About Dr. Wyss
Dr. James Wyss is a sports physiatrist, also known as a doctor of physical medicine & rehabilitation (PM&R), who specializes in nonsurgical musculoskeletal and sports medicine care. His initial area of study was physical therapy (PT) and he completed his graduate degree in PT at the University of Scranton. He returned to New York and practiced PT in a sports and orthopedic setting for three years before pursuing a degree in medicine. Dr. Wyss attended New York Medical College and graduated with medical school honors (AOA). He completed his residency in PM&R at Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation and a fellowship in Interventional Spine and Sports Medicine at Hospital for Special Surgery. He is board certified in both PM&R and Sports Medicine. Has led education in the department for 10+ years and currently the co-director of education.
He currently maintains a busy clinical practice in NYC and Long Island. Academics are very important to him and he spends time on a daily basis teaching and conducting research. He is very passionate about sports medicine and has served as a team physician for St. John's University athletics from 2010-2016 and currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Brooklyn Nets G-League team, the Long Island Nets. He is also an Assistant Team Physician with the New York Red Bulls' reserve team, the Red Buls II.
Dr. Wyss evaluates and treats sports injuries (knees, shoulders, hip and spine), musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis (hip, knee and shoulders) and tendinopathy (tennis elbow, GTPS, jumpers knee, Achilles), and specializes in the evaluation and treatment of lumbar spine and hip conditions that impact athletes. He does not specialize in pain management; his approach as a physiatrist focuses on restoring function and improving quality of life. The first step is to establish an accurate and specific diagnosis that will guide the treatment plan.
The foundation of Dr. Wyss' treatment includes counseling and patient education along with a personalized physical therapy and/or exercise plan. The treatment program may be complemented by image-guided injections (e.g. ultrasound, fluoroscopy) that target the spine, peripheral joints or soft tissues (muscles and tendons) of the body. For certain patients, specialized treatments such as hyaluronic acid (AKA joint lubricants), PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections, or shockwave treatment will be considered.
Departments
Specialized Centers
HSS Center for Regenerative Medicine
Special Expertise
Sports medicine
Spine care
Rehabilitation
Exercise counseling
Interventional spine procedures
Ultrasound guided procedures
Procedures
Ultrasound guided joint, muscle and tendon injections
Fluoroscopic guided lumbar spine epidural and facet injections
Hyaluronic acid or joint lubricant injections
PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections
Patient Stories
Insurance
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.
Credentials
Appointments
Attending Physiatrist, Hospital for Special Surgery
Director of Education for Physiatry Dept, Hospital for Special Surgery
Co-Director, HSS Athletes Spine Program, Hospital for Special Surgery
Associate Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
Affiliations
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R)
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM)
Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP)
North American Spine Society (NASS)
Certification
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Sports Medicine
Awards
Foundation for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (FPM&R)/PM&R Best Original Research Award, 2023
Castle Connolly Top Doctor - 5 Years
Castle Connolly Top Doctors in New York Metro Area, 2017-2022
Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor: 2017-2020
New York Magazine: Top Doctors, 2019-2022
Super Doctors - Super Doctor 2017, Rising Star 2016, Rising Star 2015
James P. McLean Resident Teaching Resident Award, 2010
Most Outstanding Preliminary Intern, Winthrop University Hospital, 2007
Alpha Omega Alpha, NYMC, 2005
Education
Medical: New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
Internship: Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, New York
Residency: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2007-2010
Chief Administrative Resident: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, 2009
Fellowship: Hospital for Special Surgery, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Sports and Spine Fellowship, 2010-2011
State Licensure
Languages
English
For My Patients
Welcome Letter for Dr. James Wyss' Patients
Thank you for choosing Dr. James Wyss as your physician! Below you will find important information that should be read prior to your appointment.
What is a Physiatrist?
Physiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in nonsurgical physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). They diagnose, treat injuries and conditions, and direct your expanded treatment team using nonsurgical methods. The most common methods are physical therapy, minimally invasive injections and certain medications.
