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Brett Toresdahl
( out of 56 reviews )

Brett Toresdahl, MD

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

  • Brett Toresdahl, MD, is an Associate Professor and Director of Research for the Division of Sports Medicine for the Department of Orthopaedics. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and has a certificate of added qualification in Sports Medicine.

    Dr. Toresdahl earned his undergraduate degree from Gonzaga ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ before attending medical school at the ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Washington in Seattle. He remained at UW for both his residency in family medicine and fellowship in primary care sports medicine. He then joined the medical staff at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City where he was a member of the Sports Medicine Institute and Research Director for the Primary Sports Medicine Service for almost 10 years.

    He is the Head Team Physician for US Biathlon. He served as a physician at three Olympic Games – Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022. He previously served as a Medical Captain of the TCS New York City Marathon, Rugby United New York Head Team Physician, New York Cosmos Team Physician, Westchester Knicks Team Physician, UFC Orthopedic Consultant, Seattle Storm Assistant Team Physician, ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Washington Athletics Fellow Team Physician, and Seattle Marathon Assistant Medical Director.


    Dr. Toresdahl is active in multiple areas of sports medicine research, including running medicine, injury surveillance, bone stress injuries, and tendinopathy. His publication on strength training in runners of the NYC Marathon was awarded the T. David Sisk Awards for Research Excellence for Best Original Research. His previous research on the incidence and treatment of sudden cardiac arrest in high school athletes was awarded the AMSSM Harry L. Galanty, MD Young Investigator's Award. He is also the Principal Investigator of the AMSSM Runner ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ Consortium.


    As a native of Bozeman, Montana, he enjoys staying active outdoors with his family by skiing, snowboarding, running, biking, and hiking

    Board Certification

    American Board of Family Medicine
    American Board of Family Medicine (Sports Medicine)

    Patient Rating

    4.9 /5
    ( out of 56 reviews )

    The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers.

    The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

    Patient Comments

    Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety.
    Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

    October 31, 2024
    ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER

    First visit,not a lot to go on, but I trust him and his decisions.

    October 29, 2024
    ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER

    He was very helpful and concerned about my problem.

    October 29, 2024
    ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER

    Dr. Toresdahl didn't take the time to look at my X-rays in the room with me. He relied on the exam his fellow had conducted and didn't do a full exam himself. When I wasn't interested in getting an MRI, it felt like he was immediately disinterested in providing me care, and he just wanted to get on to other patients.

    October 10, 2024
    ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER

    Dr. Toresdahl was very professional and recommended the best treatment for my knee. If I have further problems later on, I will be sure to ask for his help.

    September 26, 2024
    ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER

    Dr. Toresdahl is always very pleasant. He takes the time tell me my options and listens to what I have to say.

    September 26, 2024
    ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER

    I really appreciate the time he took to listen and help me. He is very caring and understanding.

    September 21, 2024
    SOUTH JORDAN HEALTH CENTER

    Great, it was a very good pressure that I had an appointment with Dr. Brett G.Toresdahl and was nice meeting him, Thank you

    September 11, 2024
    ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER

    The doctor explained everything well, listened, was not rushed and suggested the most viable solutions. Very pleasant "bedside manner."

    September 10, 2024
    ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER

    Superb. Calm demeanor. Excellent communicator.

  • Brett Toresdahl, MD, is an Associate Professor and Director of Research for the Division of Sports Medicine for the Department of Orthopaedics. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and has a certificate of added qualification in Sports Medicine.

    Dr. Toresdahl earned his undergraduate degree from Gonzaga ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ before attending medical school at the ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Washington in Seattle. He remained at UW for both his residency in family medicine and fellowship in primary care sports medicine. He then joined the medical staff at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City where he was a member of the Sports Medicine Institute and Research Director for the Primary Sports Medicine Service for almost 10 years.

    He is the Head Team Physician for US Biathlon. He served as a physician at three Olympic Games – Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022. He previously served as a Medical Captain of the TCS New York City Marathon, Rugby United New York Head Team Physician, New York Cosmos Team Physician, Westchester Knicks Team Physician, UFC Orthopedic Consultant, Seattle Storm Assistant Team Physician, ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Washington Athletics Fellow Team Physician, and Seattle Marathon Assistant Medical Director.


    Dr. Toresdahl is active in multiple areas of sports medicine research, including running medicine, injury surveillance, bone stress injuries, and tendinopathy. His publication on strength training in runners of the NYC Marathon was awarded the T. David Sisk Awards for Research Excellence for Best Original Research. His previous research on the incidence and treatment of sudden cardiac arrest in high school athletes was awarded the AMSSM Harry L. Galanty, MD Young Investigator's Award. He is also the Principal Investigator of the AMSSM Runner ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ Consortium.


