Professional red-haired man in a suit and blue tie smiling against a plain gray background.

Dr. Nick Bender, MD

Philosophy of Care

"Having gone through my own significant back injury and recovery journey, I understand firsthand how frustrating and limiting pain can be—and how empowering it is to regain strength and confidence. That experience reinforced my belief that effective care starts with truly listening to each patient's story. My approach is rooted in the philosophy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, which focuses on restoring function and improving quality of life through personalized, non-operative, and minimally invasive treatments."

Specialties

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Expertise Overview

Dr. Bender specializes in comprehensive, non-surgical spine and musculoskeletal care, with a focus on relieving pain, restoring function and helping patients avoid surgery whenever possible. He develops individualized treatment plans that may include physical therapy, non-opioid medication management and a wide range of image-guided interventional procedures. By combining evidence-based treatments with a patient-centered approach, Dr. Bender helps patients return to the activities they enjoy with less pain and improved mobility.

Learn More About Dr. Bender's Expertise

Office Locations

Acworth

4450 Calibre Crossing, Suite 1225

Acworth, GA 30101

404-847-9999

Woodstock

2230 Towne Lake Pkwy

Building 300 Suite 100

Woodstock, GA 30189

404-847-9999

About

Dr. Bender is a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physician who believes that great care starts with listening. He takes the time to understand each patient's experience, answer their questions and make sure they feel heard and informed throughout their care. His goal is to build trust with his patients while helping them reduce pain, restore function and return to the activities that matter most to them.

His approach is thoughtful, personalized and grounded in evidence-based medicine. He works closely with each patient to develop a treatment plan that fits their goals, lifestyle and individual needs, with an emphasis on helping them feel confident in their care and empowered in their recovery.

Outside of Work

Outside of work, Dr. Bender enjoys staying active and living the healthy lifestyle he encourages his patients to pursue. He maintains a regular fitness routine centered on functional strength training to build core stability, improve resilience and support long-term mobility. He also enjoys endurance swimming as a way to stay physically fit and challenge himself.

When he's not exercising, Dr. Bender enjoys spending time outdoors, whether hiking scenic trails or snowboarding during the winter months. He also values quieter moments with a good book, finding reading to be a great way to relax, continue learning and recharge outside of his clinical practice.

Rolling green meadow under soft evening light with distant forested hills and mountains on horizon

Schedule An Appointment

Experience

Dr. Bender has extensive training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine, with experience caring for patients with a wide range of spine, joint and musculoskeletal conditions. He completed advanced training at the University of Rochester and Emory University, followed by a fellowship in Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine (ISMM), where he developed expertise in image-guided, minimally invasive procedures. His approach combines evidence-based, non-surgical treatments with a focus on helping patients understand their options and choose the right path for their individual needs.

His expertise includes physical therapy, non-opioid prescription medication management, epidural steroid injections, interlaminar injections, facet joint injections, medial branch blocks, medial branch radiofrequency ablation, basivertebral nerve ablation through the Intracept procedure, sacroiliac joint injections and intra-articular hip injections. He is committed to incorporating advances in spine and musculoskeletal care when they can offer patients more precise, effective and minimally invasive treatment options.

Areas of Expertise

Non-Surgical Spine Care
Back and Neck Pain Treatment
Interventional Spine Procedures
Musculoskeletal Pain Management
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Image-Guided Injections and Minimally Invasive Procedures
Sports and Activity-Related Injuries
Joint and Soft Tissue Pain
Rehabilitation and Functional Restoration

Fellowship

Emory University School of Medicine

Residency

University of Rochester

Medical Degree

SUNY Upstate Medical University

Associations

International Pain & Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS)

Schedule An Appointment

Comparison of Pain With Ultrasound-Guided Intra-Articular Hip Injections With and Without Prior Subcutaneous Local Anesthesia Evaluating the effectiveness of interlaminar epidural steroid injections for cervical radiculopathy using PROMIS as an outcome measure Radiation exposure during basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablations Evidence of non-response bias in patient reported outcome measurement information system surveys Intra-articular sacroiliac joint steroid injection in patients with risk factors may have greater effect.