Cardiologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Chiropractor providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Dentist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Dermatologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Family Physician providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
OB-GYN providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Ophthalmologist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Orthopedic Surgeon providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Pediatrician providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Physical Therapist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Podiatrist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Psychiatrist providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain Nerve conduction study and electromyelography
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
Diplomate, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2010 - Now Board Certification in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialty, 2010 – Now
PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE
Medical Licensure in California, 10/22/2008 - Now
MEDICAL TRAINING
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency 8/2003 – 10/2007 University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
MEDICAL AND POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION
Doctor of Medicine Degree and Master of Business Administration Degree 1997 – 2003 Combined Program with Tufts University School of Medicine, Brandeis University, and Northeastern University. Boston, Massachusetts
As a nationally recognized sports medicine physician and regenerative orthopedic specialist, Luga Podesta, MD helps to restore a better quality of life for patients of all ages at Bluetail Medical Group in the Naples, Florida office. For more than 25 years, Dr. Podesta has been treating patients from diverse backgrounds, including athletes, musicians, and weekend warriors, helping them safely heal and return to the activities they love. He specializes in the nonsurgical treatment of orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries.
Rated as a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly in 2017, Dr. Podesta offers his wealth of knowledge and experience for those with shoulder, elbow, knee, and spinal injuries. He is also considered a pioneer in the field of regenerative medicine, an area of the medical field that holds the potential to repair damaged tissue fully without invasive surgical procedures.
Dr. Podesta earned his medical degree from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara and the New York Medical College. He went on to complete his residency in physical medicine & rehabilitation (PM&R) at St. Vincent’s Medical Center of New York City. He finished his post-doctorate sports medicine fellowship at Staten Island Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship, Staten Island, New York, Thousand Oaks, and the renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles.
With board certifications in sports medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Podesta continues his work as a dedicated physician, educator, author, and lecturer around the world. He serves as a consultant for the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, Major League Baseball umpires, and World Baseball Classic. He is also a sports performance consultant to Cirque Du Soleil-Iris.
In the past, Dr. Podesta served as a medical director, physician, and consultant for numerous Los Angeles semi-professional and professional sports teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers. He is also a contributing writer for DRUM! Magazine regarding health-related topics for percussionists and performing artists.
Adam Weitzman, MD, is a Pain Management physician who practices in four Los Angeles locations, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Torrance and Seal Beach, California. He is double board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.
Dr. Weitzman earned his medical degree and graduated with honors from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City. He then completed an internship at the University of Pennsylvania before completing a residency in anesthesiology at Temple University, both in Philadelphia. Afterward, he finished an ACGME recognized fellowship in pain management at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York City, where he served as chief fellow.
He focuses on state-of-the-art therapies for acute and chronic pain. Dr. Weitzman uses a multidisciplinary approach that includes chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage therapy, stem cell therapy, and interventional pain techniques. His goal is to identify and eliminate the causes of pain that don’t respond to a single method of treatment so patients can live pain-free.
A southern Californian native, Dr. Lai completed his medical training at Tufts University where he subsequently served as a clinical instructor. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He also holds board certifications in Pain Medicine and Independent Medical Examiners.
Dr. Lai’s primary goal is to achieve maximal restoration of physical, psychological, social and vocational function through comprehensive rehabilitation. Dr. Lai’s professional interests include interventional pain management, neuromusculoskeletal disorders, electrodiagnostics, industrial and occupational rehabilitation. His approach to caring is based on improvement in quality of life through improvement in function.
Dr. Lai understands that physicians today must have superb clinical expertise, plus an understanding of business advocacy systems to help patients access the insurance, medical care, and the support required when facing an injury in order to help people improve their quality of life.
Dr. Shinto Koshy completed his Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency training at the State University of New York Downstate and is board certified. He completed his Interventional Spine Fellowship at Centers for Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine.
