Pain Management
Fellowship-Trained Pain Management
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL
Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL
Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL
Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL
Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL
Anita K. Rao, M.D., is a board-certified, fellowship-trained pain management physician specializing in the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of chronic and acute pain conditions. Her practice focuses on helping patients understand the source of their pain and explore treatment options that can reduce discomfort, improve function, and support a better quality of life.
Dr. Rao treats spine and joint conditions using a multidisciplinary approach that may include injection therapy, physical therapy, short-term medication management, and other conservative treatment options. She believes pain management involves much more than medication alone. By working with patients to address both the functional and physical aspects of pain, her goal is to help them get back to feeling like themselves as soon as possible.
Areas of Expertise Include:
Dr. Rao earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, before receiving her Doctor of Medicine degree from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. She completed residency training in obstetrics, gynecology, and anesthesiology at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, where she also completed fellowship training in pain management.
Dr. Rao is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine. She is also a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Illinois Society of Anesthesiologists, Indiana State Medical Association, and Spinal Intervention Society.
What Dr. Rao enjoys most about being a physician is seeing the impact treatment can have on a patient’s life, from reduced pain to improved function and recovery.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys traveling, going to movies, and running.
Dr. Rao sees patients at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute’s Chesterton and Portage locations.
– Jay T.
– Debbie R.
– Cheryl J.
