David S. Levi, MD

David S. Levi, MD Physiatrist

Dr. David Levi received his undergraduate degree from Tulane University in New Orleans. He earned his Doctorate of Medicine from Eastern Virginia Medical School. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Carolinas Rehabilitation in Charlotte, North Carolina where he served as chief resident. Following residency, he specialized in spine injections and musculoskeletal medicine, completing his fellowship training in New Orleans at LSU.

Dr. Levi is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is an active member of several organizations including the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (formerly Spine Intervention Society), and North American Spine Society. He has lectured extensively in the US and internationally on back and neck disorders, advanced spine injection procedures as well as regenerative medicine.

Dr. Levi is an active researcher and published author in the fields of fluoroscopically guided spinal injections, ultrasound guided peripheral joint injections, and novel techniques in regenerative medicine. He was honored to serve as chairman of the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society Research Division from 2018-2021. In addition, Dr. Levi was a member of the board of directors of International Pain and Spine Intervention Society. He serves as an instructor for complex Spine Injections Courses for the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society and the North American Spine Society. He is chairman of the patient safety committee and vice chair of the standards division of International Pain and Spine Intervention Society. He is the regenerative medicine section editor for Interventional Pain Medicine Journal. He is an editorial reviewer for The Spine Journal, Interventional Pain Medicine, the Pain Medicine journal, and PM&R journals.

Other areas of clinical interest and expertise include the use of neuro-musculoskeletal ultrasound. He is skilled in the use of ultrasound to diagnose upper and lower extremity disorders as well as in the performance of ultrasound guided injections. Dr. Levi is a multiyear recipient of “Top Docs” in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Dr Levi is founder and co-director of the Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal fellowship program at Jordan-Young Institute.

Education

Undergraduate: Tulane University; New Orleans, LA
Medical Degree: Eastern Virginia Medical School; Norfolk, VA
Residency, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: Carolinas Rehabilitation; Charlotte, NC
Fellowship, Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine: Louisiana State University; New Orleans, LA

Areas of Specialization

Non-surgical x-ray guided spinal procedures
Non-surgical sports and joint treatments
Image-guided spine, joint, and tendon injections
Regenerative medicine procedures
Diagnostic spinal procedures
Diagnostic ultrasound for joints and tendons
Clinical research for spinal conditions

Certification

American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Appointments

Spine Injection Course Instructor: North American Spine Society and International Pain and Spine Intervention Society
Ultrasound Course Instructor: International Pain and Spine Intervention Society
Chairman, Patient Safety Committee International Pain and Spine Intervention Society
Vice-chair Standards Division International Pain and Spine Intervention Society
Chairman, Research Division, International Pain and Spine Intervention Society 2018-2021
Board of Directors International Pain and Spine Intervention Society 2018-2021
Regenerative Medicine Section Editor Interventional Pain Medicine Journal
Editorial Reviewer for The Spine Journal, Pain Medicine, and PM&R Journals
Spine injection course instructor development committee International Pain and Spine Intervention Society

Hospital Privileges

Virginia Beach General Hospital

Professional Associations

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Spine Intervention Society
North American Spine Society

Awards & Honors

Top Doc, as voted on by peers, Coastal Virginia/Hampton Roads Magazine 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022,2023,2024,2025

Family & Interests

Dr. Levi lives in Virginia Beach with his wife and family. He enjoys spending time with his family, saltwater fishing, kayaking, fitness, and tennis.

Publications

Levi D, Horn S, Tyszko S, Levin J. Bone Marrow Concentrate Intradiscal Injection for Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Double-Blind Randomized Sham Controlled Trial. Interventional Pain Medicine. 2025; 4(3), 100611.

Levi D, Randall D, Horn S, Gabri J, Russo A, Durand M, Levin J. Safety Profile of Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections performed while maintaining Anticoagulation or NSAIDs. Interventional Pain Medicine. 2025; 4(3), 100618.

Zheng P, Raghunandan A, Saffarian M, Levi, D. Factfinders for Patient Safety: Epidural Steroid Injections in the Setting of Severe Cervical Central and Neuroforaminal Stenosis. Interventional Pain Medicine. 2025; 4(2), 100580.

Nguyen M, Zheng P, Paluck MD, Popescu A, Patel J, McCormick Z, Maus TP, Smith CC, Levi D; International Pain and Spine Intervention Society's Patient Safety Committee. Are gadolinium-based contrast media safe alternatives to iodinated contrast agents for the safe performance of spinal injection procedures? Interventional Pain Medicine. 2025 Jan 2;4(1):100538.

Levi D, Wang Y, Horn S, Campbell S, Ventura C. Intratendinous platelet-rich plasma injection and percutaneous needle tenotomy in the treatment of hip tendinopathies: A retrospective study. Journal of Orthopedic Reports. May 2024.

