Dr. John Cianca, MD

Dr. John Cianca, MD

Dr. Cianca received his MD from Albany Medical College (1988), completed his residency training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Rochester (1992). He moved to Houston, Texas for a fellowship in Sports & Performing Arts medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (1993.)  He is board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, as well as Medical Acupuncture and Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
Dr. Cianca has served as Medical Director of the Houston Marathon since 1998.  He also served as Medical Director of a Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine facility from 1993-2016. He has been active in the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR) for many years and is currently the vice chairman of the Medical Education Committee. He is also a founding member of the International Institute for Race Medicine.
His clinical interests include sports medicine, running medicine, event medical management, acupuncture, musculoskeletal sonography, prolotherapy and biomechanical analysis. Dr. Cianca has taught and mentored medical professionals throughout his career and has presented lectures nationally and internationally on a variety of his clinical interests. He is published in numerous journals and has authored a textbook on musculoskeletal ultrasound anatomy.
Among his many awards, Dr. Cianca given the R. Edward Carter Jr. MD Clinical Achievement Award from the Baylor College of Medicine/ University of Texas-Houston department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2002. The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation bestowed him with the Distinguished Clinician Award in 2013. He also was voted by his peers as a one of the Best Doctors of America eight times.

See Dr. Cianca's Full CV

May, 1983

B.S. Degree Biology

St. Bonaventure University – New York – Cum Laude, Dean’s List
May, 1988

Medical Doctorate

Albany Medical College – New York
June 1989

Transitional Internship

Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital – New York
July, 1992

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency

Strong Memorial Hospital – New York
June 30, 1993

Sports & Performing Arts Fellowship

Baylor College of Medicine at TIRR – Texas
1994

Human Performance Center Founded

DR. CIANCA'S METHODOLOGY

"It's About Motion."

  • Patients are frequently treated based on their symptoms alone rather than the cause of those symptoms. As a result, patients are often inaccurately diagnosed and their treatment is ineffective. I believe this arises because physicians do not spend enough time with their patients. I take the time to understand my patient’s story of their condition.
  • A thoughtful examination is critical to formulating a differential diagnosis and ultimately a formal diagnosis of the problem. Accurate diagnosis is the central goal and the underpinning of treatment. Treatment can never be complete or effective without this as the foundation.
  • I completed a sports medicine and performing arts fellowship at the Baylor College of Medicine in 1993 and have been practicing sports medicine ever since. I founded the Human Performance Center in 1994. The mission of the Human Performance Center is to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions in a holistic and complete manner. I have studied acupuncture and have integrated it into my practice. I also rely heavily on therapeutic exercise and movement based therapies such as the McKenzie method, Pilates, Tai Chi and yoga.