Dr. Raiszadeh’s passion for non-operative treatment started by realizing that many patients undergoing surgery for neck or back pain were not getting their desired long-term results.

After completing undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, Dr. Raiszadeh completed medical school at UC San Francisco, an orthopedic surgery residency at UC Davis, and his Pediatric and Adult Spine Fellowship at the Hospital for Joint Diseases/NYU in New York City. He has 20 years of experience with a broad range of spine surgery including minimally invasive surgery, complex spinal disorders such as scoliosis and kyphosis, and cervical spine disorders. During these 20 years he has noticed a dramatic increase in patients turning to surgery for treatment of neck and low back pain, but many of them not getting their desired long-term results. He, therefore, became increasingly interested in the improvement and standardization of non-operative treatment. By developing the best aspects of non-operative treatment in an atmosphere of empowerment to maximize the body’s own healing capacity, he noticed that many fewer patients required surgery, and the ones who underwent surgery had much better long-term results.

Lissa graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Kinesiology: Athletic Training and then obtained her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Saint Augustine.

As a Certified Athletic Trainer, Lissa has worked with over 23 intercollegiate sports programs including UCSD’s 2011 NCAA Women’s National Softball Champions. She has also been involved with the rehabilitation of professional cyclists, nationally ranked tennis players, and Olympic hopefuls. Lissa has worked with SpineZone for over 7 years and continues to enjoy working with athletes, JiuJitsu competitors, and weekend warriors, while also helping people meet their physical therapy goals. In her spare time, Lissa enjoys hiking, traveling, and Brazilian jiujitsu.

Frank’s background includes over 20 years of health care management and business development experience, including ambulatory care settings and web-based business services.

He also has 8 years of experience in the planning, design, and implementation of comprehensive spine centers of excellence. These centers are in multiple locations including New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, Louisiana, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

Frank has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.

In his spare time, Frank can be found hiking in San Diego’s backcountry.

Pam’s background includes over 20 years of experience in the healthcare and spine industry. She specializes in practice optimization and has developed an in-depth knowledge of business operations and revenue cycle management. Pam honorably served in the United States Army for six years where she attended the Academy of Health Sciences.

In her spare time she enjoys reading and spending time with family, friends, and her dogs.

Amalia has over 15 years of patient care experience.

Amalia enjoys going shopping and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Alyssa Crawford was born and raised in California. She studied at the Art Institute of San Diego for her Bachelor’s Degree in Photography. She has two years of experience working at a Pediatric Office in the Billing Department.

In her free time, Alyssa likes to spend her days hiking, practicing her photography, painting, and spending time with her family, friends, and her 3 fur babies.

Cole graduated from Cal State University Fullerton with a BS in Athletic Training. He has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including physical therapy and also high school and collegiate athletics.

Cole values educating his patients about their bodies, the nature of their injuries, and the steps that are necessary for healing. His future career goals include obtaining a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

In his free time, Cole enjoys running, weight training, surfing, and watching a good movie.

Josy Rivera is an experienced HR Professional with 5+ years of demonstrated history of working in the HR Industry.

Josy enjoys outdoor fun including bike riding, hiking, and soaking up the sun at the beach.

Jeanette graduated from CSUF with a degree in Business Administration with concentration in Finance and Accounting. Jeanette started her career as an Accounting Manager in a medical device/spine company where she eventually was promoted to a controller. She has grown professionally and personally in the spine industry for nearly 12 years, facilitating growth and structure by exuding strong mentorship and leadership skills.

A San Diego native, she enjoys spending time with her family by cooking, painting, singing, and drawing. She is passionate about helping people, organizing events, and- of course- fashion and makeup. Jeanette has three children: Star, Christopher and Sky. Her beautifully blended family just recently moved into their new home in San Marcos/Escondido.

Evan graduated from CSU Long Beach in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Science. After working 10 years in the field as a physical therapy aide, he wanted to keep building on this foundation and growing in his passion. This led him to finish his Associate of Science Degree in Physical Therapy Assistant from Stanbridge University in Irvine, CA in 2017.

In May of 2018, Evan made his way back to his hometown of San Diego to join the SpineZone family and continue his journey in healthcare.

