Dr. Lewis Tsai, M.D. CAQSM
Dr. Lewis Tsai is a board-certified primary care sports medicine physician practicing at Texas Orthopedics. His focus spans the full spectrum of non-operative sports medicine for athletes and active patients. This includes musculoskeletal complaints as well as any other health conditions that may affect athletes or athletic activity. Examples include sports cardiology, fatigue or energy deficiency in sport, sports nutrition, sports pulmonology, sports physiology, etc. Whether it's an injury or another health condition that affects your ability to perform or exercise, Dr. Tsai can evaluate, diagnose, and initiate a treatment plan.
Education & Training
Dr. Tsai earned his Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and his medical degree from Texas A&M College of Medicine. He completed his family medicine residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch, followed by a fellowship in primary care sports medicine at UT Austin Dell Medical School — an additional year of specialized training focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sports and exercise-related injuries and conditions.
Approach
Dr. Tsai's approach is rooted in evidence and tailored to the individual, taking into account their background, ability, and resources. Every athlete is different, as well as their needs. Whether it's a high school athlete recovering from a concussion, an adult runner managing knee pain, or a diabetic training for their first triathlon, Dr. Tsai's focus is the same: keeping his patients active, healthy, and moving forward.
Endurance Experience
A seven-time Ironman triathlete and Boston Marathon qualifier, Dr. Tsai brings over a decade's worth of experience in endurance sports and innumerable races/events to help guide his practice. His firsthand knowledge of the demands that training and competition place on the body, as well as interplay between them and your overall health, means that he doesn’t just treat athletes — he is one. As medicine, sport, and the relationship between them continue to evolve, he strives to stay up to date and continues to train and race under the instruction of Jamie Cleveland with Primal Endurance.
Teams & Teaching
Outside of his clinical practice, Dr. Tsai provides medical coverage for several teams in the Austin area, serving as a team physician for Texas Stars Hockey, Austin Huns Rugby Club, and Hendrickson High School. He also serves as clinical faculty for the medical school and sports medicine fellowship for UT Dell Medical School, helping train the next generation of physicians.
Dr. Tsai is fluent in English and Mandarin, with working proficiency in Spanish. Outside of medicine and endurance sports, Dr. Tsai spends his time cooking, eating, reading, and napping in random and inopportune places. He is frequently zipping around the Austin area, so if you ever see him, please say hi!
