I injured my knee playing soccer a little over a year ago. I’m not a frequent soccer player; this was just a friendly pickup game with some buddies. At first, I tried to ignore the pain, thinking it would go away in a few days. Then days turned into weeks, and I convinced myself that the knee just takes longer than normal to heal. Weeks turned to months, but I guess I grew accustomed to the pain. However, the pain has increased to the point where normal activities are either uncomfortable or completely off limits. I can’t go for my morning jogs; I can’t jump during basketball games without wincing in pain, during certain kinds of weather it even hurts to walk. Once I took into account all these changes to my normal activities, I decided it was time to begin shopping for a sports doctor. Here are a few tips I have for anyone else looking for a Los Angeles knee specialist.
1) Find a Specialist: Sure, most doctors are smarter than your average Joe, but when it comes to your joints, look for a doctor that specializes in your specific injury. Internal care physicians won’t be able to give you the specialized care that a Los Angeles shoulder specialist, or knee specialist, would be able to give you. Would you want a doctor who has performed a procedure once or twice operating on you? Or one who does the procedure daily, or, at minimum, weekly?
2) Certification: When you’re wading through a long list of Los Alamitos Sports Doctors, make sure to look at each doctor’s credentials. Don’t only take into account where they graduated from, but also make sure they are board certified and fellowship trained. When it comes to your body, especially tricky areas like joints and tendons, you want the best expert in the field.
3) Referrals: Ask around. A good place to start is with your primary care physician, but if you know any fellow athletes, who have had their injuries successfully treated as well, talk with them about their physician. You may want to ask about the procedure itself and the recovery process to get a better idea of what to expect while you’re at it.
4) Interview Doctors: Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a few qualified Manhattan Beach Shoulder Specialists or knee specialists, schedule a consultation and bring a list of questions. Make sure to brainstorm questions before the evaluation, and ask as many questions as necessary until you feel comfortable with the doctor, the diagnosis, and the proposed treatment. If the doctor you’re meeting with makes you feel rushed or is demeaning in any way, move along to another, more patient physician.


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