Holder E, Lee H, Raghunandan A, Marshall B, Michalik A, Nguyen M, Saffarian M, Schneider B, Smith C, Tiegs-Heiden C, Zheng P, Patel J, Levi D, on behalf of the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society’s Patient Safety Committee. Factfinders For Patient Safety: Minimizing risks with Cervical Epidural Injections. Interventional Pain Medicine. 2024; Vol 3 (3).

Levi D, Horn S, Runzo D, Linn M. Inter-rater reliability of MRI superior articular process angle measurement for use in the modified approach to cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections. Interventional Pain Medicine. 2023; Vol 2 (1).

Levi D, Horn S, Murphy J, Levin J. Safety of dexamethasone in transforaminal epidural steroid injections: A case of temporary paraplegia caused by injection of lidocaine and dexamethasone into a lumbar radiculomedullary artery, with no neurologic sequelae,

Interventional Pain Medicine. 2023; Vol 2 (1).

Levin J, Schirmer D, Garcia R, Levi D. Is a history of episodic low back pain an indicator of Modic changes? Interventional Pain Medicine. 2023; Vol 2 (1).

Levi D, Horn S, Runzo D. Single Center Experience on the Rate of Discontinuation and Safety of Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections using the Modified

Approach in an Office Setting without Sedation. Interventional Pain Medicine. 2022; Vol 1(3).

Levi D, Horn S, Murphy J, Smuck, M, Levin J. Modification of the Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection Technique Based Upon the Anatomic Angle of the Superior Articular Process on MRI. Pain Med. 2020 Oct 1;21(10):2090-2099.

Levin J, Levi D, Gall N, Horn S, Smuck M. Contrast flow patterns based on needle tip position during cervical transforaminal epidural injections. PM&R. 2022 Mar;14(3):377-382.

Levin J, Mohan M, Levi D, Horn S, Smuck M. Incidence of Extravascular Perivertebral Artery Contrast Flow During Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Injections. Pain Med. 2020 Sep 1;21(9):1753-1758.

Levi D, Horn S. The Utility of Determining the True Fluoroscopic Contralateral Oblique Angle Measurement during Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections for Use in Repeat Injections. PM&R 2019;11(5):566-568.

Levi D, Horn S, Carnahan D, Levin J. Is severe episodic low back pain a sign of discogenic etiology? Pain Medicine 2018;19(7):1334–39.

Levi D. Subdural Extra-arachnoid Flow Pattern Visualized in a Contralateral Oblique View During a Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection. Pain Medicine. 2017;18(6):1177-1182.

Levi D, Horn S. Response to Drs. Gill and Simopoulos. Pain Med. 2017;18(11):2257-59.

Levi D. Disruption of a lumbar zygapophyseal joint synovial cyst with intrathecal flow. (Poster presentation at Spine Intervention Society annual meeting 2017)

Levi D, Horn S, Tyszko S, Levin J, Hecht-Leavitt C, Walko E. Intradiscal platelet rich plasma injection for chronic discogenic low back pain: a prospective study. Pain Medicine 2016;17(6):1010-22.

Levi D, Horn S, Corcoran S. The incidence of intradiscal, intrathecal and intravascular

flow during the performance of retrodiscal (infraneural) approach for lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections. Pain Medicine 2016;17(8):1416-22.

Levi DS, Horn S, Collado A. Reliability and accuracy of MRI laminar angle

measurements to determine intra-procedural contralateral oblique view angle for cervical or thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections. Pain Medicine 2016;17(9):1628-33.

Levi D. Diagnostic and therapeutic injection of a symptomatic pseudoarticulation between an anomalous C2 lamina and the C3 articular pillar. (Poster presentation Spine Intervention Society annual scientific meeting 2016)

Levi D, Levin J. Novel technique may be a step backward in safety. (Letter to ed) Spine 2016:41(6):E379.

Levi DS, Horn S, Walko E. Intradiscal Methylene blue treatment for discogenic

low back pain. PM&R 2014;6(11):1030-1037.

Levi D. Intra-articular hip injections utilizing ultrasound guidance: accuracy

using a linear array transducer PM&R 2013;5:129-34.

Levi D. Intradiscal flow during a transforaminal epidural steroid injection. Pain

Medicine 2010;11:1716-18.

Book Publications

Associate Editor: Maus, T. P., Cohen, I., McCormick, Z. L., Schneider, B. J., Smith, C. C., Stojanovic, M. P., & Waring, P. H. (Eds.). (2024). Technical Manual and Atlas of International Pain and Spine Intervention Society.