Academic Medicine Practice
Dr. Wyss' practice is not a private practice, it is an academic practice. This means that he trains and teaches residents (post-medical school graduates), fellows and physical therapists. Your care will be provided by his team and in his opinion this improves the quality of your care. Integrating teaching and research into a practice takes extra time. This may increase the time need at each visit, and for new patients will increase the time you should expect to be here for your initial visit (approximately 2 hours). Please let us know if you have any questions about resident/fellow/physical therapist's role in your exam. If you would prefer a different type of practice or physician please let us know and we will do our best to direct you to another provider.
Services Provided
Dr. Wyss treats common sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions specializing in lumbar spine and hip care in active individuals. He does not specialize in pain management. Services provided include: a detailed history and physical that helps to establish a specific diagnosis, counseling and patient education, physical therapy and/or exercise prescriptions, ultrasound guided joint, muscle and tendon injections, fluoroscopic guided lumbar spine epidural and facet injections, hyaluronic acid or joint lubricant injections, shockwave therapy, and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections. Dr. Wyss also does his best to connect you with other specialists or primary care physicians when you are in need.
Articles Featuring Dr. Wyss
When to Call In a Physiatrist - Women's Voices for Change
Publications by Dr. Wyss
Patient Education
- What to Know About Knee Gel Injections (Viscosupplementation)
- HSS Presents: Applying Regenerative Medicine to Musculoskeletal Conditions
- If You Have Back Pain When Sitting, Here’s How to Fix It
- Lower Back Pain after a Workout? Here’s How to Prevent It
- What Is Post Traumatic Arthritis? Exercises, Causes and More
Editorial Appointments
Contributing Editor, Rehab in Review, Feb-June, 2009
Selected Journal Articles
For all publications, please see the PubMed listing.
Selected Presentations
Common Sports Medicine Injuries of the Knee, Shoulder and Lumbar Spine. Update Your Medicine. NYC- Weill Cornell Medical College. 6/13/11.
Spine injuries in Sports and Pre-Participation Examination. Resident's & Fellows Workshop at Association for Academic Physiatrists annual meeting. Phoenix, AZ. 4/13/11
"Intra-articular applications of Platelet Rich Plasma," HSS Sports Core (3/2011)
"Physical Examination of the Lumbar Spine - workshop," Cornell Medical School (3/2011)
"Platelet Rich Plasma Update," HSS Physiatry Grand Rounds (2/2011)
"Adolescent Disc Herniations: Update," HSS Physiatry Grand Rounds (11/16/10)
"Lumbar Spondylolysis in the athlete," Stony Brook Neurosurgery Grand Rounds (9/17/10)
"Shoulder Anatomy and Physical Examination," NS-LIJ Physiatry Dept. (12/29/10)
Resident/fellows program, Fellowship Panel, and Medical Student Roundtable Session at AAP annual meeting (4/2010)
"Physical Therapy Prescription Writing," Kessler Conference Center (2/2010)
"Teaching Gross Anatomy to Medical Students via the use of Injured Athletes" New Jersey Medical School (9/3/09)
"Home Exercise Program: Clinical Applications for Physiatrists," Kessler Conference Center (4/15/09)
"Clinically Relevant Shoulder Anatomy and Biomechanics," Kessler Conference Center (3/18/09) and North Shore-LIJ (12/29/10)
Resident Electrodiagnostics Course: Co-coordinator/Instructor, UMDNJ PM R Residency Program. (8/2008-12/2008)
"Posture Training for Medical Students," New York Medical College (10/2002)
Research
Research Interests
LBP in athletesLBP (including stress fractures) and disc herniations in adolescent athletes
Tendinopathy of the hamstrings, gluteal tendons and others
Musculoskeletal ultrasound as a teaching tool
Sports injury prevention programs
Industry Relationships
Industry Relationships
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.
Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Wyss as of May 11, 2024.
- BICMD, Inc. - Consultant
- Springer - Royalties
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.
Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.