At Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, we offer physical medicine and rehabilitation (physiatry) services such as acupuncture in a convenient community setting.

Our program helps you get back to life on your terms, using comprehensive, non-surgical treatments. If you do need surgery, we’re happy to refer you to one of our experienced orthopedic surgeons.

Learn more about our orthopedics program and the surgical treatments we offer.

What Is a Physiatrist?

A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in helping people regain function. Physiatrists provide non-surgical treatment for all kinds of musculoskeletal conditions, including sports injuries, back pain, neck pain and other musculoskeletal pain.

Why Choose Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation?

Our physical medicine program is one of the few in the region to feature a Washington University physician who is board-certified in both non-operative sports medicine and medical acupuncture. When you come to us, you can be confident that you’ll receive a thorough evaluation, accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment.

People choose Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation services because we offer:

• Holistic approach: Some doctors focus on specific body parts. We look at your body as a whole. Because physiatrists specialize in the care of the entire musculoskeletal system, we are often the best physicians to diagnose bone, muscle, nerve or joint problems.
• Acupuncture: We offer acupuncture services by Chi-Tsai Tang, MD, a Washington University physician who studied acupuncture at the Helms Medical Institute, the oldest ongoing medical acupuncture training program in North America. Dr. Tang also spent time furthering his studies in China and Taiwan. Acupuncture has been used for centuries to relieve musculoskeletal pain and research backs up its effectiveness: the World Health Organization has identified more than 40 medical conditions effectively treated with acupuncture.
• Easy access: No need to fight traffic or head downtown. Simply pull into our parking lot from North Mason Road. Our clinic is just a few steps away.
• On-site X-rays: Our physiatry program is located in the same building as our Imaging Center, so if you need X-rays, you won’t have to travel to another location.

Conditions Treated With Physiatry

Our physiatrists specialize in a wide array of problems affecting the musculoskeletal system, including:

• Sport injuries
• Work injuries
• Sprains, strains and other injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments (soft tissues)
• Osteoarthritis
• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Disorders involving the shoulder, hip, knee, hand, ankle and foot
• Chronic pain

Learn more about the additional orthopedic conditions we treat.

Physiatry Treatment Options

We offer a variety of non-surgical treatments for pain and movement disorders, including:

• Acupuncture: This centuries-old treatment can help both adults and children. A typical acupuncture treatment lasts about 30 minutes. Most people notice improvements in symptoms and function after four or five weeks of once-per-week treatment sessions.  
• Behavioral health counseling: Experts use a variety of different therapies to help their patients change certain behaviors. 
• Medication: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroids (“steroids”) and muscle relaxers can be used to reduce inflammation, control pain and improve movement. Steroid injections are administered at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Orthopedic Center in Chesterfield.
• Physical therapy: Our physiatry program is closely connected to our Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation (STAR) program. If you need specialized rehabilitation, our physiatrist will work closely with our STAR team of physical therapists to customize a detailed treatment plan.
• Massage: Massage therapy is also available through our STAR program. Our licensed massage therapists use a variety of massage therapy techniques to help people improve posture, decrease pain and improve movement.
• Nutritional counseling: Advice is provided to patients about how to fuel your body with proper food to create a healthy immune system and keep the gut healthy. 
• Smoking cessation

Office Location at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital

Living Well Center, Washington University Physicians
1044 N. Mason, Suite 210
Medical Office Building 4
Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital is conveniently located just one mile west of I-270 in Creve Coeur, Missouri — a west county suburb of St. Louis.

Get directions and maps.

Contact Us

Physician appointment changes or cancellations should be submitted through MyChart, or by calling your physician office directly.

For immediate assistance, please call 314.996.8000 for general information, or call 314.542.WEST (9378) for physician referral.

Find additional phone numbers here.