Fellowship-trained in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery
I treat back and neck problems across the Inland Empire — from pinched nerves and sciatica to scoliosis and revision surgery. My job is to figure out what's actually wrong, walk you through your options, and help you get back to your life with the least intervention that works.
Most back and neck problems get better without an operation. So when you come see me, we start with the things that carry the least risk: physical therapy, targeted injections, changes to how you move and work — and give them a real chance to help.
If it turns out you do need surgery, you'll know exactly why, and I'll use the least invasive approach that solves the problem. I trained at one of the highest-volume spine programs in the country, and I bring that same standard to every case here in the Inland Empire.
You know your life better than I do. I'll lay out the options honestly — what each one involves and what it won't fix — and we'll choose based on what matters to you.
I'll show you your imaging, point to what's going on, and explain it without the jargon. When you leave, you should actually understand what's happening in your spine.
The spine often settles down with time and the right non-surgical care. I keep surgery in reserve for when those options have genuinely run their course.
As an active researcher and peer reviewer for The Spine Journal and JBJS, my recommendations reflect the current best evidence in spine care.
These are the problems I see most often across the neck and back. If you're not sure what's causing your pain, that's exactly what a visit is for.
The everyday wear-and-tear problems of the spine — disc degeneration, arthritis, and the pain and stiffness that come with them.
Narrowing of the spinal canal that pinches the nerves, often causing leg pain, numbness, or cramping that worsens with walking or standing.
When one vertebra slips forward on another, causing back pain and nerve symptoms. Both the degenerative and isthmic types.
Nerve and spinal cord compression — from a pinched nerve causing arm or leg symptoms, to cord compression affecting balance and coordination.
Curvature and imbalance of the spine in adults and adolescents — a particular area of my subspecialty training.
Vertebral fractures from osteoporosis, injury, or high-energy trauma, evaluated and treated with the full range of modern options.
When surgery is the right answer, these are the approaches I bring to it — chosen to solve the problem with the least disruption possible.
Muscle-sparing techniques through small incisions, using tubular retractors and advanced imaging to reduce pain, blood loss, and recovery time.
Among the least invasive options available — treating disc and nerve problems through an incision smaller than a fingertip, often as an outpatient.
Real-time 3D navigation guides every screw and implant with sub-millimeter accuracy — the same technology used at the highest-volume spine centers, for safer, more precise results.
Three-dimensional correction of scoliosis and spinal imbalance, restoring alignment and posture — among the most complex work in spine surgery.
When a previous surgery hasn't worked, I reassess from first principles — hardware failure, adjacent segment problems, pseudarthrosis, and failed back surgery.
Where appropriate, disc replacement and motion-sparing procedures that relieve symptoms while preserving the spine's natural movement.
I'm a fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeon, and I see patients across Rancho Cucamonga, Chino Hills, Riverside, and Redlands.
I did my spine fellowship at Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis — one of the busiest spine programs in the country. That's where I trained on the hardest deformity reconstructions alongside the newest minimally invasive techniques, so I'm comfortable across the full range of what a spine can need.
Before that, I studied neuroscience at UCLA and earned my MD at Drexel. I still keep a hand in research — spinal implants, surgical navigation, disc replacement, and biomechanics — and I review papers for two of the field's major journals. It keeps my practice grounded in what the evidence actually shows.
I also teach — I'm on faculty at California University of Science and Medicine, and mentoring the next group of physicians is one of the parts of this work I enjoy most.
Here are some of the problems I treat most often. Tap any one to read about what causes it, what it feels like, and how it's usually treated — surgery included, but rarely first.
A common cause of low back pain and sciatica — when disc material presses on a spinal nerve.
Learn more ↓Narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses nerves, causing pain, cramping, or weakness — often with walking.
Learn more ↓A vertebra slips forward over the one below it, causing back pain and sometimes leg symptoms.
Learn more ↓Scoliosis and kyphosis in adulthood causing pain, imbalance, or difficulty standing upright.
Learn more ↓Neck pain and arm symptoms from disc degeneration or herniation in the cervical spine.
Learn more ↓Spine care across Rancho Cucamonga, Chino Hills, Riverside, and Redlands — serving the greater Inland Empire.
Schedule online in a couple of minutes, or call the clinic that's most convenient for you.
I keep an active research agenda — spinal implants, surgical navigation, motion-preserving procedures, and outcomes. I also review manuscripts for two of the field's leading journals.
It's not academic for its own sake — staying close to the research is how I make sure what I offer you reflects what actually works.
Second opinion, non-surgical care, or a surgical evaluation — whatever brought you here, I'm glad to take a look and help you figure out the right next step.