VSI Spine Specialists Named 2026 Washingtonian Top Doctors for Another Consecutive Year

Key Facts

• Washingtonian named four VSI physicians to its 2026 Top Doctors list: Dr. Christopher Good, Dr. Ehsan Jazini, Dr. Colin Haines, and Dr. Niteesh Bharara.
• Each spring, Washingtonian surveys nearly 13,000 licensed doctors in DC, Maryland, and Virginia to select these top doctors, and no doctor can vote for themselves.
• The 2026 Top Doctors list appears in Washingtonian’s November 2026 issue.
• At VSI, recovery is planned before treatment begins and supported long after through the Recovery Revolution™.
• Since 1992, VSI has improved the lives of over 100,000 patients, including patients who travel from across the country and around the world.

VSI’s 2026 Washingtonian Top Doctors are spine surgeons Dr. Christopher Good, Dr. Ehsan Jazini, and Dr. Colin Haines, and Regenerative Medicine Director Dr. Niteesh Bharara. For yet another consecutive year, VSI physicians earned their place on the list, chosen by the doctors who know their work best.

Behind every name on this list are patients and people who came to VSI looking for answers, trusted us with their care, and did the hard work of getting back to the life they love. Many have come to us after years of pain and treatments that never quite worked. Every victory over pain they’ve earned is part of this honor, and we’re proud to share it with them.

How Washingtonian Chooses Its Top Doctors

Washingtonian’s Top Doctors are chosen by peer vote every year. Each spring, the magazine asks nearly 13,000 licensed physicians in DC, Maryland, and Virginia which colleagues they would recommend. Every voter logs in with an active medical license, casts a single ballot, and can only vote for other doctors. The top candidates in each of 39 categories are named Top Doctors for that year.

Put simply, this is the list doctors make when they’re thinking about who they trust. If you’re deciding where to turn for spine care, that’s a meaningful place to start.

Meet VSI’s Top Spine Doctors in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC

At VSI, our team of providers and specialists work together from across the organization. Spine surgeons, physiatrists, regenerative medicine and sports medicine doctors, and physical therapists work side by side on your care. You get a complete picture of what’s really driving your pain, without being passed from office to office. Our Top Doctors reflect that range, from natural, non-surgical healing to motion preservation and world-first surgical technology.

Dr. Niteesh Bharara: Regenerative Medicine and Non-Surgical Spine Care

Dr. Niteesh Bharara leads VSI Regenerative Medicine, helping patients use the body’s natural healing process to rebuild damaged tissue and heal painful conditions. A physiatrist and sports medicine doctor, he’s board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation with subspecialty certification in pain medicine. His treatments include stem cell therapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and prolotherapy. Patients know Dr. Bharara for listening closely and for finding non-surgical options they may never have been offered before.

Dr. Christopher Good: Spine Surgeon and VSI President and CEO

As VSI’s President and CEO, Dr. Christopher Good has spent his career advancing what spine surgery can do for patients and what recovery should look like afterward. He’s a double board-certified spine surgeon ranked among the top 7% of physicians nationwide by Castle Connolly. He performed the first two-level disc replacement in the Metro DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. In 2026, he performed the world’s first spine surgery with the Stealth AXiS™ Autopilot robotic system. Dr. Good has also been the public voice of the Recovery Revolution™, built on a belief he states plainly: recovery at VSI “is proactively planned before the procedure even begins and supported long after.”

Dr. Colin Haines: Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon and Director of Research

Dr. Colin Haines understands the patient’s perspective during spine care firsthand. As a young soccer player, he recovered from a lumbar disc herniation without surgery, and that experience still shapes how he cares for patients today. As VSI’s Director of Research, he leads FDA trials on cervical disc replacement and helps drive the national research that advances treatment options for patients everywhere. He’s also a recognized expert in Bertolotti syndrome, a condition that is often missed. For patients who have gone too long without a diagnosis, he offers both non-surgical care and ultra-minimally invasive surgical solutions, including endoscopic spine surgery.

