Elise Itano, MD

Dr. Elise Itano enjoys many facets of practicing medicine, primarily helping others. “I have a genuine interest in people and their well-being and feel honored that patients trust me with their care,” she says. “Physicians are privy to the most intimate and vulnerable matters that detail a personal story; it is a unique perspective into the human experience.”

Deeply committed to staying current with the latest developments in the medical field, Dr. Itano is fascinated by the pursuit of knowledge and finds gratification in continuous education about human disease, physiology and treatment practices. As a result, she is able to educate her patients with up-to-date information about the medical conditions they are experiencing. “I love helping my patients understand their condition so that we can both progress toward their healing,” she explains.

In her free time, Dr. Itano enjoys being outdoors with her husband. They enjoy camping and hiking in the spring and snowboarding in the winter. She loves exploring new trails and especially enjoys waterfall hikes. Her favorite place to visit is Yosemite National Park.

Philosophy of care

As a physiatrist, Dr. Itano’s care philosophy is based on the principles of helping her patients regain function and independence. This whole person approach integrates not only the patient’s disease process, but incorporates their occupation, social and home life for a complete understanding of the medical situation and personal treatment goals for returning to activity.

Dr. Itano’s practice is committed to delivering patient-centered care. “The best care is individualized, appropriate and timely. For each patient, I strive to treat and follow up as if he or she was a close friend or family member,” she says.

She believes that providing straightforward and transparent education is an important component in treatment. “My job is to educate patients about their injury and explain treatment options,” she explains. “Although I advocate for conservative treatment before more invasive alternatives, it is important that the patient understand all of the options so that they can make an informed decision.” As part this comprehensive approach, Dr. Itano advises her patients to be prepared to discuss nutrition, lifestyle modification, and exercises in addition to more invasive alternatives like medications, injections, and surgical options.

She also incorporates a team-based approach to patient care and collaborates with orthopedic surgeons and other medical specialists when needed. “Although I try to be as comprehensive as possible, I know when I need the expert opinion of another provider,” she says.

A board-certified physiatrist, Dr. Itano welcomes new patients to her Boulder Medical Center clinics at Broadway in Boulder and Avista in Louisville.

Specializing in Interventional Spine Care & Non-surgical Orthopedics

When you experience an injury involving your spine, bones, muscles, or joints, a board-certified physiatrist can be a practical first step toward evaluating and treating these conditions. Dr. Elise Itano is trained to pinpoint problems and provide non-operative interventions and treatments. With an orthopedics and sports medicine focus, she helps patients relieve their pain, enhance performance, and regain function without surgery. Dr. Itano also refers to and works closely with our orthopedics team when surgical options may be appropriate.

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Spine Care

• Back and Neck Pain
• Arthritis
• Herniated Disc
• Spinal Stenosis
• Compression Fractures
• Sacroiliac Joint Pain
• Sciatic Pain
• Radicular Pain

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Musculoskeletal Care

Shoulder Pain

• Arthritis (glenohumeral joint and AC joints)
• Adhesive capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)
• Rotator Cuff tears
• Biceps Tendonitis
• Labral Tears
• Subacromial Bursitis

Hip Pain

• Arthritis
• Muscle/Tendon Strains
• Piriformis Pain
• Labral Tears
• Greater trochanteric bursitis

Knee Pain

• Arthritis
• Muscle/Tendon Strains
• Patellofemoral Pain
• Meniscus tears
• Bursitis

Tennis Elbow
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Plantar’s Fasciitis
Achilles Tendonitis

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Injections/Pain Management

Fluoro-guided Injections

• Hip Joint
• Piriformis
• Spine
  • Epidurals (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and caudal)
  • SI Joint and Lateral Branch Blocks
  • Facets and Medial Branch Blocks
  • Radiofrequency ablation

In-Office or Ultrasound-guided injections (Steroid and PRP injections)

• Trigger Point
• Shoulder
  • Glenohumeral or AC Joint
  • Proximal or Distal Biceps Tendons
  • Bursa
  • Suprascapular Nerve
• Hip
  • Joint
  • Bursa
• Knee
  • Joint (Steroid, PRP, and Hyaluronic Acid)
  • Fluid Aspiration
  • Baker’s Cyst
  • Bursa
• Carpal Tunnel
• Achilles Tendon
• Ganglion Cyst Fenestration/Aspiration
• Tennis Elbow

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Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Studies

• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Spinal Radiculopathies
• Peripheral Mononeuropathies (nerve entrapment neuropathies)

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Conditions NOT Treated

Physiatrist Dr. Elise Itano offers evaluation and treatment for the spine and musculoskeletal system. These are some of the conditions that her practice does NOT address.

• Dr. Itano does NOT prescribe opioids for treatment of chronic pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic whole body pain
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• Neurological disorders: multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, ALS, traumatic brain injury (she can perform injections if a neurologist or PCP primarily manages patient)
• Facial pain disorders, throat pain
• Rib, chest pain
• Abdominal and pelvic pain, visceral/ internal organs
• Concussion, migraine, general headaches
• Vertigo / dizziness
• Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
• Pain management (pain pumps, spinal
  cord stimulators, chronic opioids)
• Ankle/foot – see a podiatrist first

• Fellowship — University of Colorado, Denver Anschutz Medical Center
  Fellowship, ACGME Pain Medicine with a focus in sports and spine medicine
  Aurora, CO
  2019

• Residency — University of California, Irvine
  Residency, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  Irvine, CA
  2018

• Internship — University of Texas Health Science Center
  Pediatrics
  San Antonio, TX
  2015

• Medical School — University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  Doctor of Medicine
  Dallas, TX
  2014

• Undergraduate — Vanderbilt University
  B.E., Biomedical Engineering
  Nashville, TN
  2010

• Board Certification — American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | Pain Medicine
  2019