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Dr. Tsuji trained at the University of Hawaii, Hilo, and University of Hawaii, Manoa campuses where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, and Master’s in Biochemistry.

He moved from the tropics to the cold of Illinois where he received his Doctorate of Medicine at the Chicago Medical School. Longing for warmer climates, he entered the Naval Service and was stationed at San Diego Medical Center for his surgical internship. In the Navy, Lieutenant Commander Tsuji was the Medical Officer on USS Acadia, Senior Medical Officer on USS Fort McHenry, and the Head of Sports Medicine at Navy Boot Camp back in North Chicago.

After leaving the Navy he finished a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency at Sinai & Johns Hopkins before returning to milder climates. On the Big Island of Hawaii he completed an Interventional Spine and Sports Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Tsuji is Board Certified in Pain Medicine.

Knell Villarta is a physician assistant that recently joined the team at the International Spine, Pain & Performance Center. He was born and raised in the Philippines prior to moving to Florida where he finished middle school and high school. He received his Bachelor of Science in Food & Nutrition Science at Florida State University. He then worked for two years as a medical assistant in interventional pain medicine where he first learned about this field.

Knell attended Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a Master of Health Science in 2023. He is excited to help the population of Washington D.C with their pain management and to continually grow as a healthcare provider in this region.

In his spare time, he likes to play basketball, watch college football (Go Seminoles!) and soccer, and explore new areas.

Knell Villarta is a physician assistant that recently joined the team at the International Spine, Pain & Performance Center. He was born and raised in the Philippines prior to moving to Florida where he finished middle school and high school. He received his Bachelor of Science in Food & Nutrition Science at Florida State University. He then worked for two years as a medical assistant in interventional pain medicine where he first learned about this field.

Knell attended Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a Master of Health Science in 2023. He is excited to help the population of Washington D.C with their pain management and to continually grow as a healthcare provider in this region.

In his spare time, he likes to play basketball, watch college football (Go Seminoles!) and soccer, and explore new areas.

Dr. Fitzpatrick is orginally from West Chester, PA. After completing his undergraudate studies at Johns Hopkins, he earned his M.D. from Drexel University College of Medicine. He completed his residency at Walter Reed Army medical Center, where he later serves as an attending physician prior to joining MVRMA in 2011. Dr. Fitzpatrick's clinical interest include electrodiagnosis, non-operative spine care, neuromuscular diseases, musculosketetal medicine, and spasticity. He is board certified in PM&R, electrodiagnostic medicine and neuromuscular medicine..

Dr. Fitzpatrick is orginally from West Chester, PA. After completing his undergraudate studies at Johns Hopkins, he earned his M.D. from Drexel University College of Medicine. He completed his residency at Walter Reed Army medical Center, where he later serves as an attending physician prior to joining MVRMA in 2011. Dr. Fitzpatrick's clinical interest include electrodiagnosis, non-operative spine care, neuromuscular diseases, musculosketetal medicine, and spasticity. He is board certified in PM&R, electrodiagnostic medicine and neuromuscular medicine..

Dr. Tsuji trained at the University of Hawaii, Hilo, and University of Hawaii, Manoa campuses where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, and Master’s in Biochemistry.

He moved from the tropics to the cold of Illinois where he received his Doctorate of Medicine at the Chicago Medical School. Longing for warmer climates, he entered the Naval Service and was stationed at San Diego Medical Center for his surgical internship. In the Navy, Lieutenant Commander Tsuji was the Medical Officer on USS Acadia, Senior Medical Officer on USS Fort McHenry, and the Head of Sports Medicine at Navy Boot Camp back in North Chicago.

After leaving the Navy he finished a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency at Sinai & Johns Hopkins before returning to milder climates. On the Big Island of Hawaii he completed an Interventional Spine and Sports Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Tsuji is Board Certified in Pain Medicine.

Austin Underwood, MD, specializes in sports medicine, nerve testing, and rehabilitation medicine. He treats patients at Arthritis & Sports | Orthopaedics, Physical Therapy & Wellness in Sterling and South Riding, Virginia. 

After graduating from medical school at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., Dr. Underwood completed his residency training at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in Richmond, Virginia. The medical field of PM&R specializes in maximizing the performance of patients in both elite and everyday activities. 

After residency training, Dr. Underwood completed his sports medicine fellowship at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. He has served as a team physician for high schools and universities, including the NCAA Division 1 TCU Horned Frogs and Longwood University Lancers.

