An osteoarthritis diagnosis can raise questions about golf, hiking, workouts, travel, and whether joint replacement is inevitable. Your imaging matters, but it is only part of the decision.
Dr. Jonathan Gelber is an orthopedic surgeon who understands surgical, nonsurgical, and regenerative treatment. He can help you understand what is happening in the joint and choose a plan around your symptoms, goals, and activity level.
Osteoarthritis involves changes in the cartilage, bone, and other tissues of a joint. It commonly affects the knee, hip, and shoulder and can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, loss of motion, or difficulty with activity.
People with similar X-rays can have very different symptoms and abilities. That is why the diagnosis should include your history, examination, imaging, and what the joint is preventing you from doing.
Imaging helps show what is going on in the joint. Your goals help define what success would look like for you.
For one patient, success may mean walking comfortably on a trip. For another, it may mean returning to tennis, hiking, golf, or strength training. Dr. Gelber considers both the joint and the activity when discussing treatment.
Explore more specific information about knee pain, hip pain, and shoulder pain.
There is no automatic treatment ladder for osteoarthritis. The right choice depends on the joint, the severity of the problem, your symptoms, prior treatment, and what you want to get back to doing.
Targeted rehabilitation can improve strength, movement, and the capacity your activity requires.
Medication or an injection such as cortisone or Toradol may be considered. For knee arthritis, hyaluronic acid may also be an option.
PRP, BMAC, and MFAT overlap in some uses. None is automatically best for every arthritic joint.
For some patients, surgery offers the more realistic path to pain relief and function. If that is the case, Dr. Gelber will explain why.
Some patients have a reasonable nonsurgical path. Others may be better served by replacement surgery. The answer depends on more than the word “arthritis” on an imaging report.
The goal is to find out which options are realistic for your joint—not to avoid surgery at all costs.
The value is not simply access to an injection or a referral for surgery. It is having an orthopedic surgeon look at the whole picture.
Dr. Gelber combines orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, and regenerative treatment experience. If a nonsurgical approach is reasonable, he can explain why. If rehabilitation or surgery is likely to serve you better, he will tell you that too.
The goal is to help you choose the treatment that gives you the best chance of staying active.
Bring your questions, any available imaging, and the activities you want to preserve or return to. You do not need to choose a treatment before your visit.
LA Ortho & Wellness serves active adults in Toluca Lake, Studio City, Burbank, North Hollywood, and greater Los Angeles.
Dr. Jonathan Gelber of LA Ortho & Wellness provides comprehensive orthopedics, blending functional and integrative medicine for the LA area.
