Blog Archive
Have you been thinking about a tummy tuck? This procedure is one that people undergo for many reasons, including post-pregnancy body changes, significant weight loss, or simply for a more contoured abdomen. If you’re on the fence because of questions about what comes after the surgery, you’re in the right...
Discovering your child has scoliosis, a condition characterized by a sideways curvature of the spine, can be a source of concern and many questions. The degree of curvature can vary widely from quite mild, hardly noticeable cases to more severe forms that cause significant symptoms and disrupt daily life. At...
If you’re having trouble using your shoulder, it could be caused by a tear in your labrum, the cushiony tissue that helps keep your upper arm bone in place inside the shoulder joint and allows your shoulder to move freely. You can experience a torn labrum for different reasons. You...
From the team at OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare in Southern California, Happy New Year! The start of a new year is a great time to turn your resolutions into reality, and if you’ve promised yourself that this year will be the one where you shed those extra pounds, the Obalon® Balloon...
The thyroid gland may be small, but this tiny wonder plays a big role in regulating many of your body functions. If something goes wrong with your thyroid, it could have major health implications. Because your thyroid gland influences so many things, it can be tricky to know when an...
Are you one of the 54 million Americans struggling with the persistent pain of arthritis? Are you hoping to ease this discomfort at home, without the need for invasive procedures or surgery? The board-certified orthopedic providers at OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare in Encinitas, San Diego, and Temecula, California, not only understand...
Shoulder discomfort is not an uncommon concern. Many individuals face this issue, and persistent shoulder pain can be a sign of an injury to your rotator cuff. At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare with offices in Encinitas, San Diego, and Temecula, California, our board-certified orthopedic providers are well-acquainted with shoulder issues, and...
At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare with offices in Encinitas, San Diego, and Temecula, California, our orthopedic specialists are committed to educating our patients about the complexities of the human body. One of the crucial yet often overlooked components is the meniscus. It's a term you might have heard, especially in connection...
Chronic pain affects the quality of life for more than 20% of American adults. If you’re suffering from chronic pain, you know how everything becomes a challenge—from carrying out your daily activities to getting enough rest at night. At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare, our providers offer chronic pain management treatments for patients suffering from chronic pain...
Having a child is an amazing experience that you wouldn’t trade for anything, but the toll pregnancy and childbirth can take on your body can be frustrating. Luckily, now you can get back to your pre-pregnancy body with a mommy makeover. Experienced plastic surgeon James J. Chao, MD at OasisMD...
If you suffer from joint pain, you may wonder what options are available to treat this condition. Many orthopedic surgeons perform arthroscopy, a type of minimally invasive surgery, to diagnose and treat problematic joint conditions. This procedure involves using a special instrument called an arthroscope, a long, pencil-like tube with a...
Summer is around the corner, and if you’re trying to get a beach-ready body, you might wonder if the Obalon® Balloon System can help. This nonsurgical treatment uses gastric balloons to help you retrain your body and brain to eat less and reach your weight-loss goals. James J. Chao, MD, FACS, and our...
It isn’t unusual for children to complain about aches and pains—real or imagined. But if your child has come to you complaining about ongoing stiffness, pain, or other persistent aches, it’s time to seek the opinion of a medical expert. The orthopedic specialists at OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare, in Encinitas, San...
Arthroscopy is a type of minimally invasive surgery that orthopedic surgeons use to diagnose and repair joints. Your provider uses a special instrument, called an arthroscope—a pencil-like tube with a light and camera at the end—to view and treat the structures of your damaged joint. At OasisMD, in Encinitas, San...
If you suffer from arthritis, you aren’t alone. Nearly 60 million US adults suffer from arthritis, and one in four of these adults with arthritis experience severe joint pain. If you want relief that doesn’t involve invasive surgery or pain medications, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy may be for you. At...
Happy New Year from the team at OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare! If you’re struggling with your weight, like nearly three-quarters of Americans, this new year could be the year you reclaim your health and shed those excess pounds. Board-certified plastic surgeon James J. Chao, MD, FACS, and our compassionate team help men and women in...
With the astounding ability to grow and bring new life into the world, the female body is an amazing thing. And though we know you wouldn’t trade your baby or the experience of pregnancy for anything, chances are you wouldn’t mind erasing the toll these take on your body. At...
Your hands and wrists are complex body parts that help you grip, push, pull, lift, drive, cook, and perform countless other tasks. You use your hands so often and for so many things, chances are you don’t really think about them—until you experience a problem. Hand surgery experts David Chao, MD,...
When you’re an athlete, you take a hit with every missed game or practice. It’s no wonder athletes feel incredible pressure to get back in the game as soon as possible after an injury. But returning to practice or events too soon can spell trouble for your long-term performance. At OasisMD...