Specific conditions which Dr. Underwood treats include (but are not limited to) acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries, joint pain, tendonitis, sacroiliac disorders, back pain, sciatica, spine arthritis, disc disease, and nerve injuries. To treat these, he utilizes a range of specialized procedures, including epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, joint injections, trigger point injections, and regenerative medicine techniques such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. These procedures are performed in-house, utilizing x-ray and ultrasound guidance for pinpoint accuracy.

At Arthritis & Sports | Orthopaedics, Physical Therapy & Wellness, Dr. Underwood’s interventional procedures offer additional non-surgical options to patients. His diagnostic testing will help patients determine the severity of injuries and identify conditions contributing to their pain.

 Credentials

• Board Certification
  American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  
  
• Education & Training
  Fellowship - John Peter Smith Hospital, Sports Medicine
  Residency - Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  Medical Degree - Georgetown University School of Medicine

Publications

• Commentary on: Effect of Screen Time on Recovery from Concussion (In Print)
  Kirk K, Underwood J.
  
  
• Performing a Pre-Participation Examination in Adaptive Athletics (Ongoing)
  Caldwell M, Underwood J, Bhalakanlou E, Dec K.
  
  
• The Athlete with Physical Disability (In Print)
  Dec K, Underwood J. (2022). In Netter’s Sports Medicine 3rd edition; Chapter 14. Chicago, Il: Elsevier.
  
  
• When Trigger Points Don’t Go Away- Reconsider the Diagnosis!
  Underwood J, Tsukanov D. 2019 AAPM&R Annual Assembly Abstracts. PM R. 2019 Nov;11 Suppl 2:S1-S187.
  
  
• The Patient-Centered Medical Home in Spinal Cord Injury: A Cohort Study
  Underwood J, Groah S. Georgetown University School of Medicine Research Day. 2017 Mar.
  
  
• Cerebral Nocardiosis in a Patient on Chronic Methotrexate: A Case Report
  Willis S, Underwood J, Malhotra R. AAP Case Report. 2017 Jan.

Hospital Affiliations

Dr. Underwood provides all of his medical treatment in-house!

Stuart Hough, MD, is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in both anesthesiology and pain management. He is proud to provide a wide range of services to patients at Pain Management Specialists in Rockville and Frederick, Maryland. 

Dr. Hough earned his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. He then completed his internship in internal medicine at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, New York. Upon graduating, he completed his anesthesiology residency and his pain management fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. After his specialty training, Dr. Hough served in the United States Air Force (USAF) for three years, where he directed the interventional pain management clinic at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio. 

In 2001, Dr. Hough moved home to Maryland to enter private practice and joined Pain Management Specialists. Along with Dr. Peruvemba, he joined Privia Medical Group in 2015 as the first speciality pain management group in Privia. Privia Medical Group is a rapidly growing network of primary care and specialty medical practices operating in a coordinated fashion to deliver high value healthcare to communities across the US.

Dr. Hough's areas of expertise include, spinal pain, spinal cord stimulation, Kyphoplasty, Intracept, spinal injections, cancer pain and ultrasound-guided injections. Dr. Hough has been repeatedly recognized by his peers as a top pain management doctor in Washingtonian Magazine and Bethesda Magazine, and patients have recognized him as a top pain doctor in Consumer's Checkbook. To stay abreast of the latest advances in his field, he is a member of the American Medical Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Society of Regional Anesthesia And Pain Medicine, and Maryland State Medical Society.

In addition to helping patients at Pain Management Specialists, Dr. Hough is chairman of the pain management division at Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, Maryland. He also regularly trains medical students and holds a faculty appointment at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC. Dr. Hough has hospital privileges at Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital (Silver Spring) and Frederick Memorial Hospital.

Ramani Peruvemba, MD, is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in both anesthesiology and pain management. He currently sees patients at Pain Management Specialists in Rockville, Maryland and Silver Spring, Maryland.

Dr. Peruvemba is a native of the New York City area. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis and his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla. He then completed an internship in internal medicine at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital (formerly Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester) and an anesthesiology internship at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. Afterward, he completed his residency in anesthesiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and his interventional pain management fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital, both in New York City. 

After his specialty training, Dr. Peruvemba joined Pain Management Specialists in 2000. Along with Dr. Hough, he joined Privia Medical Group in 2015 as the first speciality pain management group in Privia. Privia Medical Group is a rapidly growing network of primary care and specialty medical practices operating in a coordinated fashion to deliver high value healthcare to communities across the US.

Dr. Peruvemba's areas of expertise include chronic regional pain syndrome, spinal cord stimulation trial and implantation, intrathecal pump implantation and management, Kyphoplasty for vertebral fractures and spinal injections. He has been recognized repeatedly by his peers as a top pain management doctor in Washingtonian Magazine and Bethesda Magazine, and has been recognized by patients as a top pain doctor in Consumers' Checkbook.

