Raj Desai, MD
Founder & Medical Director · PM&R & Interventional Pain
Dr. Raj Desai helps patients find relief from chronic back, neck, and joint pain, often without surgery. He is double board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Interventional Pain Management, and founded Performance Sports and Spine, where he serves as medical director.
About Dr. Desai
His approach centers on minimally invasive, image-guided treatment for spine, joint, and sports-related pain, with an emphasis on non-opioid options. His goal is simple: get you back to what you were doing before the pain started, whether that's playing sports, hiking, staying active, or keeping up with your kids and grandkids.
As a physiatrist, Dr. Desai looks at how an injury affects the way you move, work, and live, not only where it hurts. He coordinates therapy, medication, and procedures into one plan, and works directly with the practice's neurosurgeon and neurologists when your care needs more than one specialty. Because the team shares notes and talks through cases, you don't have to repeat your story at every step.
Dr. Desai also performs medical-legal evaluations, including Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) and Independent Medical Examination (IME) reports, and disability and impairment ratings.
Training and certification
Residency
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital
Fellowship
Pain Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Board certification
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; Interventional Pain Management
Services
Interventional pain management
Image-guided injections and procedures that target the structure causing your pain, from epidural injections to spinal cord stimulation.
Physical medicine & rehabilitation
A whole-body plan to restore strength, mobility, and function after injury, surgery, or long-term pain.
Regenerative medicine
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) injections for the right candidates.
QME and IME evaluations
Medical-legal evaluations and reports for workers’ compensation and personal injury matters.
Disability and impairment ratings
Structured assessments of how an injury affects function and work capacity.
Personal injury care
Evaluation and treatment after car accidents and other injuries, with lien-based treatment available.
Procedures
Conditions treated
Where Dr. Desai sees patients
Valencia, CA 91355Office details → Tarzana5225 Lindley Ave, Fl 2
Tarzana, CA 91356Office details → Marina del Rey4553 Glencoe Ave, Ste 140
Marina del Rey, CA 90292Office details → Santa Barbara2323 De La Vina St, Ste 205
Santa Barbara, CA 93105Office details → Sacramento500 Capitol Mall #2350
Sacramento, CA 95814Office details →