When Evan isn’t working in the clinic, he spends his free time breakdancing, training in the martial arts, surfing, and volunteering in various medical mission work with the San Diego Executive Lions Club.

Ivania graduated from Ultimate Medical Academy for Medical Billing and Coding with honors and was at the top of her class in September 2014. She also earned her Associate’s Degree in Health Science. While still in school she worked as a full time billing specialist for a pediatric office where she was able to put her knowledge and skills to work while at the same time gaining much needed experience.

As a full time mother and wife, she managed to get through school and keep a full time work schedule. Currently she is employed with SpineZone and is so grateful to be a part of this team. The opportunity for growth here is endless and she has found a new family with SpineZone.

When Ivania is not working she enjoys spending time with her family. They are not a very busy family but quiet moments are the best for her.

Janny Concha Urday Zaa earned her Doctorate degree of Physical Therapy from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL in 2014. She is originally from Peru and has also lived in Hong Kong and India. Prior to moving to San Diego, she worked for an inpatient hospital and outpatient clinic in Arizona. She has experience working with patients throughout all levels of care.

She has a passion for physical therapy because it aims at enabling clients to return to the activities they love.

Janny is also a Clinical Instructor and Mentor to current physical therapy students, as well as students interested in physical therapy as a professional career. She understands that education is an ongoing process and the key to successfully treating a variety of diagnoses, and as such continues to supplement her education with courses, research articles, and webinars.

Her hobbies include CrossFit, dancing, trying new restaurants, and road trips.

Kimberly is known for her love and dedication to helping people, which is one of the reasons she is going back to school in order to pursue a career in the medical field.

Outside of work, Kim enjoy going to the beach, adventures in nature, and spending time with her loved ones.

Originally, Lily grew up in Southeast Asia before moving to San Diego as a young adult. Since then, she has been involved in working in several different fitness centers in the health and wellness industry.

She is always striving to help patients in rehabilitation to restore function through better movement. Lily had the opportunity to work with geriatric clients teaching balance, strengthening, and fall prevention classes. During this time Lily had a better understanding that she could help people in a greater capacity by going back to school.

Lily graduated with honors from San Diego Mesa College with a degree in Physical Therapist Assistant. Being able to help people have a better quality of life has always been her passion.

Luis Pretalia graduated Cum Laude from the California State University San Marcos in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and a minor in Chemistry. Aspiring to become a physical therapist, Luis also works as a personal trainer at LA Fitness and is studying to get into graduate school.

Luis is a San Diego native who enjoys fitness, music, and going to the beach!

After realizing he wanted to help people heal themselves in a more holistic and natural way, Mike decided to pursue a career in physical therapy and graduated from Loma Linda University in 2014 with an AS – Physical Therapist Assistant degree. Since then, he’s enjoyed getting to know and help people from all walks of life get back to their everyday lives.

In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar, staying active with exercise, traveling, and just hanging out with friends. On occasion, he also likes to go salsa dancing or participate in a fun 5k obstacle course.

Nate comes to us all the way from Massachusetts! In high school, Nate was a Division I recruit for cross country and was ranked top 25 in the state before years of injuries and surgeries cut his running career short.

As a recovering athlete, he experienced many of the shortcomings of other physical therapy and healthcare offices. “Playing sports and competing was my way of feeling accepted and I felt like there was a disconnect between my goals and how I was handled by surgeons, therapists, etc.”
After graduating Colby-Sawyer College in 2015, Nate became a physical therapy aide for a local office in Rhode Island and an assistant personal training director at an LA Fitness. At this time, he also picked up a position working at his town’s animal shelter. This wasn’t for money, but rather an excuse to play with animals. He currently works as a personal trainer where he’s an educator and teaches others how to train and live a healthier lifestyle.

He uses his shortcomings and experiences as an athlete to help clients persevere through challenges and adversity. Nate is working on becoming a strength and conditioning specialist and hopes to continue helping people live pain-free and healthier lives.

Jill’s background includes over 20 years in the healthcare industry. She has spent time on both the clinical side and the business development side. Her passion is in creating lifelong relationships and in always doing what is best for the patients and her referrals sources.

