Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) has welcomed physiatrists Trey Rigert, MD and David Russo, DO, MPH, MS to the Good Shepherd Medical Group’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Clinic.
Rigert and Russo join Chiropractor Dr. Christopher Scott at the clinic, rounding out the full-service, comprehensive pain management team.
“We are excited to be part of this new service line at Good Shepherd and providing the full scope of physical medicine and rehabilitation in this community,” said Rigert. “It’s an amazing opportunity, and we have everything at this clinic we could possibly need. We have support for ultrasound for things like diagnostics and guided-injections, a beautiful electrodiagnostic lab to look for things like carpel tunnel and pinched nerves, a wonderful working relationship with Dr. Scott who provides the holistic manual care needed, and over all just a great space to care for our patients.”
Both physiatrists are Board Certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Rigert finished medical school at Oregon Health Sciences University, completed his residency at University of California-Irvine, and brings 30 years of experience to benefit his patients. Russo completed his residency at Mayo Clinic, a fellowship at Oregon Health Sciences University, and has been practicing for more than 20 years.
When asked to describe what physical medicine and rehabilitation is, Dr. Rigert talked about what physical medicine and rehabilitation is.
“First we look at our patients as a whole person, not as a problem,” he said. “You are not just spinal stenosis or a nerve injury. You are lived experience, what you eat, your support person, how your injury occurred, etc. We are here to help our patients accomplish their goals, not just helping them to overcome their pain. We see a lot of spinal stenosis, nerve injuries, spinal compression fractures and back surgeries that quit working. A good benchmark is if pain has gone on longer than three months, it’s likely the pain switch has been left on and the original injury may very well have already healed. This is the point to consider seeing our team.”
Good Shepherd’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Clinic can care for patients 13 and older, but exceptions may be considered. Patients typically are referred by another provider, usually their primary care provider, but consultations with the team are accepted at any time.
“Initially, after referral, we ask our patients to draw their pain on a pain diagram, which is one of the best validated tools in our toolkit to help diagnose your pain,” said Rigert, “From there, we work together with you to resolve your pain or learn to better manage your pain.”
For a consultation or any questions, Good Shepherd’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached at 541-667-3832. The clinic is located at 62- N.W. 11th St., suite M-102. For more information, visit the Good Shepherd website.
