Lori Nelson, MD

Dr. Lori Nelson is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physician, also known as physiatry or rehabilitation medicine, fellowship-trained in Interventional Spine/Pain Management. Her clinical practice emphasizes the nonsurgical management of musculoskeletal disease. Dr. Nelson specializes in fluoroscopic spine injections, non-operative orthopedic/sports medicine, and occupational medicine.

Graduating from Oakwood University with degrees in Biology and Music Performance, she went on to receive her medical degree from Loma Linda University. She completed an Internal Medicine internship at Drexel-Hahnemann University Hospital, and a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency at Boston Medical Center, where she served as chief resident. She completed a fellowship in Interventional Spine/Pain Management at Performance Spine and Sports Physicians outside of Philadelphia, PA.

Currently practicing in the DC Metro area at MedStar National Rehabilitation Network, her duties include working as an Attending for the MedStar Health/Georgetown University Hospital-National Rehabilitation Hospital PM&R Residency Training Program.

Dr. Nelson's primary goal in practice is to enhance and restore functional ability to those with physical impairments or disabilities affecting the musculoskeletal system. Unlike other medical specialties that focus on a medical “cure,” her focus is on maximizing patients’ independence in activities of daily living and improving quality of life by using a team approach involving multiple disciplines, such as physical therapy, social work, psychology, and surgery, to address a patient's individual circumstances.

Dr. Nelson has a heartfelt desire to improve healthcare disparities in historically underserved populations. With a particular ability to "make complicated things plain," she has provided presentations to community groups, young and old, and physician colleagues with a dedicated purpose to help patients understand their medical conditions and give them tools to self-navigate the medical system and direct their own care to personally improve outcomes.

Dr. Nelson believes in the mission of the Healthy Heart Nation and is honored and excited to be a part of making a tangible difference.