Pain medications play an important role as you recover after experiencing or going through treatment for an injury or disease. But if you have chronic pain, you may want to avoid taking pain medications for the long term because of the side effects they cause. The providers at OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare with offices in...
Did you know ankle injuries are one of the most common reasons people visit emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and orthopedists? Unfortunately, children and teens aren’t immune to this prevalent injury. When your child injures their ankle, it’s important to seek treatment from a provider who understands children’s growing bones and joints....
If you’ve injured your meniscus, the rubbery disc that cushions your knee, you aren’t alone. Meniscal injuries are the most common type of knee injury for both athletes and non-athletes. At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare with offices in San Diego, Encinitas, and Temecula, California, board-certified surgeons David Chao, MD, and Matthew Gargulinski, DO, diagnose and treat many...
Did you know that about 20 million Americans have a thyroid problem—with women suffering five to eight times more frequently than men? This important gland helps your body work correctly, coordinating important cell functions, including metabolism, growth, breathing, and heart rate. At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare, board-certified physician Steven Chen, MD, specializes in diagnosing and treating...
Are you one of the 5 million Americans who undergo knee replacement surgery every year? It's important to know that enjoying a successful outcome starts during your recovery. Exercise after your surgery helps improve your range of motion and strength. But it’s critical to understand which exercises are good for...
Shoulder dislocations are one of the least common shoulder injuries, affecting fewer than .05% of Americans each year. This injury is far more common, however, in college and high school athletes and people who engage in high-contact sports. Dislocated shoulders are generally easy to diagnose as the joint is visibly out of place or...
Your ankles are amazing joints that help you run, walk, stand, jump, and move with ease. Unfortunately, ankle injuries are all too common and can keep you on the sidelines for weeks and even months. Board-certified surgeons and sports medicine specialists, David Chao, MD, and Matthew Gargulinski, DO, at OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare in San...
You rely on your knees every day to help you walk, sit, stand, and carry out your daily responsibilities. When something happens to this complex joint, it can make your life miserable and cause difficulty carrying out even the simplest of tasks, like standing from a seated position. At OasisMD...
Baseball players throw hard, so you’re no stranger to sore joints and muscle pain. But playing hard also puts you at risk for tearing your ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), a group of three bands of ligaments that run from one side of your humerus, or upper arm bone, to the...
Congratulations on your pregnancy from the team at OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare! We know you want to do everything in your power to keep your growing baby healthy and have a safe pregnancy. We also know that while most women understand the importance of regular prenatal care, they may not realize...
Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, sports-related pain or injuries can sideline you and keep you on the bench for weeks or months. The good news is personalized sports medicine helps you recover faster so you can get back in the game. At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare in...
Have you been dreaming of a flatter, more toned stomach but haven’t been able to smooth your belly with diet and exercise alone? An abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery, may be the solution you’ve been seeking. Unfortunately, many myths surround this popular cosmetic procedure, causing many people concern. Board-certified surgeon...
If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight isn’t always easy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about half of American adults try to lose weight each year, yet nearly 74% of US adults are still overweight or obese. At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare in San Diego, Encinitas,...
If you’re like most people contemplating plastic surgery for reconstructive or aesthetic purposes, one of the biggest concerns you have is the recovery process. At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare in San Diego, Encinitas, and Temecula, California, we understand. Our expert plastic surgeon, James J. Chao, MD, FASC, has extensive experience in...
Are you struggling with a wrist that’s swollen, stiff, or painful? These signs indicate you may have osteoarthritis of the wrist. Although many people think of arthritis as affecting the hips or knees, the truth is this degenerative condition can affect any joint in your body. Board-certified orthopedic surgeons David...
Every year, more than a half-million Americans tear the meniscus, the tough, C-shaped cartilage that supports your knee joint and keeps your weight evenly distributed. Many thousands more suffer from other painful and debilitating meniscal injuries. At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare, in San Diego, Encinitas, and Temecula, California, our board-certified surgeons...
With over 42% of adults in America obese and many millions more overweight, if you’re battling the bulge, you’re in good company. If you’ve struggled to reach a healthy weight, the caring team at OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare can help. Led by board-certified plastic surgeon James J. Chao, MD, our practice...
There’s no doubt about it — children change your life in many positive ways. But your body? Not so much. If your family is complete and you’re ready to get back your pre-baby body, a mommy makeover can help! At OasisMD Lifestyle Healthcare, board-certified plastic surgeon James J. Chao, MD,...
Regenerative medicine offers a way to use your body’s natural healing properties to repair injuries, restore function, alleviate pain, and promote healing. At OasisMD, our providers use a team approach to regenerative medicine to harness the power of stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). At our offices in San...
Knee pain is never fun, and when it becomes chronic, it can affect your entire life, making it difficult to sleep, walk, and enjoy time with family and friends. If you’re wondering whether a knee replacement can help, you aren’t alone. Over 790,000 Americans decide to replace their aching knees...
