Dr. Alexander C. Simotas is a board certified physiatrist and has fellowship training in spine and sports medicine. He has been a full time Assistant Attending Physician at Hospital for Special Surgery since 1992. His practice is devoted to using non-operative and minimally invasive treatment strategies of spine and sports medicine problems. Most treatments involve a focused effort to combine multiple therapies (including exercise, medication, or injection therapies) to provide maximum effectiveness and success.
Dr. Simotas performs minimally invasive procedures under radiographic guidance. He routinely performs special procedures for the lumbar, cervical and thoracic spines. These include epidural and facet joint injections, cyst aspirations, radiofrequency denervation and discography. Dr. Simotas treats patients suffering with various disorders of the spine (including disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and facet joint arthritis) and often these interventions are a key component to an overall treatment plan. Similar treatments can be used to treat conditions of the pelvis such as sacroiliac pain or coccyx pain.
Dr. Simotas also performs other radiographically-guided procedures to treat joint and soft tissue conditions such as osteoarthritis, chronic tendonitis, or bursitis affecting the shoulder, hip, or knee. Other distinct procedures that Dr. Simotas performs in the office are trigger point injections, various peripheral joint injections, and tendon sheath/ligament injections. The use of ultrasound may be used for some office injections.
He also performs electrodiagnostic testing (EMGs) and nerve conduction studies. These are special tests that evaluate the status of the peripheral nerves (nerves that extend from the spine to the arms and legs) and muscles. They are often indicated for diagnosing complex neurologic and muscular problems including carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical and lumbar radiculopathy, and peripheral neuropathy.
Each patient condition is assessed with a comprehensive evaluation that includes a detailed radiographic analysis. The right combination of nonsurgical treatments is prescribed and tailored to each patient’s unique ailments. These may include options such as oral medications, physical therapy, orthotics, specific exercise regimens, and office-based injections. Specific radiographically-guided procedures are often, but not always, advised as a key component to the treatment plan.
Getting patients to attain the highest level of function with a wellness lifestyle that includes regular exercise, proper diet, and weight control is the ultimate goal of every treatment effort. Prevention of injury underscores the philosophy and success of rehabilitative treatment and is a focus of Dr. Simotas’s practice.
HSS Center for Regenerative Medicine
Cervical spine disorders: disc herniation, stenosis, radiculopathy, facet joint disorders
Aggressive nonoperative treatments for Lumbar and Cervical Spine injuries.
Image guided injection and pain procedures: Epidural steroid, facet injection, and radiofrequency for cervical, thoracic, lumbar spine.
Overuse and sports related disorders of tendon, bursa and joint. Ultrasound guided procedures of joint and soft tissues with steroid, or PRP around the shoulder, hip, knee and ankle.
Positive effects of exercise on musculoskeletal pain disorders
Disc Herniation, spinal stenosis and the efficacy of selected spinal injection
Dr. Alexander C. Simotas has devoted his professional career to the advancement of non-operative spine and sports medicine treatment strategies.
If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.
Attending Physiatrist, Hospital for Special Surgery
Assistant Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine, New York - Presbyterian Hospital
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Castle Connolly Top Doctor - 10 Years
Castle Connolly Top Doctors in New York Metro Area, 2013-2022
Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor, 2012-2020
New York Magazine Top Doctors, 2021, 2022
MD, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York
Residency: Rusk Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine, New York
Fellowship: University of Washington, Spine and Sports Medicine, Washington D.C.
English
HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.
As of May 11, 2024, Dr. Simotas reported no relationships with the healthcare industry.
HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.
