Dr. Donald R. Murphy
For over 30 years, Dr. Murphy has helped patients get to the root of their spine pain — and get back to the lives they want. His clinical practice at Rhode Island Spine Center, LLC is built around one idea: you deserve a clear answer and treatment that works - and that includes simple things you can do for yourself.
He developed the CRISP® protocol — now used in clinics and taught at universities worldwide — to give every patient a precise, evidence-based diagnosis. His 100+ published research studies directly inform the care you receive here.
Dr. Murphy is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Alpert Medical School, Fellow of the Royal College of Chiropractors, and author of Clinical Reasoning in Spine Pain® (Volumes I & II).
Why it matters to you
How Dr. Murphy's experience serves you
Hands-on care
Dr. Murphy has decades of clinical experience, which means you benefit from pattern recognition and diagnostic skill that only comes from having treated thousands of patients with spine-related disorders. That experience shapes every diagnosis and treatment plan.
Patient empowerment
Dr. Murphy gives you the tools to help yourself. Every treatment plan includes hands-on education about your condition and practical self-management strategies — because the goal is your independence, not ongoing dependency.
Research that reaches your treatment room
With 100+ published studies and involvement in national clinical guidelines, Dr. Murphy doesn't just follow research — he contributes to it. The CRISP® protocol he developed is taught at universities worldwide and used in the clinic every day.
The experience behind your care
This is what backs every diagnosis and treatment plan you receive.
Years helping patients
Published studies
Steps in your care
Years on RI Board
CRISP® textbooks
Goal: your full recovery
My patients come first. Everything else I do — the research, the teaching, the writing — exists to help me better help them.
Dr. Donald R. Murphy