About me
Dr. Ding is double board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Pain Medicine, having done a fellowship in interventional pain management.
Dr. Ding treats pain conditions resulting from the back, neck, peripheral joints (e.g., hips, shoulders, knees), muscles and peripheral nerves.
His practice involves a multidisciplinary approach for the management of various chronic pain conditions and restoration of function. His approach to treatment involves the utilization of structured and targeted physical therapy, modalities, and evidence-based pharmacological therapies. When indicated, he also incorporates advanced image-guided procedures which utilize ultrasound and/or X-rays.
Dr. Ding received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his residency in PM&R at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, where he served as chief resident. He also completed his fellowship in Interventional Pain Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, where he served as chief fellow. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals.
An avid tennis and squash player, Dr. Ding spends his spare time on various courts as well as running on local trails. He also loves to travel, explore the greater DC area, and spend time with family and friends.
Dr. Ding practices in Bethesda and Chevy Chase.
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdominal Pain
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Arthritis
- Arthritis Pain
- Arthropathy
- Back Pain
- Bone Pain
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Cervical Spine Injury
- Cervicogenic Headache
- Chronic Neck Pain
- Coccydynia
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Crps (COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME)
- Deforming Dorsopathies
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- Disorders Of Autonomic Nervous System
- Dorsalgia
- Dorsopathies
- Elbow Joint And Ligament Dislocation And Sprain
- Elbow Pain
- Facet Joint Pain
- Facet Joint Syndrome
- Facial Pain
- Finger Pain
- Herniated Disc Pain
- Hip Pain
- Inflammatory Spondylopathies
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Intervertebral Disc Disorders
- Knee Dislocation
- Knee Injury Pain
- Knee Pain
- Leg Pain
- Long Term Drug Therapy
- Lordosis Pain
- Lower Back Pain
- Lumbar Radiculopathy
- Lumbar Spine Injury
- Lumbar Strain
- Migraine
- Mononeuropathies
- Muscle Strain
- Musculoskeletal System Complications
- Neck Pain
- Neck Strain
- Neuropathic Pain
- Occipital Neuralgia
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoarthritis Pain
- Phantom Limb Pain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Postherpetic Neuralgia
- Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
- Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
- Sacroiliac Joint Pain
- Sciatica
- Soft Tissue Pain
- Spinal Fracture Pain
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylopathies
- Spondylosis
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder
- Tendinitis
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Upper Back Pain
- Vertebral Compression Fracture
Procedures I perform
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Treatment
- Elbow Joint Injection
- Genicular Nerve Branch Destruction
- Hip Joint Injection
- Joint Pain Treatment
- Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- CIGNA Indemnity
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- TRICARE East Select
- Choice POS II
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CareFirst EPO
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- IH-HMO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- IH-Indemnity
- TRICARE for Life East
- CareFirst Administrators
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- IH-POS
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Beech Street PPO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Choice POS
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Medicare Direct
- CIGNA PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- IH-Open POS II
- Navigate
- IH-POS Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Choice Fund PPO
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- First Health PPO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- OA Plus
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice
- Tricare Reserve Select
- TRICARE East Prime
- CareFirst NASCO
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- MultiPlan, Inc
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- HighMark
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Medicare FFS
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CIGNA EPO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- POS OA
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Aetna HMO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Employee Health Plan
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- IH-PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- First Health PPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Optimum Choice
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Police and Fire Clinic
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- UHC Passport
- HealthyBlue PPO
- IH-EPO Plus
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Sentara Health
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Network OA
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Fellowship: Montefiore Medical Center (2025)
Residency: Burke Rehabilitation Hospital/Weill Medical Colleg (2024)
Internship: Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell (2021)
Medical School: Yeshiva University Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2020)
News and publications
Ding ME, Mbekeani JN, Ahmed Y, Conigliaro R, Delphin E, Durstenfeld A, Jagannath A, Masters-Israilov A, Milstein M, Rabin M, Ramachandran S, Vlismas P, Yang D, Heo M, Rosenberg JB. Measurement of resident fatigue using rapid number naming. J Neurol Sci. 2019 Feb 15;397:117-122. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2018.12.034. Epub 2018 Dec 28. PMID: 30612084.
Sim GY, Caparó M, Varrassi G, Lu CR, Ding ME, Singh R, Slinchenkova K, Shaparin N, Koushik SS, Viswanath O, Gitkind AI. Comparing the Effectiveness of Hands-on vs. Observational Training of Residents in Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections (ILESI) Using a High-Fidelity Spine Simulator. Cureus. 2023 Dec 2;15(12):e49829. doi: 10.7759/cureus.49829. PMID: 38164314; PMCID: PMC10758203.
Ding ME, Traiba H, Perez HR. Virtual Reality Interventions and Chronic Pain: Scoping Review. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Feb 18;27:e59922. doi: 10.2196/59922. PMID: 39965778; PMCID: PMC11888090.