Ai Mukai, MD

Ai Mukai, MD is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician or physiatrist.

She completed a fellowship focusing on advanced interventional pain procedures, resulting in a board certification in pain medicine. Dr. Mukai focuses on non-surgical musculoskeletal and spine care using conservative modalities such as physical therapy and image guided injections. She also performs electrodiagnostic studies to diagnose nerve and muscle conditions that can cause pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling. Dr. Mukai has been named by her peers to the Texas Monthly Super Doctors Rising Stars list, followed by the Texas Monthly Super Doctors list from 2013 through 2022. She’s also been recognized by local physicians as an Austin Monthly Top Doctor from 2015 through 2023.

She has also been named “America’s Top Physicians” since 2012, Vitals.com compassionate doctor recognition and patient’s choice award and Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare since 2006.

In 2019 Dr Mukai was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Clinician Award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, awarded annually to three physicians who have achieved distinction on the basis of their scholarly level of teaching and their outstanding performance in Physiatric patient care activities, contributing significantly to the advancement of the specialty.

Dr. Ai Mukai among 2019 Award Winners

She presents at state and national conferences and authored book chapters and articles. Dr. Mukai has served as one of twelve voting members of the Board of Governors of her national association, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R). She is also an affiliate faculty member for the University of Texas Dell Medical School Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency program and has resident physicians rotating with her throughout the year. Dr. Mukai served on the editorial board for Spine Universe until they merged with HealthCentral. She currently serves as a co-editor of The Physiatrist newsletter, a monthly publication of the AAPM&R.

After obtaining her bachelor degree in psychology from Barnard College of Columbia University, she attended medical school at Penn State University. Dr. Mukai completed her physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at Northwestern University’s Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (rated number one in the country on US News & World Report), earning numerous academic and leadership awards. Her pain medicine fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles focused on advanced training in non-surgical spine care and interventional procedures, including implantable devices. Her more recent interest include regenerative medicine including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapy.

In her free time, Dr. Mukai enjoys spending time with her family, mentoring and pursuing research, as well as sketching and cooking.

Click here to read Dr. Mukai’s interview published for Spine Universe titled “Herniated Disc Lower Back Treatment Options” – October 2022

Click here to read Dr. Mukai’s interview published on Healthline titled “Psychotherapy May Help You Find Relief from Chronic Back Pain” – November 2022