Dr. Koshy is an active member with the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Association of Academic Physiatrists, American College of Healthcare Executives, and the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. His philosophy of care is a comprehensive approach while focusing on prevention, educating patients about their pain, and giving patients the opportunity to make the right choices with their healthcare.
Eric Y. Chang, MD, of Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center in Orange, California, is an interventional physiatrist specializing in rehabilitation, regenerative medicine, sports medicine, and wellness, who offers a variety of treatments for neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain conditions. He has particular expertise in treating patients with compression fractures, sciatica, neuropathy, spasticity, myofascial pain, and scoliosis, as well as nonoperative neck and low back pain.
Dr. Chang received his bachelor’s degree at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, then attended medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Dr. Chang headed to the west coast, completing his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of California, Los Angeles in conjunction with the Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Due to his interest in patients with spinal disorder-related pain, he also completed an anesthesia-based ACGME pain medicine fellowship at the University of California, Irvine.
During his medical training, Dr. Chang received a K12 mentored career development award through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institutes of Health to study behavioral hypersensitivities of lower back pain.
Dr. Chang performs a wide array of interventional procedures in the neck and low back, as well as advanced procedures, such as spinal cord stimulators, intrathecal drug delivery pumps, and electromyography. He also uses newer regenerative therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma and stem cell therapy, to treat osteoarthritis and chronic injuries.
Performs a multitude of interventional procedures in the neck and low back along with advanced procedures such as spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal drug delivery pumps
He also brings his knowledge of regenerative therapies (Plasma Rich Platelets, Stem Cells Therapy) for osteoarthritis and chronic injuries
Education
Yale University – Undergraduate degree
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York – Medical degree (Distinction in musculoskeletal disorders)
Residency
UCLA / Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Fellowship
UC Irvine
Completed an Anesthesia-based ACGME Pain Medicine fellowship to pursue his interest in neuropathic pain and spasticity among patients with spinal disorders
Dr. Chang also received a K12 mentored career development award through the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development to study behavioral hypersensitivities of low back pain, using rodent models to correlate advanced degenerative disc disease and the biochemical mediators of pain in the spine.
With the philosophy that a thorough physical exam is crucial for successful treatment, Dr. Germanovich takes a hands-on approach to the diagnosis and treatment of pain conditions.
He uses a multi-modal treatment approach for every patient starting with therapeutic exercises, manual manipulation, heel lifts, aqua therapy and medications. If basic treatments fail, Dr. Germanovich utilizes precise spine, joint, tissue and nerve injections using ultrasound, fluoroscopy and CT guidance. For complex clinical pain syndromes he may implant spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal drug delivery systems.
Dr. Germanovich’s particular areas of interest are postural biomechanics and musculoskeletal pain due spinal and pelvic misalignment in conditions such short leg syndrome or psoas syndrome. He is an expert on chest wall pain due to slipped rib syndrome. In addition to his traditional medical education, Dr. Germanovich utilizes osteopathic manual techniques for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
Dr. Germanovich is an active member of many professional Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology societies.
Education
University of Illinois
Undergrad Degree (Biological Sciences and Germanic Studies)
Master’s Degree (Physiology and Biophysics)
Midwestern University / Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine – Medical degree
Residency
Advocate Health (University of Illinois)
Anesthesiology residency
Served as a Chief Resident
Learned unique ultrasound and computed tomography – guided interventional techniques and participated in numerous studies in areas of pain medicine and anesthesiology
Fellowship
University of California Los Angeles
“Best of the West” fellowship program
Interventional pain management medicine fellowship
Learned a wide variety of novel interventional techniques for the treatment of acute and chronic pain.
Specialty
Pain Management
Anesthesiology
Special Expertise
Postural Biomechanics, regenerative medicine (stem cells and plasma), treatment of degenerative joint and disk disease.
A southern Californian native, Dr. Lai completed his medical training at Tufts University where he subsequently served as a clinical instructor. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He also holds board certifications in Pain Medicine and Independent Medical Examiners.
