Dr. Kevin (Buzz) Barrette is a physiatrist who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Dr. Barrette provides care for a multitude of orthopedic conditions including disc herniations, disc degeneration, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, facet joint pain, sacroiliac joint pain, sports injury, back pain, neck pain and other painful conditions. He has expertise in nonsurgical treatment, such as tailored rehabilitation, injections and nerve ablations. He has a special expertise in targeting epidural injections and selective nerve root blocks at all levels of the spine, radiofrequency ablations including cooled radiofrequency technology, and novel strategies for managing painful conditions such as basivertebral nerve ablation and regenerative medicine.
Dr. Barrette believes in an integrated and comprehensive approach to managing painful conditions. He works closely with his surgical colleagues and therapists to develop strategies for optimizing patients’ pain and functional status. Dr. Barrette prides himself in taking time to establish an accurate diagnosis and educating patients both on the likely cause of their pain and all potential treatment options.
Dr. Barrette is an avid researcher and is involved in several ongoing research projects. His interests include relieving pain coming from the intervertebral lumbar discs (those that cushion the vertebrae of the low back) and the vertebral body end plates (areas of cartilage and bone where the vertebrae and discs connect), optimizing injection techniques, developing new protocols for diagnosing painful spinal conditions and improving patient satisfaction. He is an active member in multiple national and international societies related to spine and musculoskeletal pain.
In his spare time, Dr. Barrette enjoys spending time with his family and exploring all the wonderful things San Diego County has to offer.