If you need to lose weight, but despite your best efforts with different diet and exercise programs, the numbers on the scale aren’t budging, you aren’t alone. Losing weight and keeping it off is a national struggle! In fact, the most recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and...
Whether you’re a sports player, weekend warrior, or you woke up one morning with a sore shoulder, shoulder pain can disrupt your life. What’s more? It’s hard to know when it’s pain from overworked muscles or the sign of something more serious. At OasisMD in San Diego and Encinitas, California,...
The female body is amazing in its ability to grow and care for a new life. And even though we know you wouldn’t trade the experience of pregnancy or having your baby, you might like to erase the changes pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing make on your body. If you’ve had...
If you’re considering joining the nearly 5 million Americans who get a knee replacement each year, you’ll be glad to learn that over 90% of knee placement patients experience a dramatic reduction in pain, and most have significant improvement in their mobility. But the key to a successful outcome begins...
Are you dissatisfied with your belly and wondering if a tummy tuck could help? You aren’t alone! A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is one of the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures in America, with many men and women turning to it to dramatically change the shape of their bellies and...
Have you been thinking about undergoing breast augmentation? You aren’t alone. Over 400,000 women opt to enlarge their breasts every year, making it the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure in America for 13 years running. But just because something is popular doesn’t automatically make it the right choice for you....
Approximately 12% of American women develop breast cancer at some point in their life, and in 2020, experts estimate that over 325,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer. But if you’ve been told you have breast cancer, you may be feeling confused and overwhelmed. At...
You may think of chiropractic care as something that may be helpful after an injury or if you have chronic pain. But did you know that chiropractic care can help improve your overall health wellbeing when used as part of your wellness routine? Although chiropractic care can help you recover...
Are you struggling with an injury or chronic pain, but prefer to avoid surgery or other invasive treatment therapies? Are you tired of taking pills or getting repeat injections to find relief? At OasisMD, with offices in San Diego, Encinitas, and Temecula, California, we understand. Many people deal with pain...
If you’ve considered ways to remove years from your face — or even tried a few different anti-aging therapies — you understand that sometimes noninvasive modalities just aren’t enough. With age comes the loss of collagen and tissue support, leading to significant facial volume loss, jowls, and a drooping neck...
Have you tried diets, pills, fasting, and fads, but still have trouble moving the needle on the scale in the right direction? You aren’t alone. Nearly 40% of Americans are obese, and many millions more are overweight. If you’ve struggled to lose weight, at OasisMD our team of caring providers...
Did you know that your knees are the largest joints in your body? What’s more, they’re also one of the most active. This means every time you walk, stand, jump, pivot, or kick, your knees work hard to get you where you need to be. Unfortunately, this also makes your...
Everyone knows that playing sports is physically, socially, and emotionally good for kids. But did you know that for the 30 million children and teens who play sports, overuse injuries account for nearly 50% of all injuries? And according to recent studies, overuse injuries in kids are on the rise. ...
A number of conditions — from arthritis to injuries — can cause hip dysfunction, which can lead to pain, difficulty moving, and even difficulty sleeping. You may have thought hip replacement was only appropriate for older people, so you might be surprised to hear that some people in their 40s...
You might be looking for the right way for you to flatten and flatter your stomach so that you can have a perfect silhouette. At OasisMD, with three convenient locations in Encinitas, San Diego, and Temecula, California, James J. Chao, MD, and our team of plastic surgeons offer two tried-and-true...
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month for good reason. Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women. It’s estimated that 1 in 8 women will develop this life-threatening disease in their lifetime. Fortunately, advances in early detection rates and cancer treatment techniques make it more possible than ever...
Amazingly, there are over 200 bones and around 200 joints in our body. It is known that issues with these may occur in anyone and at any age. In fact, women suffer the most with bone and joint related problems. The knee joint is most commonly affected followed by the...
Chiropractic treatment is a drug-free non-invasive therapy, which is why it is considered a safe treatment available for conditions such as neck pain, headaches, pain in the joints of the arms and legs, back pain, and neuromusculoskeletal problems. Although more than 35 million people in the United States undergo chiropractic...
Plastic surgery is a branch of medicine that specializes in body enhancement through the correction and restoration of form as well as the function of targeted areas. Plastic surgery includes two major sub-specialties called cosmetic plastic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery. Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Cosmetic plastic surgery involves both surgical as well as...
Pregnancy is a wonderful thing in a woman's life but can cause dramatic body changes such as sagging, extra skin and stretch marks. A growing number of women undergo mommy makeovers each year in order to restore their pre-pregnancy body, which involve complementary combinations of plastic surgery procedures. A mommy makeover can...