Presentations

Spine Pain in Young Patients and Athletes. North American Spine Society, Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine Fellow lecture series May 2025
Bone Marrow Concentrate Intradiscal Injection for Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Double-Blind Randomized Sham Controlled Trial. International Pain and Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting Sept 2024
Offering Regenerative Treatments for Discogenic Low Back Pain: Yes, No, Maybe. International Pain and Spine Intervention Soc Ann Scientific Meeting Sept 2024
Safety of dexamethasone in transforaminal epidural steroid injections: A case of temporary paraplegia caused by injection of lidocaine and dexamethasone into a lumbar radiculomedullary artery, with no neurologic sequelae. International Pain and Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting Sept 2023
Cervical Transforaminal vs Interlaminar Debate. Spine Intervention Society Cervical Bio Skills Course November 2022
Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections. Using the Modified Approach. Annual Scientific Meeting Sept 2022
Biologic Treatments for discogenic Low Back Pain. Emory University Grand Rounds Dept of PM&R Jan 2022.
Caudal and Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course Jan 2022
Is It Reasonable to Offer Regenerative Treatments for Discogenic Low Back Pain? Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2021
Rate of Discontinuation and Safety of Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections using the Modified Approach in an Office Setting without Sedation. Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2021
Regenerative Treatments for Discogenic Low Back Pain. Duke Spine Symposium. Duke Dept of Neurosurgery. May 2021.
Cervical Spine Complex Case Presentations. Spine Intervention Society Bio Skills Course May 2021
Regenerative Medicine for Discogenic Low Back Pain. Stanford University Grand Rounds Dept of PM&R May 2020.
Regenerative Treatments for the Spine in Clinical Practice. Is it appropriate? Spine Intervention Society, Winter Seminar 2020
Lumbar Zygapophyseal Joint Imaging. Spine Intervention Society, Winter Seminar 2020.
Ultrasound vs Fluoroscopy for Spinal Procedures. Spine Intervention Society, Winter Seminar 2020
Is Episodic Low Back Pain Discogenic? Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2019
Modification of Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Injection Technique, Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2019
Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections and Selective Nerve Root Blocks, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2019
Interventional and Regenerative Treatments for Young Athletes CHKD Sports Medicine Conference, Norfolk VA 2019
Regenerative Treatments for Discogenic Low Back Pain, Spine Intervention Society Winter Seminar 2019
Injection Therapies for Non-radicular, Non-sacroiliac Joint Buttocks Pain, Spine Intervention Society Winter Seminar 2019
Lumbar Zygapophyseal Joint Imaging, Spine Intervention Society Winter Seminar 2019
Avoiding Complications and Appropriate Management for Spinal Injections, Spine Intervention Society Bio Skills Lab 2019
Bone Marrow Concentrate and Adipose Intradiscal, Treatments Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2018
Lumbar Transforaminal and Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2018
Regenerative Medicine for Discogenic Low Back Pain: Hype or Hope? Evidence-Based Medicine Seminar, Spine Intervention Society 2018
Transforaminal Epidural Steroid injections and Selective Nerve Root Block. Spine Injection Course, North American Spine Society 2018
Transforaminal Epidural Steroid injections and Selective Nerve Root Block. Spine Injection Course, Spine Intervention Society 2017
Fluoroscopic Anatomy, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2016
Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) for the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Conditions: Hope or Hype? Grand Rounds Sentara Healthcare. 2016
Platelet-rich Plasma Injection for Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain, Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2016
Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2015
Intradiscal Platelet-rich Plasma Injection for Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Prospective Study, Spine Intervention Society Annual Meeting 2015
The Incidence of Intradiscal, Intrathecal and Intravascular Flow During the Performance of Retrodiscal (Infraneural) Approach for Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections, Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2015.
Ultrasound Guidance for Spinal Injections, Spine Intervention Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2015
Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2014
Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2013
Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2012
Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2011
Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2010
Physiatric Approach to Low Back Pain, Carolina Rehabilitation Hospital 2009
Whiplash: Fact or Fiction? Carolina Rehabilitation Grand Rounds 2009
Physiatric Approach to Low Back Pain, Physical therapy conference Virginia Beach, VA 2009
Epidural Steroid Injections, North American Spine Society Injection Course 2009
Low Back Pain Case Presentations, Eastern Virginia Medical School 2009
Pain Management of Chronic Diseases, Week of Healthy Living Community Lecture Series. Virginia Beach, VA 2008
Cervical Injury in Motor Vehicle Collision, Bayside Hospital Grand Rounds 2007
Whiplash: Fact or Fiction? Virginia Beach General Hospital Grand Rounds 2007
Update on Low Back Pain, Virginia Beach General Hospital Grand Rounds 2006
Spine Clinical Case Presentation to Physiatry Residents, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 2005
Treatment Modalities for Low Back Pain, Virginia Beach General Hospital Primary Care Grand Rounds 2005
Spinal Injections, Physical Therapy Conference Virginia Beach, VA 2005
Spinal Injections, American Academy of Physician Assistants annual meeting, New Orleans, LA 2003
Neuromuscular Stimulation and Shoulder Pain in the Subluxed Shoulder in Hemiplegia, Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation Grand Rounds 2001
The Effect of Exercise on Immune Function, Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation Grand Rounds 2000