Dr. Raj Desai, MD · Los Angeles Pain medicine. Rehabilitation. Expert opinion.

Performance Sports & Spine ↗

Raj Desai, MD is an interventional pain and sports medicine physician and Medical Director of Performance Sports & Spine, with clinics in Tarzana, Valencia, Marina del Rey, Santa Barbara and Sacramento. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, with subspecialty certification in Pain Medicine, and completed fellowship training in pain medicine at the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Desai treats back and neck pain, sciatica, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, sacroiliac joint pain, facet arthropathy, knee and shoulder osteoarthritis, and peripheral neuropathy and nerve pain. His practice centers on image-guided diagnostic and therapeutic procedures — epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation, basivertebral nerve ablation (Intracept), spinal cord stimulation and joint injections — alongside orthobiologic treatments including platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

Raj Desai, MD grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where time with his high school's athletic trainers taught him that safe, regular movement keeps the body working. He still tells every patient the same thing: any movement is good movement, done consistently and safely.

Training

After Penn State and medical school, Dr. Desai did clinical research on knee osteoarthritis, sports medicine and regenerative medicine at the Rutgers–Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, then completed an internal medicine internship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He trained in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, where he was chief resident. There he led a diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound curriculum and helped launch the first tele-concussion clinic in Illinois. He then completed a pain medicine fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, focused on interventional spine procedures and neuromodulation.

Practice today

Dr. Desai is double board certified in PM&R and Pain Medicine. He is Medical Director of Performance Sports & Spine, which has clinics in Tarzana, Valencia, Marina del Rey, Santa Barbara and Sacramento, and Chief Medical Officer of Precision Pain & Rehab, a physiatry service for skilled nursing facilities. He treats spine, joint and nerve pain with image-guided injections, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation and PRP. He is also a California Qualified Medical Evaluator who provides expert witness and IME services.

Research, teaching & media

He has published peer-reviewed research and Springer textbook chapters on PRP, musculoskeletal ultrasound and pain care in medically complex patients. Journalists at GQ, Fortune, Forbes Health, Health.com and Artful Living have quoted him on back pain, cold plunging, fitness challenges and recovery.

Outside medicine he spends time with his family, reads, tries new restaurants, and stays active with yoga, biking and hiking.

Who is Dr. Raj Desai?

Raj Desai, MD is a double board-certified physiatrist and interventional pain physician in Los Angeles. He is Medical Director of Performance Sports & Spine, Chief Medical Officer of Precision Pain & Rehab, and has been quoted as a pain medicine and PM&R expert by GQ, Fortune, Forbes Health, Health.com and Artful Living.

What is Dr. Raj Desai board certified in?

He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) with subspecialty certification in Pain Medicine. He completed his PM&R residency at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, where he was chief resident, and his pain medicine fellowship at the University of Wisconsin.

What is a physiatrist?

A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Physiatrists diagnose and treat conditions of the spine, muscles, joints and nerves with the goal of restoring function, often without surgery.

What conditions does Dr. Desai treat?

Back and neck pain, sciatica, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, sacroiliac joint pain, facet arthropathy, vertebral compression fractures, knee and shoulder osteoarthritis, tendon and ligament injuries, sports injuries, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and peripheral neuropathy and nerve pain. Treatments include epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation, basivertebral nerve ablation (Intracept), spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation, kyphoplasty, sympathetic nerve blocks, joint injections, and orthobiologics such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow aspirate concentrate.

Does Dr. Desai offer PRP injections?

Yes. Dr. Desai uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow aspirate concentrate for selected tendon, ligament and joint conditions, including knee osteoarthritis, and has published research on PRP for knee osteoarthritis. These treatments use the patient’s own blood or marrow, are not FDA-approved for orthopedic indications, and candidacy is assessed individually.

Where does Dr. Raj Desai see patients?

At Performance Sports & Spine clinics in Tarzana, Valencia, Marina del Rey, Santa Barbara and Sacramento, California, with an Arizona clinic opening soon. Appointments are booked through performancesportsandspine.com.

Is Dr. Desai a QME or expert witness?

Yes. Dr. Desai is a California Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) and provides expert witness testimony, independent medical exams and record reviews in pain medicine and PM&R for workers' compensation, personal injury and civil matters. Med-legal services

How do I book Dr. Desai for speaking, consulting or media?

Email the office using the link below for conferences, grand rounds, advisory boards, industry consulting, product training, podcasts and press. Inquiries receive a reply within two business days.

Work with Dr. Desai

For conferences, grand rounds, industry advisory boards, product training, podcasts and media. Tell us about the engagement and we'll reply within two business days.