Laura Ricard, PA-C

Laura Ricard joined National Spine & Pain Centers in 2009 and works with Dr. Beverly Whittenberg on a predominantly interventional team to address the needs of their patients with chronic and acute pain.

At National Spine & Pain Centers, Laura works with her patients to determine the source of their pain and determine a course of therapeutic action. For her patients with chronic pain, Laura offers trigger point therapy. Her background in biomechanics and training in education enables her to make her patients more educated consumers of health care.

Laura began her career as a Physician Assistant providing health care to the medically underserved at family health clinics in Worcester, MA and Washington, DC. Most recently, she worked as a Physician Assistant in the Hospitalist Division and the Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Department at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Laura earned her Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies at George Washington University in Washington, DC in 2003 where she was a National Health Service Corps Scholar. Prior to that, she completed a Master of Education degree in Kinesiology and Health Education concentrating in Biomechanics from the University of Texas at Austin. As a Teaching Assistant in Biomechanics, she was bestowed the Anderson Award for Teaching Excellence. Previously, she completed a Master of Arts degree in Education from Tufts University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Laura is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. She is licensed in Virginia and Washington, DC.

Laura resides in Alexandria with her husband and their cats. She enjoys biking and running, but spends the vast majority of her time on home improvement projects.

Laura earned her master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from George Washington University, her master’s degree in Kinesiology and Health Education from University of Texas at Austin, her master’s degree in Education from Tufts University, and her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a board-certified Physician Assistant, and holds professional membership in the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Laura's Office Locations

• Fairfax Office | (703) 738-4331
• Washington, DC Office | (202) 540-7641