Dr. Rizor received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Bates College, where he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa national honorary fraternity. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from The Medical College of Ohio in 1976. He completed two years of residency training in general surgery followed by two years of residency in anesthesiology at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Prior to entering private practice in 1981, Dr. Rizor held an appointment to the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Medicine as Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology. He previously served as Chairman of Anesthesiology and Vice Chairman of Surgery at North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia. He has also served as President of the anesthesia practice affiliated with St. Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta, which is ranked as one of the largest group medical practices in the state of Georgia.

Dr. Rizor was certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in 1981. He received the Subspecialty Certification in Pain Management from the American Board of Anesthesiology in 1993. He is a member of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia, The International Anesthesia Research Society and numerous state and local professional organizations.

He co-authored one of the first clinical reports on the use of long-term spinal infusions for the treatment of chronic pain. He is currently involved in clinical research for the development of micro endoscopic procedures for the non-surgical diagnosis and treatment of spinal injuries and diseases. He has presented preliminary reports of this work at meetings of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and The American Society of Regional Anesthesia.