Prior to medical school, Dr. Cuéllar completed an undergraduate degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at U.C. Davis, followed by a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, where he researched the mechanisms of pain and pain pathophysiology within the spinal cord, undertaking scientific research to determine how a disc herniation causes pain at the molecular level. After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Cuéllar attended world-class medical education at Stanford University Medical School. Throughout his medical school training Dr. Cuéllar continued to work in a pain research laboratory, completing post-doctoral research and a year as a medical scholars research fellow.

Dr. Cuéllar completed his training in orthopaedic surgery at the prestigious New York University-Hospital for Joint Diseases (NYU-HJD). During this 6-year training period he treated patients at the two busiest level-1 trauma centers in New York state. He received training in spinal surgery from several world-renowned spine surgeons, before completing his final year of training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in the spinal disorders fellowship.

Dr. Cuéllar has been involved in clinical scientific research investigating the mechanisms of pain for patients with osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal pain since 2000. His work has led to the development of a new, injectable anti-inflammatory treatment for musculoskeletal pain in the hip, spine, shoulder, knee and Achilles tendonitis, as well as for tennis elbow and other disorders.

As a spine surgery patient himself, Dr. Cuéllar knows how it feels first hand to suffer from lumbar spine issues. His only regret is that it didn’t happen sooner! It’s this firsthand experience that feeds into his empathetic approach to treating his patients. Dr. Cuéllar prides himself on ensuring every patient receives significant face time, ensuring all questions are answered and any concerns are addressed, rather than being passed on to assistants.

Dr. Cuéllar firmly believes in patient responsibility and ownership when it comes to making informed treatment decisions. He is committed to working closely with his patients from diagnosis through to treatment options and aftercare throughout the healing process, whether or not surgery is undertaken.