Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Dr. Andrew Cole has 30 years of experience specializing in spine and joint pain management. He has served on the Veritas Health Medical Advisory Board for 20 years.
- Dr. Cole is an editor and contributor of 11 textbooks including Comprehensive Aquatic Therapy and Low Back Pain: A Symptom-based Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment.
- He co-authored The Low Back Pain Handbook: A Guide for the Practicing Clinician.
- Dr. Cole served as a medical advisor for The Doctors Book of Home Remedies.
Experience
Dr. Cole has held numerous medical appointments throughout his career and recently served as the Executive Director of Rehabilitation & Performance Medicine Enterprise for Swedish Health Services and as Medical Director of Ambulatory Musculoskeletal Services for Swedish Medical Group.
He has held several academic faculty positions, such as Clinical Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Clinical Preceptor at Midwestern University. He has been an active researcher of spine pain rehabilitation, lecturing nationally and internationally, and writing journal articles and book chapters on the topic.
Dr. Cole founded a non-profit organization, Community Based Rehabilitation International, which delivers rehabilitation solutions to Carribean nations.
Board Certifications
- American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- WA State Medical License
Spine Medicine Leadership
- Fellow, American College of Sports Medicine
- Member, International Spine Intervention Society
- Member, International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
- Member, Washington State Medical Association
- Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Lectureship, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Past President, Physiatric Association for Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation
Professional Awards and Recognition
- CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification, EpicCare Ambulatory EMR, Epic Systems Corporation, 2013
- Super Doctor, SuperDoctors.com
- Top M.D., Consumers Checkbook
Education
- BA – Williams College, Williamstown, MA
- MD – University of Virginia School of Medicine
- Internship – St. Mary’s Hospital & Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
- Residency – Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Fellowship – Nonoperative Management of Spine, Sports and Occupational Injuries, SpineCare Medical Group, Daly City, CA
- Fellowship – Musculoskeletal Research, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
About Veritas Health
Veritas Health publishes original, unbiased, and comprehensive resources to help millions of people each month make informed decisions about their health. Our rigorous editorial process is modeled after medical journals and ensures articles are reviewed with integrity and objectivity. The Veritas Health platform—including Spine-health.com, Arthritis-health.com, and Sports-health.com—is a trusted authority on back pain, arthritis, sports injuries, and chronic pain conditions.
Profile last updated: January 21, 2020.