Mark your calendars for this amazing story of land-mine victim Blessing Makwera from Zimbabwe, Africa as he shares his inspirational tale of receiving his handsome new face on CBS “The Doctors” TV Show on January 7th. The journey started 5 long years ago and now, many surgeries later, thanks to the Operation...
2015 will find us in our new location in San Diego at 8901 Activity Road, where we would like to welcome our patients on January 5th. Our new 30,000 square feet state-of-the-art medical facility will allow us to offer a more diverse menu of services designed to help our patients look...
A recent study being presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Annual Meeting suggests that identification and patient education regarding modifiable risk factors may minimize the chance of a future ACL tear. Re-tearing a repaired knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) happens all too frequently, so it is...
San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation’s signature fundraiser, Taste at the Cove, is a 5-star event featuring food from San Diego’s top-rated restaurants, a New York-style Runway Fashion Show and 2 local honorees, one professional athlete and one in the medical field, as well as live and silent auctions. The 13th...
Sciatica is associated with pain, numbness, and muscle weakness in the hip, buttock, leg, calf, and foot. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest of all the body’s nerves. It runs from the spinal column near the pelvis down each leg and can be as wide as your thumb....
One of the most common causes of pain in the feet – one that affects nearly two million people yearly in the U.S. – is plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament that connects the heel bone (calcaneous) and the toes. This ligament is composed of...
In order to appreciate the benefits of kinesiology tape, it is important to understand how it differs from other types of athletic tape or medical tape. Most of these tapes are fairly thick and non-elastic. This allows them to provide rigid support to an injured area, limiting movement to protect...
While golf is by no means a contact sport, there are still a number of injuries and subluxations that annually befall thousands of amateur duffers and scratch golfers alike. Professionals and serious golf enthusiasts often sustain injuries due to excessive use of particular joints and muscles, while less experienced golfers tend...
The majority of injuries to the elbow are caused by overuse or repetitive strain to the joint itself and to the tendons that surround it. One example of this is “tennis elbow,” or lateral epicondylitis. Its symptoms include a painful burning sensation and tenderness on the outside of the elbow, weakness...
Who hasn’t suffered an ankle sprain? In the most severe cases, sprains can swell and bruise your ankle almost immediately. They are painful and prevent normal walking. Following a sprain, you may need crutches for a time because it is just too painful to bear weight on your ankle. Next time you suffer...
Runners are used to getting injured. Shin splints and other kinds of physical complaints are common, especially runners push themselves too hard during training. Usually with just a few sessions of physical therapy, these injuries get treated at no time at all and the runner can get back to his...
What role can a chiropractor play in prenatal care for expecting moms? The role of a chiropractor in prenatal care is to establish pelvic balance and alignment, not only to reduce the mother/baby discomfort but also to allow the baby to be in the best position for delivery. When the pelvis...
Injuries to the neck caused by a rapid movement of the head backward, forward, or side to side, is referred to as “Whiplash.” Whether the result of a car accident, slip and fall accident, sports injury or work injury, whiplash or other neck injuries need a thorough chiropractic exam. As a...
For Acute and Chronic Pain “Many treatments are available for low back pain. Often exercises and physical therapy can help. Some people benefit from chiropractic therapy or acupuncture.” –Goodman et al. (2013), Journal of the American Medical Association “[Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy] in conjunction with [standard medical care] offers a significant advantage...
If you are the victim of a personal injury, here are a few things you can do to help yourself. First of all, make sure that you seek proper medical attention and follow up with the proper authorities. Also be sure to call your own insurance company. If you believe your injury was caused by...
We’ve all heard the saying “no pain, no gain,” but does it really have to be that way? It’s never wise to ignore injury symptoms or to put chiropractic treatment on the back burner, especially in sports. In baseball, the ability to run, pitch, and swing the bat at peak...
Tennis Elbow is caused by inflammation of the tendons at their attachment sites. Tennis Elbow usually occurs when rigid, underused tendons are suddenly stressed. This can be caused by direct trauma, overuse, improper technique, equipment error, and even problems from repetitive motion. Repetitive motion is the most common cause of...
Scoliosis affects 5 to 7 million people in the United States. More than a half million visits are made to doctors’ offices each year for evaluation and treatment of scoliosis. Although scoliosis can begin at any age, it most often develops in adolescents between the ages of 10 and 15. Girls are...
Injury prevention for any athlete starts with keeping their body healthy and optimized. Our chiropractic care is designed to do just that. Chiropractic care focuses on the health and function of the entire body, with particular emphasis on the skeletal system, muscular system and central nervous system. When the body’s central nervous...
A few seconds of tragic teenage curiosity have brought five years of pain and difficulty to Blessing Makwera of Zimbabwe. Now, hope, in the form of extensive reconstructive surgery, is close at hand. Makwera's path to San Diego started in 2008, when his cousin handed him a small metal device with...