    As a native of Bozeman, Montana, he enjoys staying active outdoors with his family by skiing, snowboarding, running, biking, and hiking

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Orthopaedics -Primary
    Board Certification
    American Board of Family Medicine
    American Board of Family Medicine (Sports Medicine)

    Education history

    Fellowship Primary Care Sports Medicine - ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Washington School of Medicine Fellow
    Family Medicine - ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Washington School of Medicine Resident
    Professional Medical Medicine - ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Washington School of Medicine M.D.
    Major: Applied Physics; Minors: Biology and Jazz - Gonzaga ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ B.S.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Toresdahl BG, Metzl JD, Kinderknecht J, McElheny K, de Mille P, Quijano B, Fontana MA (2022). Training patterns associated with injury in New York City Marathon runners. Br J Sports Med, 57(3), 146-152. ()
    2. Toresdahl B, McElheny K, Metzl J, Kinderknecht J, Quijano B, Ammerman B, Fontana MA (2021). Factors associated with injuries in first-time marathon runners from the New York City marathon. Phys Sportsmed, 50(3), 227-232. ()
    3. Toresdahl BG, Robinson JN, Kliethermes SA, Metzl JD, Dixit S, Quijano B, Fontana MA (2021). Increased Incidence of Injury Among Runners With COVID-19. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 14(3), 372-376. ()
    4. Robinson JN, Fontana MA, Metzl JD, Dixit S, Kliethermes SA, Quijano B, Toresdahl B (2021). Running races during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 2020 survey of the running community. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med, 7(4), e001192. ()
    5. Orchard JJ, Orchard JW, Toresdahl B, Asif IM, Hughes D, La Gerche A, Semsarian C (2019). Cardiovascular Screening of Elite Athletes by Sporting Organizations in Australia: A Survey of Chief Medical Officers. Clin J Sport Med, 31(5), 401-406. ()
    6. Conway JJ, Curriero FC, Camp CL, Toresdahl BG, Coleman S, Kinderknecht JJ (2018). Time Out of Play Due to Illness in Major and Minor League Baseball. Clin J Sport Med, 31(3), e137-e143. ()
    7. Wolff AL, Ling DI, Casey EK, Toresdahl BG, Gellhorn AC (2021). Feasibility and impact of a musculoskeletal health for musicians (MHM) program for musician students: A randomized controlled pilot study. J Hand Ther, 34(2), 159-165. ()
    8. Krabak BJ, Roberts WO, Tenforde AS, Ackerman KE, Adami PE, Baggish AL, Barrack M, Cianca J, Davis I, DHemecourt P, Fredericson M, Goldman JT, Harrast MA, Heiderscheit BC, Hollander K, Kraus E, Luke A, Miller E, Moyer M, Rauh MJ, Toresdahl BG, Wasfy MM (2020). Youth running consensus statement: minimising risk of injury and illness in youth runners. Br J Sports Med, 55(6), 305-318. ()
    9. Toresdahl BG, Young WK, Quijano B, Scott DA (2021). A Systematic Review of Telehealth and Sport-Related Concussion: Baseline Testing, Diagnosis, and Management. HSS J, 17(1), 18-24. ()
    10. Toresdahl BG, Nguyen J, Goolsby MA, Drakos MC, Lyman S (2020). High Number of Daily Steps Recorded by Runners Recovering from Bone Stress Injuries. HSS J, 16(Suppl 2), 408-411. ()
    11. Disser NP, De Micheli AJ, Schonk MM, Konnaris MA, Piacentini AN, Edon DL, Toresdahl BG, Rodeo SA, Casey EK, Mendias CL (2020). Musculoskeletal Consequences of COVID-19. J Bone Joint Surg Am, 102(14), 1197-1204. ()
    12. Conway JJ, Toresdahl BG, Asplund CA, Asif IM (2018). Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening: An Infrastructure Assessment in Collegiate Athletics. Clin J Sport Med, 30(4), 315-320. ()
    13. Toresdahl BG, McElheny K, Metzl J, Ammerman B, Chang B, Kinderknecht J (2019). A Randomized Study of a Strength Training Program to Prevent Injuries in Runners of the New York City Marathon. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 12(1), 74-79. ()
    14. Soligard T, Palmer D, Steffen K, Lopes AD, Grant ME, Kim D, Lee SY, Salmina N, Toresdahl BG, Chang JY, Budgett R, Engebretsen L (2019). Sports injury and illness incidence in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games: a prospective study of 2914 athletes from 92 countries. Br J Sports Med, 53(17), 1085-1092. ()
    15. McElheny K, Toresdahl B, Ling D, Mages K, Asif I (2019). Comparative Effectiveness of Alternative Dosing Regimens of Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 11(5), 461-466. ()
    16. Williams EA, Pelto HF, Toresdahl BG, Prutkin JM, Owens DS, Salerno JC, Harmon KG, Drezner JA (2019). Performance of the American Heart Association ( AHA ) 14-Point Evaluation Versus Electrocardiography for the Cardiovascular Screening of High School Athletes: A Prospective Study. J Am Heart Assoc, 8(14), e012235. ()
    17. Toresdahl BG, Blauwet C, Chang CJ, Ling DI, Asif IM (2018). Cardiovascular screening of Paralympic athletes reported by chief medical officers of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. Br J Sports Med, 53(1), 43-44. ()
    18. Conway JJ, Toresdahl BG, Ling DI, Boniquit NT, Callahan LR, Kinderknecht JJ (2018). Prevalence of Inadequate Immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella in MLB and NBA Athletes. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 10(5), 406-411. ()
    19. Toresdahl BG, Asif IM, Rodeo SA, Ling DI, Chang CJ (2018). Cardiovascular screening of Olympic athletes reported by chief medical officers of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Br J Sports Med, 52(17), 1097-1100. ()
    20. Toresdahl BG, Chang C, Confino J, Asif IM (2017). Cardiovascular screening practices in US National Governing Bodies and National Paralympic Committees. Br J Sports Med, 51(22), 1639-1640. ()
    21. Rao AL, Asif IM, Drezner JA, Toresdahl BG, Harmon KG (2015). Suicide in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Athletes: A 9-Year Analysis of the NCAA Resolutions Database. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 7(5), 452-7. ()
    22. Fudge J, Harmon KG, Owens DS, Prutkin JM, Salerno JC, Asif IM, Haruta A, Pelto H, Rao AL, Toresdahl BG, Drezner JA (2014). Cardiovascular screening in adolescents and young adults: a prospective study comparing the Pre-participation Physical Evaluation Monograph 4th Edition and ECG. Br J Sports Med, 48(15), 1172-8. ()
    23. Toresdahl BG, Rao AL, Harmon KG, Drezner JA (2014). Incidence of sudden cardiac arrest in high school student athletes on school campus. Heart Rhythm, 11(7), 1190-4. ()
    24. Drezner JA, Toresdahl BG, Rao AL, Huszti E, Harmon KG (2013). Outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest in US high schools: a 2-year prospective study from the National Registry for AED Use in Sports. Br J Sports Med, 47(18), 1179-83. ()
    25. Toresdahl BG, Harmon KG, Drezner JA (2013). High school automated external defibrillator programs as markers of emergency preparedness for sudden cardiac arrest. J Athl Train, 48(2), 242-7. ()

