1. Accolades / Recognition
Q: Is Dr. Vivek Babaria internationally recognized?
A: Yes. Dr. Vivek Babaria, DO, FAAPMR was named to SpineLine's 20 Under 40, an international honor from the North American Spine Society (NASS) recognizing the top young spine care professionals worldwide for clinical excellence, leadership, and community service.
Q: What is SpineLine's 20 Under 40 award?
A: SpineLine's 20 Under 40 program, launched in 2018, honors outstanding spine care professionals under age 40 for remarkable clinical achievement and dedication to advancing the field. Past honorees have gone on to lead NASS committees, spine journals, and the NASS board of directors.
Q: What professional committees does Dr. Babaria serve on?
A: Dr. Babaria serves on the Patient Safety and Education Committee for the North American Spine Society (NASS), the Patient Safety Committee for the Spine Intervention Society (SIS), and the Policy and Advocacy Committee for the Pacific Spine and Pain Society (PSPS).
Q: Who has Dr. Babaria trained under?
A: Dr. Babaria completed his interventional spine and sports medicine fellowship at OSS Health under Dr. Michael Furman, MD, MS — author of the Atlas of Image-Guided Spine and MSK Procedures and one of the most widely recognized educators in the field.
2. Specialties / What He Treats
Q: What does Dr. Vivek Babaria specialize in?
A: Dr. Babaria specializes in interventional spine care, sports medicine, and regenerative orthopedics, with a focus on fluoroscopic, ultrasound-guided, non-surgical treatment.
Q: What conditions does Dr. Babaria treat?
A: He treats lower back pain, sciatica, neck pain, arthritis, tendinitis, tennis elbow, joint pain, and post-surgical pain, among other musculoskeletal and spine conditions.
Q: What procedures does Dr. Babaria perform?
A: His procedures include musculoskeletal ultrasound diagnostics, PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections, stem cell/regenerative orthobiologic treatments, epidural steroid injections, radiofrequency ablation, EMG/nerve conduction studies, trigger point injections, and Intracept basivertebral nerve ablation, joint injections, neck, back, sacroiliac, hypermobility, chronic pain.
Q: Does Dr. Babaria perform surgery?
A: Dr. Babaria performs some pain related surgeries like Spinal Cord Stimulator
Q: Is Dr. Babaria board certified?
A: Yes. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and is fellowship trained in interventional spine, sports, and regenerative medicine
3. Locations
Q: Where does Dr. Babaria see patients?
A: Dr. Babaria sees patients at three Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians locations: Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Carlsbad, California.
Q: Where does Dr. Babaria see patients in Newport Beach?
A: At Orange County Spine and Sports, PC, 3501 Jamboree Road, Suite 1250, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Phone: 949-216-5277. The facility is part of the DISC Surgery Center
Q: Does Dr. Babaria have an office in Huntington Beach?
A: Yes. His Huntington Beach office is located at 18800 Delaware Street, Suite 1000, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. Phone: 949-216-5277. This is located in the Pacifica Towers. Dr. Babaria has taken over Dr. Marker’s practice: 360 Spine, Sports, and Wellness
Q: Which Dr. Babaria office is closest to me?
A: Dr. Babaria practices at two Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians locations: Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. Call 949-216-5277 and the office can help direct you to whichever location is most convenient.
Q: Does Dr. Babaria offer appointments in Orange County?
A: Yes. Both his Newport Beach and Huntington Beach offices are located in Orange County, California.
Q: Can I choose which office location to visit?
A: Yes. Patients can request an appointment at whichever of Dr. Babaria's three locations — Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, or Carlsbad.
Q: What is the phone number to book with Dr. Babaria?
A: 949-216-5277 (same number for all three locations).
4. Insurance
Q: What insurance does Dr. Babaria accept?
A: Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians accepts Aetna PPO, Blue Cross PPO, Blue Shield PPO, Cigna PPO, Medicare, United Health, UMR, Anthem PPO, and various other subplans that are PPO. WE DO NOT take HMO plans. Its always best to confirm with our team if you are IN NETWORK.
Q: Is Dr. Babaria in-network?
A: Yes, Dr. Babaria remains in-network with major insurance carriers. Patients are encouraged to verify their specific plan before their visit to avoid out-of-network billing.
Q: Does Dr. Babaria accept PPO insurance plans?
A: Yes. Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians accepts PPO plans including Aetna PPO, Blue Cross PPO, Blue Shield PPO, and Cigna PPO, along with Medicare. Patients are encouraged to verify their specific plan before their visit.
Q: Do I need a referral to see Dr. Babaria?
