Category Archives: Back Pain

Drew DeMann, DC, CCSP, MA, FNP

Sports Medicine

Dr. DeMann is a healthcare specialist with a diverse background. He holds to two bachelors degrees, a masters degree in Family Nurse Practice, a master’s degree in Orthopedic Biomechanics, a doctorate degree in Chiropractic, and a post-graduate degree in Sports Injury care. With this diverse background, Dr DeMann heads up our team of different specialties.

Dr. DeMann’s past and present clinical affiliations are as diverse as his educational background. They include Postgraduate Professor at the New York Chiropractic College, Post Graduate Professor of Neurophysiology at Touro College, Member Board of Advisors Oxford Health Plans, Director of the Post Graduate Electrophysiology Program at the New York Chiropractic College and member of both the American Chiropractic Association and the American Board of Chiropractic Sports Physicians.

Experienced as both an accomplished lecturer and author, he received the recent distinction of being named for outstanding achievement in the “Who’s Who of American Professionals”. His publications have appeared in both lay magazines as well as professional journals including the prestigious international medical publication “Pain Management”. Dr. DeMann has appeared on both television and radio with his own syndicated weekly health talk show “Doctor on Call” and is listed as one of Fox Network’s “health authorities” having appeared on the nightly news several times.

Dr. DeMann enjoys a successful chiropractic sports injury practice, working with members of professional teams such as The New York Rangers, The New York Knicks, The Indiana Pacers, The New York Mets, The New York Giants. He has worked with professional dancers from the New York City Ballet, the Martha Graham Dance Company and the American Ballet Theater. Additionally, he has been named doctor to several “on” and “off” Broadway shows.

Richard Sollazzo, MD, DABIM, CNS, DAM, FAAIM

Sports Medicine, Integrative Medicine & Pain Management

Dr Sollazzo has a very diverse background holding active board certification in multiple medical subspecialties. Dr. Sollazzo is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics, Sports Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, and Pain Management. Through his combined knowledge and experience he combines the best of several specialties which an emphasis on integrative medicine. He began his initial medical training abroad and then completed his residency training Westchester Medical Center, in Valhalla, New York, He is affiliated with Saint Catherine of Siena of Medical Center where he segments his time between private practice in Integrative Medicine and the emergency medicine.

Dr. Sollazzo is the author of the soon to be released book Balance Your Health.

Dr Sollazzo spends a great deal of time effort and time teaching people how to live correctly in order to achieve optimal health. He works with many chronic pain patients to develop strategies to decrease their dependence on pain medications through nutrition and integrative medicine.

Sylvia Hesse, MD

Orthopedic Medicine

Dr. Hesse graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a BS Cum Laude in Biochemistry/Cell Biology. Subsequently, she received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Creighton University School of Medicine. Upon completing her Orthopedic Surgery residency at the Fort Worth Affiliated Hospitals Program, she pursued subspecialty fellowship training in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Hesse established a private Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery practice in Miami, Florida prior to relocating to New York City. Dr. Hesse provides office-based, comprehensive non-surgical Orthopedic Medicine evaluations, with particular focus on adult and juvenile athletic injuries, chronic musculoskeletal overuse disorders, in addition to acute and chronic back pain disorders.

Dr. Hesse strongly believes in a holistic approach to providing musculoskeletal medical care to her patients. By mindfully considering each patient’s unique functional and psychosocial requirements, she finds that better and more lasting positive outcomes to conservative treatment can be obtained.

As an Orthopedic Surgeon, limiting her practice to non-operative care, Dr. Hesse recognizes when certain patient’s problems require surgical management, and arrangements for the appropriate surgical consultations will be made. Dr. Hesse is currently completing her certification training in the field of acupuncture.

James Hale MD

Spine Surgeon

Dr James J Hale is a fellowship trained, board certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive surgical treatment of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at The New York University Medical Center and The Hospital for Joint Diseases. Dr. Hale is also an Attending spine surgeon at Englewood Medical Center and Holy Name Hospital Medical Center in northern New Jersey.

Dr. Hale earned his medical degree at The New York University School of Medicine and completed an orthopedic residency and an orthopedic spine fellowship at The Hospital for Joint Diseases and The New York University Medical Center.

He has received recognition and numerous awards including multiple Best Doctor, Health Grade and Patient Recognition awards. His comprehensive multimodal approach to the spine includes maximizing nonoperative management prior to surgical discussion. He provides patients with cutting-edge care in a range of orthopedic services, with a specialization in minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat both simple and complex spinal disorders.

He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the North American Spine Society. He is a founding member of the Society of Lateral Access Surgeons and has been instrumental in the development of surgical techniques and implants used in minimally invasive surgery. He is active in the Nuvasive Spine Foundation, which performs surgical medical missions to the underprivileged abroad. Dr. Hale has performed complex scoliosis surgery in the Dominican Republic and in Kenya, Africa.