Jill has a bachelor’s degree from SDSU with a focus on Sports Medicine. In her spare time, Jill likes to spend time with her family (her husband, three kids, and new son-in-law) and her dogs (one pup is a certified therapy dog). Jill is also a certified adaptive ski instructor and enjoys encouraging her patients to hit the snow!

Jeannie graduated from California State University Fullerton with a B.S in Kinesiology and earned her Physical Therapist Assistant Degree from Stanbridge University.

After undergrad, Jeannie spent time exploring the various fields in health care and became a PT aide in orthopedic and sports at St. Jude Centers for Rehabilitation and Wellness. She also used that time to volunteer at the Cognitive Rehab Center and Medical Fitness Department at St. Jude CRW. She completed her clinical rotations in outpatient orthopedics, SNF, and outpatient/inpatient neurological rehab. Following PTA school, Jeannie worked in an outpatient wellness center along with chiropractors, acupuncturists, LMTs, and other outpatient orthopedic clinicians with post-op, neurological, sports-related injuries, and acute/chronic pain diagnoses. Additionally, Jeannie worked at St. Jude CRW as a special population instructor encouraging clients of a diverse population (Parkinson’s- Let’s Be Big, bone builders, arthritis, pool therapy) on the importance of healthy living and exercise. In her free time, Jeannie loves to play with her baby pug Larry, stay active with exercise, garden in her new home, explore various National Park camping sites, and enjoy river adventures with her friends.

Gabby is a certified athletic trainer from Delaware. She received her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Towson University in 2017. She has had the pleasure of working with both outpatient physical therapy patients as well as high school and collegiate sports athletes. A majority of her experience is from working with general orthopedic and sports-related injuries. She really enjoys motivating people to help reach their functional goals and making them feel better than they did before meeting her.

In her free time, she enjoys long hikes and even longer naps on the beach.

Vidhi completed her Bachelor’s in Physical Therapy from India in 2013. She is currently enrolled in the Masters of Healthcare Informatics program at the University of San Diego.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking for family & friends, dancing, and doing small DIY projects with her son.

I am an India-born American who grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. I graduated from Manipal University in India with a Bachelor of Physical Therapy Degree in 2010. After completing BPT, I moved back to Nairobi where I worked as a Physical Therapist at Faraja Cancer Support, a non-profit charity for cancer patients.

After relocating to the USA, I pursued post-baccalaureate studies to be eligible for a Physical Therapy Assistant license. While obtaining a PTA license, I worked as a Physical Therapy Aide at Pegasus Physical Therapy. After being licensed since February 2017, I worked at Able Physical Therapy Corp, an outpatient and aquatic rehabilitation facility.

In my free time, I like to bake, swim, explore new places, and hang out with family and friends.

Brittany was originally born in Anaheim but mainly raised in Northern California due to her father being in the Coast Guard. She recently moved to San Diego to be closer to family. Brittay graduated from Empire School of Business in Santa Rosa, California with a diploma in Clinical Medical Assisting. She worked in a family practice clinic for the last five years, starting off as Medical Assistant, as well as helping in other departments that needed additional support, then transferring to the Referrals Specialty Department for Specialty Clinics. Brittany is always interested and willing to help, which was her main reason for wanting to join the medical field. Eventually she would love to go back to school to become a labor and delivery nurse or physical therapist.

In her free time she loves to always be busy and always on the go either to the movies or live concerts, and most of all spending time with family, friends, and her two dogs, Louie and Mila.

Sana earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy in 2006 and her passion for rehabilitation of various orthopedic conditions inspired her to graduate with her Master’s in Physical Therapy (Orthopedics) in 2008.

Her research projects were based on Isokinetic concentric/eccentric strengthening and biomechanics of gait. She has been asked to present papers on these projects at national seminars. She has experience in varied clinical settings and strives for evidence-based practice which has been a driving force for her to join SpineZone as we follow the same philosophy. She has a comprehensive treatment approach that relies heavily on patient education, clinical experience, biomechanics, and strengthening programs.

Sana enjoys traveling, biking, running, badminton, and spending time with her family.

Sarah Magnuson earned both her Associate of the Arts (2011) and Associate in Applied Science – Physical Therapist Assistant (2013) degrees from Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minnesota, with honors in both.