Dr. Lai’s primary goal is to achieve maximal restoration of physical, psychological, social and vocational function through comprehensive rehabilitation. Dr. Lai’s professional interests include interventional pain management, neuromusculoskeletal disorders, electrodiagnostics, industrial and occupational rehabilitation. His approach to caring is based on improvement in quality of life through improvement in function.
Dr. Lai understands that physicians today must have superb clinical expertise, plus an understanding of business advocacy systems to help patients access the insurance, medical care, and the support required when facing an injury in order to help people improve their quality of life.
Dr. Shinto Koshy completed his Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency training at the State University of New York Downstate and is board certified. He completed his Interventional Spine Fellowship at Centers for Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine.
Dr. Koshy is an active member with the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Association of Academic Physiatrists, American College of Healthcare Executives, and the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. His philosophy of care is a comprehensive approach while focusing on prevention, educating patients about their pain, and giving patients the opportunity to make the right choices with their healthcare.
Interventional Pain Medicine, Loma Linda University – Loma Linda, CA
Residency
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Rutgers NJMS/Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – West Orange, NJ
Internship General Surgery, University of Colorado – Denver, CO
Medical School Loma Linda University School of Medicine – Loma Linda, CA
BACKGROUND
Dr. Evan Chung spent his early childhood in San Diego, CA but was raised in Dalton, Georgia, where his early experiences in a small city helped shape his appreciation for service and close-knit community ties. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee, where he cultivated his passion for health, wellness, and spirituality. He went on to receive his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, an institution recognized for its commitment to whole-person care, which encompasses treating the mind and soul in addition to the body.
Following medical school, Dr. Chung completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation / Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, one of the nation’s top PM&R programs. During this time, he developed a strong foundation in musculoskeletal medicine and a deep interest in helping patients restore function and quality of life through evidence-based, non-surgical treatments. He also served as a chief resident that was involved in teaching and designing educational courses for musculoskeletal ultrasound and electrodiagnostics for junior residents and medical students. During residency, he also received the James McLean Resident Teaching Award, 35th Annual Kessler PM&R Research Award, and was nominated for the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Golden Apple Teaching Award in 2024.
Dr. Chung then returned to Loma Linda University Medical Center to complete a fellowship in Interventional Pain Medicine, where he received training in the latest and most advanced image-guided spine and joint procedures for diagnosing and treating pain. His goal as a physician is to serve as a one-stop resource for patients seeking to reduce pain and improve function, whether to eliminate the need for surgery or to adjust to a post-surgical lifestyle. Dr. Chung emphasizes starting with the least invasive, most self-empowering therapies, while also being able to offer cutting-edge interventional options if necessary.
Dr. Chung Commitment to you
is committed to providing comprehensive musculoskeletal care through an open-minded and individualized approach. He believes that each patient’s pain experience is unique, and effective treatment begins with understanding the person behind the symptoms and considering multiple paths to the end goal.
His approach to care emphasizes collaboration with surgeons, primary care providers, specialists, physical and occupational therapists, and other members of the healthcare team to ensure that every patient receives coordinated and holistic care. Dr. Chung provides the full spectrum of treatment options, from simple, conservative therapies in the clinic to advanced image-guided procedures in the operating room, tailoring each plan to align with the patient’s goals, preferences, and lifestyle.
Outside of Work
Outside of work, Dr. Chung values spending quality time with his family and friends above all else. When not contemplating his existence, he finds himself outside enjoying being in nature, making food in the kitchen or beats in the studio, staying fit, and learning new things.
Dr. Babaria is nationally recognized in the field of regenerative orthopedics, interventional spine, and sports medicine. Since affiliating with DISC MD GROUP, He is the Director of Regenerative Medicine and Nonsurgical Sports Medicine. He specializes in ultrasound diagnostics and non-surgical cell-based orthobiologic treatments.
