Survey Response: Ira Rashbaum, M.D.

Degrees/Licenses Held: M.D.

License number: New York State #184409

Contact Information: Phone (212) 263-6477. Fax (212) 263-7874.

Address: 400 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016.

E-mail: ira.rashbaum@nyumc.org

Locations where you practice: As above

Website: none presently

TMS Wiki username (if applicable):

Number of years in practice: In practice since July 1993

Number of years in practice with patients who have TMS: Since 1993

Number of patients you have seen who have had TMS: Numerous

Do you work with other professionals when helping TMS patients? If so, please describe. Yes, with psychologists and/or psychiatrists when psychotherapy and/or medication is indicated.

How did you first become interested in TMS? As a physical medicine & rehabilitation resident physician at Rusk in the early 1990's.

Have you ever suffered from TMS? (optional)

What insurance plans do you currently accept? Medicare, United Healthcare, Oxford, Cigna, Blue Cross, Aetna (prospective patients must always check with their insurance carrier in order to verify).

Do you have a sliding scale of payment for people who are not covered by insurance? No

What steps should TMS clients take before contacting you? Learn as much about TMS as possible. Be evaluated by your primary care physician to rule out serious illness.

Have you published any materials related to TMS? Yes, a peer-reviewed academic article co-written with Dr. Sarno and published in the Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation in 2003. I contributed a chapter in “The Divided Mind” published in 2006.

Which mind-body medicine books do you find yourself recommending most frequently to patients? In particular, do you feel comfortable referring people to Dr. Sarno's books? Dr. Sarno's books and The Presence Process by Michael Brown.

Special questions for Physicians:

Have you ever trained under Dr. John E. Sarno, or another TMS doctor? If so, please explain. I trained with Dr. Sarno starting in 1992. I think I have had more direct exposure to Dr. Sarno than any other TMS physician in the world.

Other than training with a TMS doctor, what have you done to educate yourself about TMS, and what plans do you have for further education about TMS? I have read as much as possible about psychosomatic medicine. I helped edit the medical section of the Mind-Body Prescription. I intend to conduct TMS research.

How would you characterize your position on referring for spinal surgery? Only in the cases where spinal surgery seems indicated which seems to be in the vast minority of cases.

As we are going to post your answers on the TMS Wiki, feel free to write some text to introduce yourself:

Hello, I am Dr. Ira Rashbaum, and I practice TMS medicine. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss your particular case further. Take care and remain positive!

DISCLAIMER: The TMS Wiki is for informational and support purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. See Full Disclaimer.