Dr. Hale is an active athlete involved in endurance and obstacle races. He has participated in several marathons, triathlons, and in multiple World’s Toughest Mudders. He understands the demands of both the professional and recreational athlete and the role of surgical treatment in return to sports.

Herschel Kotkes MD

Pain Management & Anesthesia

Dr. Kotkes is Board certified in Pain Medicine by the American Board Of Anesthesiology. He completed an ACGME accredited fellowship in Pain medicine with the Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management Division, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA from July 2003 thru June 2004.

Dr. Kotkes is also board certified in Anesthesiology by the American board of Anesthesiology. He completed a 3 year Residency in Anesthesiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA in 2002. Dr. Kotkes received his medical degree(M.D.) from the Technion-Israel institute of Technology medical school in 1998.

He specializes in interventional pain management for conditions such as sciatica ,herniated discs, neck pain, back pain lumbar radiculopathy, cervical radiculopathy, spinal cord stimulation, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, Vertebral compression fractures, kyphoplasty, botox, percutaneous discectomy, RSD, Painful diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, failed back syndrome.

His independent practice is aimed at relieving pain from conditions related to the spinal cord, central and peripheral nervous systems, and neuropathic pain, including headaches. I specialize in the diagnosis, management and treatment of these conditions. His is to relieve pain using the most effective and up-to-date remedies available in order to affect the problem at its root cause.

Dr. Jake Altman

Chiropractic

Dr. Jake Altman earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic (DC) from New York Chiropractic College, graduating with Honors and induction into the Phi Chi Omega Honors Society. He is excited to be joining the team at Manhattan Spine and Sports Medicine after recently completing his clinical residency at South Shore Neurologic Associates on Long Island.

During his time at New York Chiropractic College, Dr. Altman was awarded “Student of the Year” and had the pleasure of serving as the Co–President of the Sports Science and Human Performance Club and as his class’s President. Prior to attending New York Chiropractic College, Dr. Altman attended Binghamton University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology.

Dr. Altman is full-body certified in Active Release Techniques® and a certified FAKTR provider, both of which he utilizes in the treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. His passion and focus revolves around the treatment of sports-related injuries, having provided chiropractic care for athletes ranging from high school to the elite level at many sporting events around Manhattan and New York State.

He is an avid learner and has completed extensive postgraduate seminars in the latest sports medicine and manual therapies. Dr. Altman prides himself in providing his patients with only the most-up-to-date, evidence-informed techniques. His desire is to excel in all areas of manual medicine and rehabilitation keeps him at the leading edge of his specialty.

Kiersten Lindelef, DC

Chiropractic Medicine

Dr. Kiersten Lindelef graduated from New York Chiropractic College in 2009 and has practiced chiropractic in Ithaca, New York, and Seattle, Washington, before relocating to New York City to join the team at Manhattan Spine and Sports Medicine.

Dr. Lindelef is dedicated to helping each of her patients reach optimal health by addressing the barriers that may be preventing each patient from reaching his or her individual goals, whether those are structural, functional or nutritional obstacles.

Dr. Lindelef has developed a strong focus in combining chiropractic and nutritional therapy. She obtained her Masters in Applied Clinical Nutrition from New York Chiropractic College, which she utilizes to address nutritional deficiencies, common food allergies, and overall wellbeing through proper nutritional habits.

In addition to her degrees, Dr. Lindelef has received further training in Active Release Technique, sports chiropractic and massage therapy. Before her chiropractic education, she attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, where she graduated with a degree in Kinesiology. During her undergraduate education, she completed multiple internships including a Strength and Speed Training Internship at Titan Sports Performance Center and an internship for the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, where she focused on youth obesity advocacy.

She strives to empower each of her patients to restore balance and health to their busy lives.

Sanjay Joseph, PT

Physical Therapy

Sanjay joined our staff after completing the course of study at Quinnipiac College’s famed musculoskeletal program, and working with a number of different areas of Rehabilitation as a private practitioner. A highly creative adapter of these contemporary techniques to each individual’s problems, Sanjay, a Texan, has shown particular success with scoliosis, spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis. He specializes in developing state of the art spine and sports medicine rehab programs which an emphasis on active therapies. A great emphasis is placed on teaching patient self-care techniques so they can transition from away from depending on specialist and toward on-going conditioning.

Stephanie Martens

Physical Therapist

Stephanie Martens is a licensed Physical Therapist who received her degree from ESTSP in Oporto, Portugal’s second largest city. At the moment she is completing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences. Stephanie takes pleasure in working with a variety of populations from pediatrics to geriatrics. She has experience in both outpatient and long term care settings. She has had extensive practice in foot and ankle physical therapy. Manual techniques are amongst her strongest skills. Stephanie enjoys exercising with spinning being her top choice. She is always eager to try different exercise modalities with the purpose of obtaining a better understanding of the patient’s individual condition. Stephanie believes in making decisions with the patient, listening to his/her concerns and together developing a specific plan of care that will meet his/her needs and goals.