Dr. Babaria has provided elite and personalized care to elite athletes, musicians, and performers nationally and internationally. He carries this forward in his day-to-day practice for all patients who seek his unique expertise.
Furthermore, Dr. Babaria represents the highest industry standards and helps set the guidelines for the field at large.
- North American Spine Society, Patient Safety Committee
- North American Spine Society, Patient Education Committee
- Pacific Spine and Pain Society, Policy and Advocacy Committee
EDUCATION
Fellowship
Interventional Spine and Sports Medicine
OSSHealth - York, PA
Residency
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH [Case Western University Affiliate] Integrative Medicine in Residency Training, University of Arizona
Internship Riverside University Medical Center, Riverside, CA
Medical School A.T. Still University SOMA, Mesa, AZ
BACKGROUND
Dr. Babaria grew up in Norwood, New Jersey, a small suburb town of Bergen County. This is where he became an Eagle Scout and was exposed to the volunteer ambulance and fire squads. He completed his undergraduate education at The Pennsylvania State University and received a degree in Psychology and minors in Neuroscience and Economics. He then pursued a two-year post-graduate studies program in Thane, India at Tattvagnan Vidhyapeeth (TVP). TVP literally translates to “study of true knowledge.” It is a school aiming to develop the most versatile future leaders of the world by promoting values-centric education. From rigorous classes in critical, comparative Eastern and Western philosophy, world religions, history, and Vedic literature, TVP enhances students’ curiosity quotient, emotional intelligence, and cross-cultural sensitivity. It was at TVP where Dr. Babaria further enhanced his study and practice of yoga, its philosophy, and spiritual exercise.
After earning his medical degree from A.T. Still University, Dr. Babaria completed residency training at University Hospitals in Cleveland, OH, an affiliate of Case Western Reserve University. During this training experience, he received formal training in Integrative Medicine from the University of Arizona. In residency training, he participated as a regional and national instructor for osteopathic manual medicine therapies.
Dr. Babaria then completed a North American Spine Society (NASS) accredited interventional spine and musculoskeletal sports medicine fellowship at OSSHEALTH, under the direction of world-renowned Dr. Michael Furman MD, MS, the author of Atlas of Image-Guided Spine and MSK Procedures; the preeminent atlas on image-guided interventional procedures. Dr. Furman and OSSHEALTH have trained over 110 fellows over the last 15+ years. Other programs that are NASS-accredited include Stanford, Cleveland Clinic, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), Vanderbilt, Rothman Institute, and Johns Hopkins.
There, he furthered his knowledge in diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound, electrodiagnostics, and the full spectrum of advanced fluoroscopic and ultrasound-guided injection procedures for the treatment of nerves, joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and pain. He also received formal certification to provide TENEX, Basivertebral Nerve Ablations (BVN) - Intracept, neuromodulation, and regenerative medicine.
Dr. Babaria has a clinical interest in the interconnection between spinal pain conditions and musculoskeletal injuries, and the integrative treatment of this continuum with innovative interventional and regenerative techniques, neuromuscular manual medicine, and therapeutic exercise.
Dr. Babaria's Commitment to you
Dr. Babaria is committed to providing compassionate care for patients with a wide range of ailments, using a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Babaria works with several types of practitioners during the treatment process, including occupational, massage, and physical therapists; chiropractors; surgeons; primary care providers and vocational and case management services.
Dr. Babaria also performs many treatments himself including spinal and peripheral joint injections. Overall, he believes in using the most conservative and least invasive care possible to help restore his patients to their optimum level of functioning.
Outside of Work
Outside of work, Dr. Babaria most enjoys spending time with his loved ones and avidly participating in a variety of recreational sports including basketball, volleyball, baseball, and football. He loves the outdoors including the water and hiking alike. He very proudly boasts that he can "drop dimes" and is more than willing to recount stories of his pickup basketball success and glory.
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