While attending college she also enjoyed training for and competing in triathlons, and creating pottery. She then moved to Southern California to pursue her career… and to escape the cold northern Minnesota winters. In her free time, Sarah enjoys creating art, being active, spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and traveling.

Valeria graduated from San Diego State University in 2020 with a BS in Kinesiology.

She was born and raised in San Diego but enjoys traveling. She loves spending time with her family and friends. In her free time you can probably find her trying out new coffee shops and going to Padres games.

Sophia graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Kinesiology: Pre Physical Therapy in 2016 and obtained her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from San Diego State University in 2019. Sophia is a freshly minted Physical Therapist with experience in a skilled nursing facility over the past year and in multiple outpatient clinics. Her interest lies in outpatient care and she’s looking forward to being an asset to the SpineZone team, where she hopes to continue her career goal of being an outpatient orthopedic-oriented physical therapist.

During Sophia’s clinical rotations at San Diego State’s DPT program, Sophia took a strong interest in outpatient orthopedics during her rotation at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in La Jolla. There she experienced a multitude of veterans living a life of chronic neck and back pain and pain associated with these conditions. This rotation sparked her interest in the challenging effects of neck and back pain and methods of resolving patient’s chief complaints. She hopes to continue growing in her career by becoming a clinical Instructor and assisting future physical therapist students to love this field as much as she does, as well as volunteering with the veteran community that is at large in San Diego. In the future, Sophia looks forward to obtaining her CSCS and CKTP. Sophia was born and raised in sunny San Diego and enjoys delving in all that San Diego offers in her spare time. Sophia enjoys being with friends and family, playing with her dog, and working out… but she also enjoys as many sweets as possible.

Layla Magana is a San Diego Native. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University.

She has experience working in healthcare administration. She enjoys spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her French bulldog.

Teresa earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training from Missouri State University and became a certified athletic trainer in 2012. She then went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Sports Training and Nutrition from the Universidad Europea de Madrid, where she took advantage of the opportunity to become fluent in Spanish and travel around Europe.

Before recently relocating to San Diego, she worked for a physical therapy company in Seattle as an athletic training lead in the sports medicine department. While most of her career has focused on athletes, she enjoys working with patients of all types, and is passionate about making physical therapy a fun and rewarding experience.

Teresa believes patient education and empowerment are paramount to successful rehabilitation.

In her free time, she enjoys hanging out at the beach, traveling, learning new languages, and going to rugby games.

Valerie moved to California from Jacksonville, FL in 2017. She graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in History in 2012. She previously worked at a chiropractic office as a Registered Chiropractic Assistant for 6 years while finishing her degree.

In her free time, Valerie enjoys spending time outside with her husband, daughter, and 2 fur babies.

Victor earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in May of 2018 from the New York Institute of Technology.

Victor is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to patients while treating them with compassion and kindness.

During his time in New York, he focused on gaining experience in treating neurological and orthopedic conditions. After shadowing the SpineZone team, Victor immediately knew their mission aligned with his core values and SpineZone was where he could fulfill his passion as a physical therapist. A native Californian, Victor is proud to be back and begin his career at SpineZone where he will be able to use evidence-based practice and the knowledge he has gained in previous clinics to help patients improve their quality of life.

Aside from work, Victor likes to spend his free time with his family, significant other, friends, and dog. He enjoys staying active with a variety of activities including mixed martial arts, snowboarding, weight lifting, and hiking.

Annette has worked in the healthcare profession for over 15 years. She loves serving patients and working with talented medical staff.

During her elementary years she lived on the island of Guam where she developed her love of the ocean, learned about other cultures, and enjoyed different types of food. In her free time, she can be found enjoying the outdoors with her family, dancing with her kiddos, and reading a good book. She is excited to be part of the team!

After graduating with her Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Anthropology from The University of Santa Barbara, California, Lara has worked in multiple research areas which enables her nuanced and balanced approach to data collection and analysis.

In her free time, Lara enjoys baking, hiking, and playing the piano.

My name is Maria Gomez and I am currently a patient service representative at SpineZone. It is my greatest pleasure to be part of a fantastic team that loves helping patients as much as I do.

