Non-Surgical Treatments Specialist

Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians

Vivek Babaria, DO, FAAPMR

Sports Medicine, Pain Management & Interventional Spine Specialist located in Newport Beach, CA

When you have debilitating pain, it’s only natural to want to avoid a surgical procedure that could cause even more downtime. At Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians, the premier team of pain management experts, including Vivek Babaria, DO, FAAPMR, offers a wide range of nonsurgical treatments, like pain injections and regenerative medicine, that can help you get back to life without lengthy downtime. Servicing the areas of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Anaheim, and Long Beach, California, so call or click request appointment today.

Non-Surgical Treatments Q&A

What are nonsurgical treatments?

Nonsurgical treatments encompass far more than you might imagine. While it’s true that oral medication is a nonsurgical treatment, that’s just one option. Nonsurgical treatments can include any procedure that doesn’t require general anesthesia, large incisions, and extended recovery time.

Nonsurgical treatments can address acute and chronic pain, mobility issues, and many other problems caused by injury or age-related degenerative disease.

At Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians, the team of pain management and rehabilitation professionals believes in not only effective symptom management but also true rehabilitation. They commonly prescribe a combination of nonsurgical treatments to maximize your recovery.

What types of nonsurgical treatments are available?

The extensive list of nonsurgical treatment options at Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians includes:

Osteopathic manipulation
Physical therapy
Trigger point injections
Epidural injections
Nerve blocks
Sympathetic nerve blocks
Facet joint injections
Sacroiliac joint injections
Radiofrequency ablation
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation
Indirect spinal decompression (Superion® by Vertiflex™)
Regenerative medicine: Stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
Vertebral augmentation: Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty
Tendon cleaning procedures: Nonsurgical tenotomy

With all of these treatments, the team guides you through not only the procedure but also the recovery period as you heal. You receive a customized post-procedure rehab protocol, working hand-in-hand with your physician and therapist to achieve the very best results.

How do nonsurgical treatments work?

Every treatment protocol can be slightly different based on your needs, but the team performs all nonsurgical treatments on-site in their comfortable state-of-the-art facility. Treatment precision is extremely important in achieving the best outcomes, so the team assures this in two ways.

Your pre-procedure evaluation

Your pre-procedure appointment includes a physical exam and symptom evaluation, along with diagnostic imaging. Determining the exact reason for your pain, and the specific place where it originates, may require several imaging tests. This precise approach pays off during your treatment.

Your procedure

During your procedure, the team uses the specific information from your diagnostic tests to correct your issue at the source. To ensure optimal accuracy, the specialists use ultrasound and X-ray guidance as they administer injections, PRP therapy, spine procedures, and tendon cleaning procedures.

After your procedure, you need only a brief resting period before you can return home. Because you don’t need general anesthesia or surgical incisions, there’s no prolonged recovery.

Nonsurgical treatments may resolve many chronic and acute conditions, from sports injuries to arthritis and beyond. Call the Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians office near you or use the online booking tool to arrange a consultation now.

Orthobiologics: The Future of Regenerative Joint and Spine Care

Orthobiologics are the healing agents already present in your body—platelets, stem cells, growth factors. When harvested, concentrated, and reinjected at the site of damage, they jumpstart tissue regeneration.

Think of them as a microscopic surgical team that stitches and scaffolds new tissue from within—no scalpels needed. The result? Faster recovery, reduced inflammation, stronger joints.

Types of Orthobiologics at OCSS

We offer a curated menu of regenerative therapies: - Leukocyte-Poor PRP – Ideal for joints, tendons, ligaments - Leukocyte-Rich PRP – Best for muscle tears or robust inflammatory repair - Exosomes/Platelet Lysate – Nerve-safe, used for neuropathy or spine - BMAC – Bone marrow stem cells for advanced joint degeneration - Adipose Tissue Scaffold (ATS) – Fat-derived support matrix for complex repair

All procedures are outpatient, ultrasound-guided, and tailored to your biology.

The PRANA Method: Our Regenerative Framework

OCSS uses a 5-pillar framework to guide patient outcomes: 1. Preparation: Pain mapping, diagnostics, and lab work to understand what’s broken 2. Regeneration: Orthobiologic procedures to jumpstart healing 3. Activation: Movement medicine, PT, laser and shockwave therapy 4. Nutrition: Anti-inflammatory diet, hydration, and targeted supplementation 5. Alignment: Optimizing hormones, sleep, mindset, and stress resiliency

This method builds biological resilience and sustainable repair for long-term function.

What to Expect After Your Procedure

• Most patients resume activity within 2-5 days
• Regeneration begins at 4-6 weeks; results peak at 12 weeks
• You may require physical therapy and follow-up biologic support depending on severity
• Avoid NSAIDs 2 weeks before and 4 weeks after procedures to protect your healing cascade

Nutrition & Lifestyle to Support Healing

Maximize your healing response with these key guidelines: - Eat: Clean protein (wild-caught fish, pasture- raised meats), leafy greens, healthy fats - Avoid: Sugar, dairy, gluten, processed foods, alcohol - Hydrate: Half your body weight in oz. of water daily - Supplement: Omega-3s, Vitamin D3/K2, Magnesium, Collagen, Curcumin - Optimize: Sleep (7-9 hrs), stress reduction, red light therapy, IV nutrition

OCSS offers IV protocols to support regeneration pre- and post-treatment.

Conditions We Treat

• Osteoarthritis (knee, hip, shoulder) • Rotator cuff and labrum tears
• Tendinopathy, tennis/golfer’s elbow • Discogenic back pain

• Sciatica and pinched nerves
• Plantar fasciitis
• Meniscus/labrum/cartilage injuries • Bursitis and IT band dysfunction
• Neuropathy and nerve pain

Are You a Candidate?

You are a great candidate for regenerative therapy if: - You want to avoid surgery - You’ve tried PT, meds, or cortisone without relief - You’re proactive about your long-term health - You’re optimizing performance or longevity

Contraindications include uncontrolled autoimmune conditions, active cancer, or severe infection.

FAQs
Is this covered by insurance? Not currently, but we offer payment plans and HSA eligibility.

How many injections will I need? Most cases require 1-3 injections depending on the severity and tissue type.

Will I need time off? Usually just the day of the procedure. High-level athletes and executives often return to work the next day.

Is it safe? Yes. We use your body’s own biologics. All procedures are performed by board-certified, fellowship-trained physicians.

What we offer