Our member of the week blog introduces you to our fellow level members, showcasing their unique work and commitment to IOF. We feature different fellows who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of Interventional Orthopedics.
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Get to know Dr. David Russo
Practice Website: Columbiapain.org
Connect with Dr. Russo:
Today’s Member of the Week interview takes us to the Pacific Northwest, to introduce you to Dr. David Russo of Columbia Pain.
Dr. Russo is a board-certified, fellowship-trained physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and interventional pain physician. He completed medical and graduate school at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and residency at the Mayo Clinic before relocating to Oregon for fellowship training in Pain Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University.
He’s incorporated the use of orthobiologics for spinal and non-spinal pain conditions for over seven years–taking a holistic approach to patient care, considering the roles of diet, exercise, and lifestyle on patients’ overall function and wellbeing.
Q&A with Dr. Russo
IOF: How has IOF impacted you the most?
Dr. Russo: IOF is a great forum to learn about advances and emerging science in the field. The conference agendas are well put together and help practitioners apply the latest science to their treatments.
IOF: What do you treat most frequently with regenerative medicine?
Dr. Russo: As a musculoskeletal and pain specialist, I see patients with spinal complaints most frequently. But, one of the greatest things about orthobiologics is the ability to treat the whole body and kinetic chain. What might at first seem like a cervical facet syndrome or whiplash injury reveals components of shoulder pathology or another upper limb problem. Thinking biomechanically, all these areas of the body can be treated within a comprehensive rehabilitation paradigm.
IOF: Where do you see the field of regenerative medicine going in the next 5 years?
Dr. Russo: I’m excited for continued advances in treating spine pathology and using orthobiologics for surgical augmentation. Our spine surgery colleagues are beginning to see how minimally invasive treatments can be cost effective and improve patients’ quality of life with much less downtime for recovery.