About Chris

Clinical Director of Musculoskeletal Spine & Sports Rehabilitation Medicine

Einstein Spine Institute, Co-Chair, Einstein Healthcare Network

Visit Chris at MossRehab

Christopher Plastaras, MD is MossRehab’s Clinical Director, Musculoskeletal Spine & Sports Rehabilitation Medicine and Co-Chairs the Einstein Spine Institute. Dr. Plastaras received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his internship at Albert Einstein Medical Center and his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine / Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago / (now Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) where he also served as Chief Resident. He practiced for 9 years at Northwestern University/Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s Spine & Sports Rehabilitation Center. He returned back home to Philadelphia and worked in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania as Assistant Professor. He was the Director of the Penn Spine Center. He directed the Spine, Sports, & Musculoskeletal Medicine Fellowship while at Penn. He has held board certified in Sports Medicine & Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He maintains board certification in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Dr. Plastaras specializes in Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine. His clinical interests are the non-surgical management of musculoskeletal conditions including spine related pain, shoulder/hip/knee/foot/ankle pain, and running injuries. His practice includes fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures treating peripheral joints, “facet” joints, epidurals, and radiofrequency ablation.

Education

Chief Residency
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Northwestern University Medical School
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Residency
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Northwestern University Medical School
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Internship
Department of Medicine
Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA

Doctor of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Bachelor of Arts
Physics Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Board Certifications

Board Certified
American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Certification of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine
American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Board Certified
American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine

Administrative Positions

Telehealth Committee Member – 2020-present
Einstein Healthcare Network

Einstein Spine Institute – 2019-present
Co-Chair
Einstein Healthcare Network

Clinical Director – 2018-present
Musculoskeletal Spine & Sports Rehabilitation Medicine
MossRehab

Director, Penn Spine Center 2009-2015
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University of Pennsylvania Health System

Physician Co-Lead, Penn Spine Center 2015-2018
University of Pennsylvania Health System Spine Service Line
University of Pennsylvania Health System Neuroscience Service Line

Director of the Penn Spine
Sports Musculoskeletal Clinical Fellowship – 2009-2018
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University of Pennsylvania Health System

Chief, Division of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation – 2009-2011
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University of Pennsylvania Health System

Opioid Prescription Reduction Workgroup Member – 2016-2017
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University of Pennsylvania Health System

Co-Director of the Kaiser-Freedman Spine & Sports Clinical Fellowship – 2002-2009
RIC / Northwestern University
Northwestern University Medical School
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Academic Positions

Clinical Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine (2019-present)
Jefferson University

Assistant Professor (2009-2018)
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Assistant Professor (2003-2009)
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Clinical Instructor (1999-2003)
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Northwestern University School of Medicine

Hospital Staff Positions

Attending Physiatrist 2018-present
MossRehab
Einstein Healthcare Network

Attending Physiatrist 2009-2018
Clinical Practice of University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania Health System

Associate Medical Staff Member 2000-2009
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Attending Physician 2000-2009
Spine & Sports Rehabilitation Center
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Memberships

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

North American Spine Society

Spinal Intervention Society

Association of Academic Physiatrists

TLG Research Associates

Achilles Tendonitis

Ankle Pain

Ankle Sprain

Ankle Tendonitis

Arthritis

Back and Spinal Rheumatoid Arthritis

Back Pain

Bursitis

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Dance Injuries

Introdiscal Procedures, Disc Nucleoplasty, Percutaneous Discectomy

Discogram (Diskogram)

Elbow Pain

Elbow Tendonitis

Exercise and the Elderly

Flat Foot (Pes Planus)

Fluoroscopy Guided Injection

Foot Pain

Foot Tendonitis

Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)

Hand and Finger Weakness

Hand Pain

Heel Pain

Hip Arthritis

Hip Pain

Joint Aspiration (Arthrocentesis)

Joint Injections

Knee Cap Instability

Knee Cartilage Tear

Knee Tendonitis

Leg Pain

Lumbar Radiculopathy

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Musculoskeletal Pain

Neck Pain

Nerve Blocks

Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)

Neuropathic Pain

Minimally Invasive Techniques

Non Surgical Back and Neck Herniated Disc Repair

Non-Operative Ankle Injury

Non-Operative Sports Injury

Occupational Rehabilitation

Osteoarthritis (OA) / Osteoporosis

Pain – Non-Pharmacological Treatment

Post-Traumatic Arthritis

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for spine pain

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for knee pain

Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

Shoulder and Upper Arm Pain

Shoulder Tendonitis

Spinal Stenosis

Spine – Ankylosing Spondylitis

Spine Decompression

Spine Discography

Spine Pain

Spondylolisthesis

Sports Rehabilitation

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (TTS)

Tendonitis

Tenotomy

Thoracic Pain

Ultrasound Guided Injection

Wrist Tendonitis