My hometown is here in Santa Ana, CA and I am proud to be part of my community as a health care worker. I have been in the medical field since 2015, graduating from Career College of California. Previously I was part of a pediatrics medical front office with billing & coding where I gained great experience. Overall, my experiences in the medical field have always made me happy since at the end of the day I know I tried my best to make patients happy in their health journey.

As for my life outside of work, I love spending quality time with my family creating new memories. I enjoy cooking many different recipes and I am always learning something new to cook. In my free time, I enjoy walks with my family around my neighborhood.

Jenny Ross, PT, DPT received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from San Diego State University where she participated in research on pain modulation in chronic spine pain populations, as well as authored an abstract on kinesiophobia in chronic knee pain in active duty military personnel. At this time she also conductied research in the biomechanics lab at the Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Her doctoral education emphasized manual, biomechanical, and functional assessment and treatment spanning various ages and pathologies. Her clinical experience has primarily been in-depth orthopedic and sport-specific outpatient treatment in land-based and aquatic settings. Additional clinical experience includes school-based pediatric PT, geriatric PT at a skilled nursing facility, and polytrauma rehab PT at the Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care at Naval Medical Center San Diego.

Prior to SDSU, she received her bachelor’s degrees in economics and in political science with an emphasis on international relations from the University of California, San Diego. While at UCSD, she played on the university women’s club soccer team for four years. After graduation, she worked as an economic analyst for five years before changing her career to be a physical therapist, where her professional life dovetailed with her passion and joy for movement. When she is not practicing physical therapy, she spends her time rock climbing, playing beach volleyball, or traveling.

Andy Hobbs is an experienced marketing leader with a passion for connecting people with needed care. Prior to SpineZone, Andy led digital access and engagement at LifePoint Health where he planned and executed digital health strategies for over 80 community hospitals and employed providers. Andy is passionate about building brands trusted by the communities they serve.

In his free time, Andy enjoys the great outdoors with his wife, 4 kids, and dog, Indie.

Becky graduated with her BA in Athletic Training from Carthage College and her MS in Human Movement from AT Still University. Additionally, Becky is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).  A former collegiate heptathlete turned tennis player, Becky has worked with a wide range of patients from professional athletes to circus performers to recreational athletes and everything in between. 

Becky enjoys educating her patients on the “why” behind their injuries to help them better understand the rational behind their rehab process. 

Becky enjoys staying active by playing tennis, working out, or paddle boarding.

Kristella Franco is a Healthcare Administrator. She went to school to receive her certificate in Health Administration. She has worked in the medical field for a little  over 10 years, she really enjoys the medical field and the many different job positions it has to offer. She enjoys  being part of helping the patients in the process of getting better. She has worked many roles within these years, she started as a Patient Service Representative, then worked as an MRI scheduler, then to an  intake coordinator for a DME company, as well as a Registration Clerk, her last position was a Health  Information Clerk processing medical records. She has enjoyed receiving all the knowledge from each of those positions, and looks forward to learning more and expanding her knowledge.

Clarissa graduated from UCSD with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and received her Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy from University of the Pacific. Clarissa has been practicing since 2001 and has been working in the Physical Therapy field since 1994. She has experience in multiple settings and patient populations. 

Clarissa believes in giving patients the tools to live their best life. Education is important for not only the patients but for therapists as well.

She enjoys staying fit by working out and hiking, reading, trying new things, traveling and enjoying good food with family and friends.

Physical Therapist Assistant, graduated from Concorde Career College. Specialized in a wide variety of diagnoses from chronic injuries, post-op and general pain to neurological and gait discrepancies. 

Jamil’s hobbies are going to the gym, finding new places to eat, and learning new skin care routines.

Born and raised in San Diego California, Marcos originally spent the earlier years of adulthood working in a private restaurant. He started as a dishwasher where he quickly learned the ins and outs of the kitchen and ascended to lead cook, before starting school. Today Marcos is a recent graduate of Concorde Career College physical therapist assistant program with full honors. Marcos is looking forward to expanding his knowledge and experience in order to provide high quality care.

During his free time, Marcos enjoys physical fitness, sports, and outdoor activities including baseball, weight training, dirt bike riding, and hiking. Marcos also still enjoys cooking for himself and his loved ones.