelvic imaging	12
spinal procedures	556
X-rays	145

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	578
Female	774

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1218
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	56
Other	40
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	650
From 75 to 84	460
85 and over	200
Less than 65	42

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2015

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	25
Dementia	8
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2016 were spinal procedures, injections, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	202
doctor visit	1551
injections	678
minimally invasive procedures	102
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	81
musculoskeletal imaging	45
nerve block	405
nerve procedures	102
pain management	578
pelvic imaging	15
spinal procedures	739
X-rays	242

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	333
Female	462

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	722
Black	0
Hispanic	27
Asian	0
Other	22
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	352
From 75 to 84	296
85 and over	125
Less than 65	22

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2016

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	16
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	25
Dementia	9
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2017 were spinal procedures, injections, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	233
doctor visit	1443
injections	532
minimally invasive procedures	100
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	76
musculoskeletal imaging	14
nerve block	260
nerve procedures	100
pain management	399
pelvic imaging	19
spinal procedures	547
X-rays	205

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	342
Female	447

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	694
Black	0
Hispanic	29
Asian	36
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	340
From 75 to 84	306
85 and over	124
Less than 65	19

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2017

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	52
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	21
Dementia	8
Cancer	16

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2018 were injections, spinal procedures, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	278
doctor visit	1462
injections	620
minimally invasive procedures	137
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	67
musculoskeletal imaging	33
nerve block	317
nerve procedures	137
pain management	479
spinal procedures	609
X-rays	246

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	364
Female	443

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	710
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	39
Other	28
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	341
From 75 to 84	329
85 and over	119
Less than 65	18

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2018

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	25
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	24
Dementia	9
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2019 were spinal procedures, injections, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	246
doctor visit	1618
injections	563
minimally invasive procedures	128
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	99
musculoskeletal imaging	17
nerve block	292
nerve procedures	128
pain management	445
pelvic imaging	27
spinal procedures	616
X-rays	244

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	381
Female	465

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	746
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	45
Other	29
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	326
From 75 to 84	376
85 and over	125
Less than 65	19

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2019

Hypertension	70
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	28
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	24
Dementia	9
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2020 were spinal procedures, injections, pain management and X-rays.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	306
doctor visit	1731
injections	596
minimally invasive procedures	124
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	85
musculoskeletal imaging	24
nerve block	270
nerve procedures	124
pain management	414
pelvic imaging	69
spinal procedures	613
X-rays	331

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	373
Female	479

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	757
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	40
Other	24
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	350
From 75 to 84	349
85 and over	139
Less than 65	14

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2020

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	28
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	23
Dementia	9
Cancer	16

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2021 were spinal procedures, injections, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	256
doctor visit	1860
injections	566
minimally invasive procedures	108
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	63
musculoskeletal imaging	27
nerve block	282
nerve procedures	108
pain management	418
pelvic imaging	52
spinal procedures	566
X-rays	272

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	391
Female	451

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	737
Black	0
Hispanic	23
Asian	44
Other	27
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	342
From 75 to 84	357
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2021

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	71
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	22
Dementia	9
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA during 2022 were spinal procedures, injections, pain management and nerve block.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	209
doctor visit	1749
injections	553
minimally invasive procedures	87
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	60
musculoskeletal imaging	16
nerve block	292
nerve procedures	87
pain management	431
pelvic imaging	45
spinal procedures	563
X-rays	220

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	378
Female	467

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	745
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	47
Other	24
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	330
From 75 to 84	359
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD in 2022

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	23
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	22
Atrial Fibrilation	21
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	22
Dementia	6
Cancer	19

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated as an interventional pain specialist in NEWPORT BEACH, CA were injections, spinal procedures, rehabilitation and pain management.

aspiration	227
diagnostic evaluation	27
diagnostic procedures	163
doctor visit	1479
injections	616
manual therapy	371
minimally invasive procedures	93
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	62
musculoskeletal imaging	23
nerve block	344
nerve procedures	93
pain management	482
pelvic imaging	27
rehabilitation	492
spinal procedures	605
X-rays	202

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD.

**Gender**
Male	334
Female	430

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	32
Non-Hispanic White	683
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	10
Other	17

**Age**
75 to 84	294
85 and over	92
Less than 65	17
65 to 74	333

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	61
High Cholesterol	58
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	9
Osteoporosis	13
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	21
Atrial Fibrillation	12
Dementia	7
Cancer	14

Education & Training

Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD graduated from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 2001. He completed residency at Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals. He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Pain Medicine and has a state license in Iowa.

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (2001)

Residency: Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals

Board Certification: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Pain Medicine

Licensed In: Iowa

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Greater Newport Physicians

Hoag

Newport Orthopedic Institute

ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE OF NEWPORT BEACH LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Cigna, Aetna, Anthem, Blue Shield, United Healthcare and Scan.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

Cigna

Aetna

Anthem

Blue Shield

United Healthcare

Scan

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.75 out of 5 stars based on 4 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in NEWPORT BEACH, CA.

4.75

Overall Rating

(4 Ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Balaji S. Charlu, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Pfizer Inc.	$18,359 LYRICA $18,224	EMBEDA $102	FLECTOR PATCH $26	CELEBREX $8
Medtronic USA, Inc.	$2,756 Spinal Cord Neurostimulation - Neuro $2,531	Drug Infusion Systems - Neuro $125	Spinal Cord Neurostimulation $100
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.	$1,590 Intracept $1,590
Horizon Pharma plc	$1,008 Duexis $996	PENNSAID $12
SPR Therapeutics, Inc	$1,004 SPRINT PNS System $1,004
Other	$3,901 Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System $1,055	Duexis $924	Omnia $470	iFuse Implant $248	OFIRMEV $246	Other $958

**Types of Payments**
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$18,600
Food and Beverage	$7,253
Travel and Lodging	$2,687
Education	$78

Biography

Dr. Balaji Charlu specializes in physiatry (physical medicine & rehabilitation), interventional pain medicine, and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery and practices in Newport Beach, CA. Patient reviews placed Dr. Charlu at an average of 4.5 stars (out of 5). He seems to honor Blue Shield, Anthem, Blue California, and more. After completing medical school at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, he performed his residency at a hospital affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Charlu's hospital/clinic affiliations include Greater Newport Physicians and Hoag. He welcomes new patients at his office inNewport Beach, CA as reported by Doctor.com.