About Me

I am a native of San Diego. I am married to one of our Kaiser Permanente neurologists. We have three young children. My wife and I love to travel all over the world with our kids in tow. In my spare time I enjoy writing and photography. I have also written a book on low back pain and golf.

Biography

I am a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego. I've been with Kaiser Permanente since 1996, and I work in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation. As a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as pain management, I treat individuals with musculoskeletal complaints and individuals with neurological or physical disease processes that effect their function and quality of life. Some of my other positions include the director of the amputee and brace clinic, and director of the intraspinal caclofen pump program for spasticity management. I have clinical training in the utilization of botulinum toxin (Botox®) treatment for musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. I am one of our staff physicians who care for our acute, hospital-based rehabilitation unit, I am also the physician-in-charge of our Integrated Pain Management Department.

About my practice

I am an osteopathic physician (DO). Like my MD colleagues, I provide comprehensive medical care to my patients, including preventive medicine, diagnosis, surgical interventions, prescribing medications, and treating patients in the hospital. As part of my training in medical school and residency, I received extra instruction on the musculoskeletal system. My osteopathic approach to medicine has given me a better understanding of the ways that an illness or injury can affect many parts of the body. My osteopathic medical approach to physical medicine and rehabilitation is based on the premise that the primary role of the physician is to facilitate the body's inherent ability to heal itself.

How I thrive

Motion is life. I feel we express ourselves with our bones and muscles, not with our internal organs. The best way to express that motion is through exercise. I make time for my health by exercising 45 minutes to an hour each day (I do take Fridays off). I enjoy mountaineering and have climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Fuji, Mt. Rainer, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Whitney, and most of the peaks in Southern California. I have raced mountain bikes and road bikes, once winning a team relay across the United States. I have been a snowboarder since 1993. I participate in local triathlons. I have been an in-line skating instructor since 1996, as well as a group exercise instructor at local gyms. I have run fourteen marathons and look forward to running more. Most recently I have taken up golf. My patients often ask me, "What is the best exercise for me?" My answer is to do the exercises that you enjoy.