Blog Archive

When you roll your ankle, you know why it hurts. But some pain defies explanation — unless you know what to look for. Bursitis is that type of ankle pain, and it can sideline you for quite a while if you don’t seek treatment.  As the former team physician for...

From scratching an itch to making a living, you rely on your hands every minute of every day, so life comes to a screeching halt when something hinders their function. You may know about carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis, but several lesser-known injuries and diseases can afflict your hands and...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one out of every four adults in the United States has arthritis, and that’s based only on doctor-diagnosed cases. There may be millions more with unreported arthritis.  Although each of the 100+ types of arthritis has slightly different characteristics, they all cause...

Some types of joint pain are so common among athletes that they take on the name of the sport — think runner’s knee, turf toe, and swimmer’s shoulder. When it comes to your mid-arm hinge, two sports vie for top billing: tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. But even if you’re...

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) stabilizes your knee joint during twisting movements. The fibrous ACL band connects your thigh bone to your shin bone and controls your knee’s rotation during sidestepping motions, pivoting movements, and jump landings.  While common in sports, an ACL injury can also occur unexpectedly, such as...

Joint pain is so prevalent because the problems that affect joints are many and varied. Knowing what’s behind your stiff, achy joints is the key to resolving it, but how do you figure out the problem? Leave it to NEIL GHODADRA, M.D., Southern California’s nationally renowned, board-certified orthopedic surgeon. Professional...

A torn ACL, short for anterior cruciate ligament, is a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention. It may also call for surgery — but not always. For ACL injuries and other causes of acute and chronic knee pain, people from throughout southern California seek top-notch orthopedic care at NEIL...

Arthritis or joint inflammation comes in more than 100 different types and affects over 54 million Americans. Mild cases cause occasional joint pain and stiffness, but about 25% of people with arthritis experience severe pain and limited mobility that affects their work and leisure activities.  NEIL GHODADRA, M.D. specializes in diagnosing and treating all...

Joints are vulnerable to several problems like soft-tissue damage, arthritis, fractures, sprains, strains, and infections. Fortunately, modern medicine offers several effective treatments to address joint pain, and we provide them all here at NEIL GHODADRA, M.D., in West Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks, California.  It’s essential to see Dr. Ghodadra...

Arthritis, fractures, ligament tears, and cartilage damage can wreck your joints and land you in the doctor’s office. But what about bursitis? Do you need medical intervention when the bursa sacs around your joints become inflamed, or will the swelling subside on its own? We’re glad you asked. At NEIL GHODADRA,...

Everyone experiences balance problems at some point. Common circumstances like standing up from a chair too quickly or a drop in blood pressure from dehydration can cause dizziness that temporarily knocks you off balance.  Balance is regulated by an intricate system of signals between the brain and body. Damage to...

Machines break down over time because movement and friction degrade the surfaces of the parts. The same is true for your joints. However, the analogy falls short when it comes to solving the problem of wear and tear. Your automatic garage door may last longer if you push the button...

Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, you’ve heard the mantra countless times: stretch before a workout. So, you dutifully comply. But does science back up the claim about limbering up before activity? NEIL GHODADRA, MD, renowned, board-certified, and fellowship-trained sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon, weighs in on this...

For adults, the shoulder is the most common site for a dislocation, but the elbow comes in a close second. For children, elbows are the number one dislocation site, and about half of pediatric elbow dislocations are related to sports injuries.  While there are many conditions that lead to elbow pain, elbow dislocation...

Ankle pain literally stops you in your tracks. Often, at the moment of injury, the pain is severe, and the joint can’t withstand even the slightest pressure — so walking is not an option. If possible, you hop to a place where you can inspect your ankle and try to figure out what...

Joint pain can be tricky to self-diagnose, because it’s a common symptom of several different conditions. And because each of those conditions require different treatments, it’s important to get an accurate professional diagnosis.  At NEIL GHODADRA, MD, in West Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks, California, we specialize in getting to the bottom...

Your joints are more than the meeting place of two bones — they’re complex machines that involve multiple types of connective tissues, as well as blood vessels and nerves. When you experience joint pain, it can be as simple as a case of overuse or as serious as a fracture...

Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, which means the rounded, upper end of your arm bone (humerus) fits into a cup-like structure (glenoid) in your shoulder blade (scapula).  Although it’s technically a socket joint, it’s not a tight fit like a trailer hitch on the back of a pickup truck....

There’s little you can do to prevent traumatic injuries or certain chronic illnesses, but there’s a lot you can do to eliminate bad habits that cause knee pain or make it worse.  At Neil Ghodadra, MD, we see a lot of patients with acute, chronic, and severe knee pain, and...

Physical activity is a double-edged sword — it’s great for your overall health and fitness, but puts you at risk for injury. Whether you get paid to play sports or you’re an amateur weekend warrior, every pivot, stride, jump, swing, and stroke puts stress on your muscles, ligaments, and joints,...

You know that pain indicates a problem, but how do you know when it’s serious enough to warrant a visit to the doctor? At Neil Ghodadra, MD, we hear about this dilemma a lot. At-home care is often sufficient for minor bumps and bruises, but certain types of pain need...

Tearing an ACL — which stands for anterior cruciate ligament — is a common injury. Trips and falls, auto accidents, improper lifting techniques, and even playing with your kids or dogs can rip your ACL, which is one of the stabilizing ligaments in your knee. We see a lot of...