Nonsurgical Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and
Physical Therapy Services in Honolulu, Hawaii
Tune in to the radio show: Dr. Portner is the host of a live, call-in radio show called “The Moving Body” every Saturday morning from 7 — 8 a.m. on KHVH–AM 830. Listen in as Dr. Portner talks to real people with real orthopedic problems. Feel free to call in or check out our archive of past shows!
Hawaii’s leading sports and orthopedic medicine specialist Dr. Bernard M. Portner has been practicing medicine for over 40 years and works hard every day sharing his healing knowledge with the community around him.
BACKGROUND
After completing his undergraduate and medical education in 1976 at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Dr. Portner began his first career practicing general internal medicine and family practice. He was then accepted at the University of Washington – Seattle to complete a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Dr. Portner was hired by the Department of Orthopedics at the Straub Clinic and Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, as the only nonsurgical member of the group of five orthopedic surgeons, where he served three valuable roles: Director of the Neck and Back Clinic, Medical Director of the Physical Therapy Department and Co-Director of the Sports Medicine Clinic.
LEARNING FROM THE BEST
Following medical school at the University of Michigan, an internship in internal medicine at University Hospital, and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Washington in Seattle, Dr. Portner received additional postgraduate training with Dr. James Cyriax, the “Father of Orthopedic Medicine,” in London, England. Dr. Cyriax was a pioneer in developing the field of orthopedics, originating a system of hands-on diagnosis that literally changed the way this type of medicine was performed. Building on this training and experience, Dr. Portner has since dedicated his professional career to the subspecialty of orthopedic medicine, or non-surgical orthopedics.
FIELD INVOLVEMENT
Dr. Portner is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and in fact was awarded the Elkins award for achieving the highest qualifying certification test score in the nation in 1981. Recognized as an expert in the field of medical orthopedics both on the mainland and internationally, Dr. Portner holds a Clinical Assistant Professorship at both the University of Hawaii - John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Washington – Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He serves as Medical Director of a nationally recognized fellowship training program for post-doctorate Physiatrists who have completed residency training and want to specialize in the field of Orthopedic Medicine. Dr. Portner is also on the editorial board of the highly acclaimed journal, International Musculoskeletal Medicine.
He is a fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He was the founding president of the Hawaii Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is currently a member of the North American Spine Society and numerous other related professional organizations nationally and internationally.
FOSTERING PROGRESS
Dr. Portner continues to practice medicine at the original Portner Orthopedic Rehabilitation location on Piikoi Street in Honolulu. To meet the demand for exceptional orthopedic services on the Windward side, in association with Dr. Steven Scheper, he recently opened a second location in Kaneohe.
Bringing the latest knowledge and technology to the Islands, Dr. Portner applies and teaches all that is new in the field of Orthopedic Medicine. He was among the first in the Hawaiian Islands to treat chronic low back pain with a radiofrequency device which destroys certain pain conducting nerves in the lower back and neck, and helped develop several other new techniques used in the treatment of certain disc-related low back pain syndromes.
Dr. Portner continues to teach and give lectures here in Hawaii and on the mainland. An active participant in athletic events and an involved member of the community, Dr. Portner has served as the sports physician at various high schools, local road races, and other sporting events throughout the years.
In his spare time, Dr. Portner is an avid surfer, gifted sculptor, gardener, lifetime jogger, two-time Honolulu Marathon finisher, and student of karate and yoga. He lives with his wife in Honolulu. Their four children are now grown up, college educated, and off on their own. Recently, Dr. Portner’s mother, Ethel Portner, 94, joined their household.
To learn more about Dr. Portner and his unparalleled orthopedic skills, please contact Portner Orthopedic at (808) 596-7300 in Honolulu and Kaneohe, Hawaii, to set up your first appointment.