Dr. Peruvemba has hospital privileges at Shady Grove Medical Center and Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring. Dr. Peruvemba holds leadership positions in the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Maryland Society of Anesthesiologists. He is active in his efforts to improve the value of medical care. 

MEDICAL PROFILE

Experienced, effective, knowledgeable and dedicated Physiatrist, focused on rehabilitation and nonsurgical treatment of acute and chronic pain, including arthritis; bone, nerve and muscle injuries; nervous system disorders; and sports-related injuries, among others. Work with state-of-the-art technology to diagnose the nature and extent of injuries and prescribe treatment to maximize patients’ functional outcome and restore them to the highest level of function and a pain-free life.

Fluent in Spanish (read/ write/speak)

EDUCATION

Doctor of Medicine
Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), Norfolk, VA 1996

BS in Physical Education, Exercise Physiology, Minor in Biology and Chemistry (cum laude)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 1989

TRAINING

Residency

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Juan, PR 1998-2001

Residency

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Internship-Trauma Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Internal Medicine and Geriatrics
University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 1996-1998

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MEDICAL DOCTOR(PHYSIATRIST)
NATIONAL SPINE AND PAIN CENTERS
ALDIE, VA 7/2020 – Present

Responsible for opening a new center in Aldie, VA. Managing rehabilitation and pain management protocols and the practice. Preform EMG/NCS. Diagnose and treat a wide variety of acute and chronic pain disorders. Treatment using medication management, interventional pain management (cervical, thoracic, lumbar ESI, MBB, RFA, Reactive 8, and others), prolotherapy, ultrasound guided injections, fluoroscopic guided injections, Botox injections for spasticity, migraines and dystonia, electromyography guided injections, trigger point injections, orthotic prescribing and bracing. Preform independent medical evaluations. Permanent impairment ratings using the American Medical Association guidelines. Responsible for the day-to-day office operations, staff, scheduling and supplies.

MEDICAL DOCTOR(PHYSIATRIST)
TOWN CENTER ORTHOPEDICS
RESTON, VA - CENTREVILLE VA 10/2003 – 7/2020

Established and managed a rehabilitation and pain management practice. Developed and instituted protocols for better patient care and safety. Preform EMG/NCS. Diagnose and treat a wide variety of acute and chronic pain disorders. Treatment using medication management, interventional pain management, prolotherapy, platelet rich plasma, ultrasound guided injections, fluoroscopic guided injections, Botox injections for spasticity, migraines and dystonia, electromyography guided injections, trigger point injections, bracing. Proscribe orthotics and prosthetics, working with local orthotists/prosthetists. Preform independent medical evaluations. Permanent impairment ratings using the American Medical Association guidelines.

CONSULT PRIVILAGES

RESTON HOSPITAL, RESTON VA 10/2003 - Present

RESTON SURGICAL CENTER, RESTON, VA 10/2005 – 7/2020

Fluoroscopically guided intralaminar, transforaminal, facet injections and caudal injections.

MEDICAL DOCTOR (PHYSIATRIST)
MATILDE BRENES HOSPITAL, BAYAMON, PR 8/2001 – 6/2003

Inpatient consult services and hospital follow-up clinic with concentration in joint replacements, strokes, ulcers and amputations. Medical physician for the diabetic wound clinic.

MEDICAL DOCTOR (PHYSIATRIST)
ASHTAR PYSICAL THERAPY CENTER, VEGA ALTA, PR 8/2001 – 6/2003

Outpatient services focusing on diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders.

MEDICAL DOCTOR (PHYSIATRIST)
PHYSICAL THERAPY CENTER, LAS PIEDRAS, PR 8/2001 – 6/2003

Outpatient services with concentration in musculoskeletal, chronic pain, EMG/NCS and permanent impairment
ratings.

MEDICAL DOCTOR (EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN)
SOUTHWEST MEDICAL ASSOCIATES, INC., ROCKPORT, TX 8/1997 – 6/1998

CERTIFICATIONS

Board Certified
Diplomat of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2002,2012,2022

LICENSURE

Virginia Medical license

HONORS AND AWARDS

Northern Virginia Top Doctors
Washingtonian Top Doctor 2012-2017
Patient’s Choice Award

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
American Academy of Pain Medicine

REFERENCES

Dr. Gaurav Bhatia, DMV Spine and Pain (571) 276-0425
Ms. Kathleen Kennedy, owner Kennedy and Co. (703) 283-3321
Dr. Thomas Fleeter, Town Center Orthopeadics (703) 407-6909
Dr. Marina Protopapas, National Spine and Pain (443) 622-5868