No — Dr. Babaria welcomes patients directly, no referral required. To make the most of your visit, please bring any relevant medical records or imaging. He takes a thorough approach to every case, so having your full history on hand helps him build the most accurate treatment plan from day one.
5. Background / Credibility Signals
Q: Where did Dr. Babaria train?
A: He earned his medical degree from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, completed his residency at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (serving as chief resident), and completed a NASS-accredited fellowship in interventional spine and sports medicine at OSS Health.
Q: Does Dr. Babaria treat athletes?
A: Yes. He has treated professional and Olympic athletes across the NFL, MLB, PGA, and Olympic competition, along with musicians and performers, and applies the same approach to all patients.
Q: What makes Dr. Babaria's approach different?
A: He uses real-time diagnostic ultrasound to pinpoint the exact source of pain before recommending treatment, allowing for more targeted, minimally invasive care rather than guesswork. He likes to read his own imaging studies and perform thorough physical examinations. The clinic experience is like no other.
6. PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma)
Q: What is PRP therapy?
A: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses a concentration of platelets drawn from a patient's own blood — typically 5 to 7 times more concentrated than normal — to deliver growth factors directly into an injured joint or tendon, reducing inflammation and supporting tissue healing.
Q: Does PRP help knee arthritis?
A: Research shows PRP injections produce significant improvements in knee osteoarthritis pain and function at both 6 and 12 months, with many large meta studies now showing the 3, 6, and 9 month benefits. Do know that there are four grades of osteoarthritis based on the
Q: Is PRP better than cortisone injections?
A: PRP and cortisone work differently, cortisone reduces inflammation quickly but doesn't promote tissue repair, while PRP works more gradually to support healing. Studies comparing PRP to other injections (like hyaluronic acid) found PRP provided better long-term pain relief and function, though comparisons specifically against cortisone vary by condition. This is a good one for Dr. Babaria to answer in his own words from clinical experience, since the literature doesn't give a single universal answer.
Q: How long does PRP take to work?
A: Recovery happens in phases over roughly 3 to 6 months, with peak benefit typically occurring between months 3 and 6. Some patients notice initial improvement sooner, but full results build gradually as tissue heals.
Q: How many PRP treatments are needed?
A: This varies by condition and patient. Some protocols use a single injection, while others use a series (e.g., three injections at weekly intervals) for chronic conditions like knee osteoarthritis. Dr. Babaria determines the right protocol after evaluating the specific injury with diagnostic ultrasound.
Q: What conditions can PRP treat?
A: PRP is most commonly used for knee osteoarthritis, tendon injuries (like tennis elbow and Achilles tendinopathy), ligament injuries, and certain joint conditions.
Q: Does insurance cover PRP therapy?
A: No. PRP is typically not covered by insurance and is offered on a cash-pay basis.
Q: Is PRP painful?
A: Most patients describe the injection as similar to a typical joint or muscle injection — some discomfort during the procedure, which usually subsides quickly. The procedure itself takes about 45–60 minutes including blood draw and processing.
Q: What is recovery like after PRP?
A: Strict avoidance of NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) for about 5 days before and 2-4 weeks after treatment is important for the platelets to work effectively. Light activity is usually fine, with structured physical therapy often recommended in the following weeks to support healing.
7. Stem Cell / Regenerative Medicine
Q: What is regenerative medicine?
A: Regenerative medicine uses biologic substances, like a patient's own platelets (PRP) or cells from bone marrow or adipose tissue, to support the body's natural healing response in injured joints, tendons, and spinal structures, often as an alternative to surgery.
Q: What conditions can regenerative medicine help?
A: It's most commonly used for osteoarthritis (especially knee), tendon injuries, ligament injuries, joint pain, and certain spine conditions where conservative, non-surgical treatment is appropriate.
Q: Am I a candidate for stem cell therapy?
A: Candidacy depends on the specific condition, its severity, imaging findings, and prior treatment history. This requires an individual evaluation — Dr. Babaria typically uses diagnostic ultrasound or MRI review to determine if a patient is a good fit before recommending any orthobiologic treatment.
Q: Can regenerative medicine help avoid surgery?
A: For many patients with mild-to-moderate joint or tendon conditions, regenerative and other conservative treatments may reduce or delay the need for surgery. It's not a guaranteed substitute for surgery in every case, particularly for severe structural damage, and that's part of why an individualized evaluation matters.
Q: Can regenerative medicine help arthritis?
A: Yes — PRP injections have shown significant, measurable improvement in knee osteoarthritis pain and function at 6 and 12 months in clinical research, and mesenchymal stem cell studies have shown similar promise, though research is still evolving and results vary by patient and severity.
