Joseph Chavarria, MD

About Dr. Chavarria

Dr. Joseph Chavarria is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon in Reno, Nevada. He earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston — where he was named Outstanding Medical Student in Orthopaedic Surgery and received the Crawford and Hattie Jackson Presidential Scholarship — before completing a five-year orthopaedic surgery residency at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, Colorado, where he served as Chief Resident.

Dr. Chavarria then pursued dual fellowship training in spine surgery: first at West Virginia University under nationally recognized spine surgeons Drs. Sanford Emery, John France, and Scott Daffner, then with Dr. Neel Anand at the Anand Spine Group at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles — one of the nation's premier minimally invasive spine programs. This combination of rigorous complex spine training and advanced MIS technique prepared him to treat the full spectrum of spinal conditions, from routine herniated discs to complex adult deformity and revision surgery. Across residency and two subspecialty spine fellowships, he trained and operated at some of the nation's highest-volume spine centers, building deep hands-on experience in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar surgery. He sees patients of all ages.

An active researcher, Dr. Chavarria has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in leading journals including The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Neurosurgical Focus, and the Journal of Orthopaedics. He has presented at the North American Spine Society, AAOS, and Lumbar Spine Research Society annual meetings.

Philosophy of Care

“Surgery should be the last-ditch effort to get you better, after you've tried physical therapy, activity modifications, injections, medication, and other treatment modalities.”

Dr. Chavarria's approach is grounded in patient education and shared decision-making. He takes the time to explain every option thoroughly — conservative and surgical — so patients feel confident and informed before any decision is made. When surgery is indicated, he uses minimally invasive techniques whenever feasible, achieving the same surgical goals through smaller incisions with less blood loss and faster recovery. Many patients go home the same day.

Dr. Chavarria brings subspecialty spine expertise to Northern Nevada — so patients no longer need to travel to larger metropolitan areas for complex spinal care.