    Review

    1. Ghasem W, Abouzeid C, Toresdahl BG, Shah AB (2022). Updated Blood Pressure Guidelines: Implications for Athletes. [Review]. Curr Hypertens Rep, 24(10), 477-484. ()
    2. Toresdahl BG, Shah AB, Asif IM (2022). Elite Athletes With COVID-19: Time to Let Them Compete? [Review]. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 14(5), 616-617. ()
    3. Wiederman MW, Toresdahl B, Asif IM (2020). Clinician Well-being during a Pandemic: Practices to Boost Resilience and Life Satisfaction. [Review]. Curr Sports Med Rep, 19(12), 524-529. ()
    4. Metzl JD, McElheny K, Robinson JN, Scott DA, Sutton KM, Toresdahl BG (2020). Considerations for Return to Exercise Following Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 in the Recreational Athlete. [Review]. HSS J, 16(Suppl 1), 102-107. ()
    5. Toresdahl BG, Asif IM (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Considerations for the Competitive Athlete. [Review]. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 12(3), 221-224. ()
    6. Toresdahl BG, Asif IM (2016). Update on Zika Virus: Considerations for the Traveling Athlete. [Review]. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 8(5), 438-43. ()
    7. OKane JW, Toresdahl BG (2014). The evidenced-based shoulder evaluation. [Review]. Curr Sports Med Rep, 13(5), 307-13. ()
    8. Toresdahl B, Courson R, Brjesson M, Sharma S, Drezner J (2012). Emergency cardiac care in the athletic setting: from schools to the Olympics. [Review]. Br J Sports Med, 46 Suppl 1, i85-9. ()

    Editorial

    1. Asif IM, Toresdahl BG (2023). The Parallel Evolution of COVID-19 and Sport. Sports ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ, 14(5), 614-615. ()
    2. Toresdahl BG, Masters C, Drezner JA (2021). Dr Joseph Marek and Young Hearts for Life: over a quarter-million screening tests and counting! Br J Sports Med, 56(3), 173-174. ()

    Letter

    1. Drezner J, Harmon K, Toresdahl B (2014). Reply to the editor--Incidence of sudden cardiac death in high school athletes: implications for cardiovascular screening. [Letter to the editor]. Heart Rhythm, 11(12), e200-1. ()
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