Today we’d like to introduce you to Leia Rispoli, MD
Leia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a double-board-certified interventional pain management specialist and physiatrist, which means I am extensively trained to both treat my patients’ pain and musculoskeletal injuries or dysfunction. I’m from the East Coast, grew up in New Jersey, and did all of my training in New York City at Weill Cornell/New York Presbyterian Hospital.
My career path eventually led me to Southern California, where I started my own private practice in early 2021. We are now in Year 3 of growing a robust, comprehensive practice serving people in pain or limited function. This varies from common back pain, neck pain and joint pain to pelvic pain and aging athlete pain and limitations. We see a variety of patients of all ages and medical histories, and we are very happy with both the success we have had in treating their pain and the growth this practice has achieved. We’re excited about the growth to come as well, as we serve more patients throughout Southern California.
Beyond the rewarding career I have developed here, I am also a proud mother of soon-to-be three children: a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old and a baby we’re expecting at the beginning of October!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge for me in this career path has been navigating the private practice field and the landscape of Los Angeles, which has its own culture of medicine and its own unique private practice environment. This isn’t something that can be taught; it’s only really something that’s experienced.
Being newer in my profession in California means I have had to navigate, learn and advocate for certain characteristics of the practice I want to maintain while simultaneously thriving in a really competitive environment. I’ve had to learn a lot of nuances – even related to just running a business – that I wasn’t necessarily taught during my medical education, much of which has been gleaned through mentorship and support from people I admire and respect. I was fortunate, for example, to become a physician partner in DISC Sports & Spine Center, where the practices of likeminded, quality-driven doctors across spinal health, orthopedics and pain management are positioned to thrive.
Running a private practice in a very densely competitive area without a classic business background has been a challenge to say the least, but this ongoing learning process has also been exciting.
Obviously, the other challenge for me has been finding a healthy balance of work and home life… trying to run my business efficiently and smoothly while going through a few pregnancies and being a mother to infants and toddlers. Women that work face a lot of challenges, as do stay-at-home mothers. Parenting and even just carrying a baby during pregnancy is extremely challenging, and I’d like to say that men have it a little bit easier (haha!). But, again, it’s also extremely fulfilling being able to navigate both, and I’m only able to do so because I have the support of my husband and community.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Leia Rispoli MD Inc.?
I have an interventional pain management practice. We treat people that are suffering in pain for a multitude of reasons, and our focus is optimizing their function and movement in a way that either avoids or incorporates the least amount of medication possible.
We see patients with pain complaints from head to toe, whether it be in the neck, shoulders, back, pelvis, hips, knees or throughout someone’s joints. Our patients range from athletes in their prime years to seniors merely trying to maintain comfort and function. We take pride in giving each patient attention and care from a genuine place that makes them feel heard and taken care of.
We’re a busy practice, but we strive to provide each patient attentive, one-on-one care that helps us determine which interventional treatment is best for their unique needs. Some of these options include injections, ablations, neuromodulation, ultrasound-guided procedure, and regenerative medicine.
What makes you happy?
For me, happiness comes from the ability to treat a lot of patients while balancing being a great mom and wife to my family and watching my kids grow up. It’s hopefully leading by example for them to be good, genuinely caring people with empathy and the drive to really make a difference in the lives of others.
Happiness also comes from hopefully one day having a little more time to continue my own competitive, athletic drive, something that has been on hold for a few years of my early-mom life. But having had an athletic background, I plan to continue that into my later years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leiarispolimd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_leiarispoli/
- Other: https://www.discmdgroup.com/physicians/leia-rispoli-md/
Image Credits
DISC Sports & Spine Center (for work photos)