Dr. Ehsan Jazini: Disc Replacement and Motion Preservation Surgeon

Many patients come to Dr. Ehsan Jazini after struggling to find answers elsewhere, and he starts by listening to their whole story. Trained in both orthopedic spine surgery and neurosurgery, he brings a wide lens to every case. He explores non-surgical options first and reserves surgery for when it’s truly needed. Dr. Jazini is a leader in motion preservation and disc replacement surgery. Unlike spinal fusion, which joins vertebrae together, disc replacement surgery is designed to preserve range of motion at the treated level. One of his recent milestones include being the first East Coast surgeon to combine two-level lumbar disc replacement with the TOPS™ System. His leadership in developing Enhanced Surgery Recovery protocols ties directly to the recovery-first care VSI patients receive today.

How VSI Plans Your Recovery Before Treatment Begins

At VSI, your recovery starts before your procedure does. Through the Recovery Revolution™, we prepare you before treatment with education and a personalized recovery plan. We stay by your side long after treatment, with integrated therapies under one roof and research to back up recovery pathways. Recovery has too often been treated as an afterthought in spine care and VSI builds our practice around it.

Because everything happens under one roof, the surgeon who plans your procedure works alongside the team that helps you heal. That includes VSI Physical Therapy, named 2025 Best Physical Therapy Practice in Virginia by Virginia Living. The team offers on-site aquatic therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, shockwave therapy, and hands-on rehabilitation. Our Patient Victories show what that collaboration makes possible: patients able to go back to work, play with their kids again, and stay active.

How to Choose a Spine Specialist

The Top Doctors list is a great place to start, but we encourage patients to come to their initial consultation with a list of questions to ensure that the specialist is a good fit. Even Washingtonian reminds readers that good judgment matters during these doctor-patient interactions.

The right answers come from a specialist who takes the time to hear your full story, examine you thoroughly, and walk you through every option. Wherever you go for care, bring these questions with you:

• Have I tried every appropriate non-surgical option for my condition?
• Am I a candidate for motion preservation surgery?
• When does planning for my recovery start, and who supports me after treatment?

Getting a Second Opinion on Spine Surgery in the DC Area

If you’ve been told surgery is your only option, if a past treatment didn’t bring relief, or if you simply want to understand every choice in front of you, a second opinion can give you clarity and confidence. You’re not alone in looking for one. Many of the patients we see have already been through treatment elsewhere and are still searching for answers. It is VSI’s mission to help these individuals truly reach recovery.

As an independent spine center, VSI makes care decisions between you and your doctor, not your insurance company. Our physicians often resolve problems without invasive surgery. When surgery is the right answer, our surgeons offer both spinal fusion and motion-preserving options. We’re located just outside Washington, D.C., minutes from Dulles International Airport, and our destination medicine team makes it smooth and seamless for patients traveling from out of state or overseas.

You deserve to be heard, to understand what’s really driving your pain, and to leave with a clear plan for getting back to the moments that matter most. Our Top Doctors and the entire VSI team are here to help you take that first step. Schedule your consultation today.

Frequently Asked Questions About VSI’s Washingtonian Top Doctors

Have VSI physicians received other Top Doctor recognition in 2026?

Yes. Northern Virginia Magazine named all VSI physicians as 2026 Top Doctors. Dr. Good, Dr. Haines, and Dr. Bharara were also named 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors, a distinction given to the top 7% of physicians nationwide.

Will seeing a VSI spine surgeon mean I need surgery?

No. VSI often resolves spine problems without invasive surgery. Our surgeons offer both non-surgical and surgical care, and every plan starts with understanding your condition and your goals.

How do I get a second opinion from a VSI Top Doctor?

Request a consultation, and the VSI team will review your case and imaging to give you a second opinion on your diagnosis and treatment options.

Can patients travel to VSI from out of state or internationally?

Yes. VSI is located in Reston, Virginia, minutes from Dulles International Airport, and welcomes patients from across the country and around the world.