About
Dr. Michael Jacobs served over 20 years as a physician in the United States Navy Medical Corps. While completing his last tour of duty at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, he treated service members who developed chronic pain following complex war injuries.
“Caring for these patients, improving their pain and seeing them successfully return to their active lives inspired me to pursue sub-specialty training in pain management,” he said.
With two decades of medical experience and knowledge, Dr. Jacobs joined National Spine and Pain Centers in July 2022. Upon his 2019 retirement from the military holding the rank of Commander, he served as the Director of Interventional Pain Medicine at MedStar Health at Lafayette Centre in Washington, D.C.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He later received a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Joining the U.S. Navy as a recipient of the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship, he served tours of duty as an Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Officer aboard the USS Emory S. Land in La Maddalena, Italy; head of occupational medicine at Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes; Public Health Emergency Officer at Naval Hospital Sigonella; and director of interventional pain medicine in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Dr. Jacobs also served as a White House Medical Unit physician and was the consultant to the Navy Surgeon General for physical medicine and rehabilitation. He received designation as a Master Clinician and received multiple awards during his military career, including the Joint Meritorious Service Medal.
He serves on the Guidelines and Regulatory Advocacy Committee for the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. As an associate professor of anesthesiology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Jacobs has published articles and lectured nationally on topics in pain medicine, including spinal cord stimulation, radiofrequency ablation, post amputation pain, and sacroiliac joint pain.
When working with those suffering from pain, Dr. Jacobs believes a good doctor-patient relationship is the foundation of quality medical care. “The relationship grows and succeeds with open lines of communication and mutual respect,” he said.
Dr. Jacobs takes a multi-modal approach to chronic pain management. “In my experience, every patient is unique and will therefore benefit from an individualized approach,” he said. “Medications, therapy, injections, and minimally invasive treatments will all be considered. In general, I find that patients rarely require the use of opioids and their potential side effects if they are willing to consider other treatment options.”
Getting to know his patients including hearing their stories and working together to develop a plan to address their symptoms is Dr. Jacobs’ favorite aspect of his job. “It is very rewarding to see my patients achieve their goals of returning to activities that were previously limited by chronic pain.”
Away from the office, Dr. Jacobs likes watching and playing all sports but his favorites currently are golf, tennis, pickleball and scuba diving. He also likes to take getaways to the beach, play board games and go on hikes with his family.
