Jimmy Y. Cui, MD, PhD

Jimmy Y. Cui, MD, is an interventional pain-management physician also trained in acupuncture. He is double-board certified in electrodiagnostic medicine and physiatry, a branch of medicine focusing on restoring musculoskeletal function and managing pain without surgery.

He focuses on what’s known clinically as “interventional pain management.” The goals of interventional pain management are to relieve, reduce, or manage pain and improve the overall quality of life through minimally invasive techniques. These techniques can include fluoroscopic-guided epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, sacroiliac (SI) joint injections, ultrasound-guided tendon/joint injections, radio-frequency nerve ablation procedures, and various nerve blocks.

He is unique in Skagit County for bridging the gap between Eastern and Western medicine through the use of physician-administered acupuncture for pain. Although traditionally physicians do not receive acupuncture training, he learned the specialized treatment in China.

Dr. Cui understands that, unfortunately, too many people avoid doctor visits for back pain because they fear surgery and hospitalization. He wants those sufferers to know that chances may be good they won’t need surgery. He cites several studies which indicate that pain resulting from a pinched nerve root in the back can usually be treated successfully without surgery. His patients often find this to be true even in the case of a herniated disc. Dr. Cui also believes in a comprehensive approach to chronic pain, which can be a highly complex problem to solve.

He feels that the patients with the best chances of success are those who engage as a good partner with their doctor by following instructions on medications, exercise programs, spinal injections, and other medical interventions. The rewards of this partnership can be enormous, and he enjoys any time a patient finds success.

He evaluates his patients as a whole person and encourages them to ask questions. His goal is to minimize their pain and maximize their functional recovery.

Dr. Cui is involved in medical research as the author of more than twenty articles in peer-reviewed medical journals.