Dr. Douglas Chang
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
San Diego, CA
22 years experience
Locations
Office
San Diego, CA
Phone
University of California, San DIego
San Diego, CA
About
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
202 Answers
11 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 28-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Get an evaluation: I assume the md that measured your hemoglobin is following up - but your symptoms are consistent with low blood counts. The question is why are they l... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Check this out!: http://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorder/treatment/treatment-detail-page.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Ignore: An interesting fact: rehabilitation actually begins best before (and not after) surgery..."prehab".
3.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
So sorry: This is such an emotionally painful process i feel for you! we had great success with this book (for our first baby)... Ok success with it for the sec... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
It can: You can have your doc measure the CPK enzyme levels in your blood before and after... And then
try going off for a few weeks and seeing if it makes a... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Wrap: Ok to get out of the cam boot for sleeping, but should consider wearing it if you have to ambulate over to the bathroom at night.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
So sorry: You can take Motrin up to 2400 mg per 24 hours, as long as your stomach tolerates it. Also try this (but i wouldn't emphasize the bouncing activities ... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
It can: If you engage in extreme exercise activities, yes it can.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 54-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Not directly: C5 nerve causes referred pain to the arm, C6 nerve causes referred pain to the thumb.
People with pinched nerves in the cervical spine will often a... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Hmm: If the pain is within days/weeks of the colostomy then you need to get urgent evaluation by the general surgeon and your primary care provider. If the... Read More
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Not sure: Could be microtrauma/abrasions to the dry vaginal wall - try some lube and see if it helps. Don't think it's related to the periods.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Things to consider: Sometimes sciatica involving the L5 and s1 nerves from the lumbar spine will refer pain to the gluteal muscles, tensor fascia lata/it band muscle. Thi... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
No: I'm not sure if i understand correctly (whether there was a typo) but an L4 lumbar nerve issue should not have any bearing on neck symptoms. To clarif... Read More
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Depends: Immediately and then maybe up to a few days.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Bone spurs: Like the mineral deposits that collect over the decades on our plumbing...
http://www.grhealth.org/neuroscience-center/spine/spine-glossary/content... Read More
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Not really: Here are some details
http://chronicfatigue.About.Com/b/2010/05/22/new-diagnostic-criteria-for-fibromyalgia.Htm.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Hmm.: Hard to say - if this refers to you... 31 is a bit "old" for the syndrome but milder forms are seen in older people... Not sure where/why your jumping... Read More
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Generally not: "muscle relaxants" actually don't act directly on muscle. They are basically sedatives that act on your brain, and come in many different unrelated me... Read More
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
???: Sounds like a non-traditional "fringe" treatment. I could be wrong, but I would be surprised if there is much credible evidence to support its use.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Chronic ankle sprain: http://www.aofas.org/footcaremd/conditions/ailments-of-the-ankle/Pages/Ankle-Instability.aspx
3.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Clavicular pain: could be a separated shoulder
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/separated-shoulder/basics/definition/con-20029283
or sternoclavicular jo... Read More
3.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Hmm..: did you get an MRI of the cervical spine to rule out a cervical radiculopathy, or an MRI of the shoulder to evaluate for shoulder problems? An EMG/NCS... Read More
3.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
no: It has great specificity (when it shows a problem there's really a problem), but poor sensitivity (when the EMG does not show a problem there in fact ... Read More
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 16-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
For starters,an xray: You should get it checked. Here's some good info...
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/knee-pain/medial-knee-pain
3.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
No: I can't see how those symptoms are related to a tailbone trauma.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old male asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
No: Not at all - it has to do with training and fitness level, will power, and to some extent genetics.
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Its complicated: There are pros/cons....
The main con: surgeries do not give you a perfect knee. They buy you some more time, but the knee still will have a limited... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Bmi?: Is this normal growth or accelerated obesity? Check his body mass index, follow it over a few months and see a pediatrician if there is a problem.
... Read More
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
No: It's pretty straightforward, but in my opinion it's an overdiagnosed condition, usually mistaken for actual sciatica.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Not sure: No direct correlation i can think of. Maybe the sinus condition is forcing you to sleep in an awkward position?
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
yes: The neuritis just refers to irritation of the spinal nerves, which can be from herniated disk, bone spur, post operative scar tissue, doctor caused tr... Read More
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Yes!: We never see them in older adults.
Even for full blown herniations, the discs repair...
http://casereports.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bcr-2013-201... Read More
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Check out this paper: This is a great paper - but it might be hard for you to download it
"A training program to improve neuromuscular and performance indices in female hi... Read More
3.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Depends: 1) Some conditions do not seem to respond well to PT.
2) There may not be decent PT resources available.
3) The goal of PT is to teach you how to do... Read More
3.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Maybe: If you're blessed with good genes, yes you can manage a bit with diet alone. But it would be a lot easier to do it with both diet and exercise.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
I don't think so: I can't really see a link.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Some: For joints - glucosamine 1500 mg per day. No other supplements all that helpful compared to our regular diet, potentially hurtful on the pocketbook an... Read More
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Beware: Worst case scenario: epidural abscess. Get evaluated by md!
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 64-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
YES: Use your body as a guide, avoid positions that aggravate pain.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Hope this helps: Exercise:
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise... Read More
3.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Beware: 1) getting pushed and progressed too aggressively
2) getting passive modalities (hooked up to machines) and abandoned while the therapist pays attent... Read More
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Options: Pool, bicycling, some elliptical-treadmill work.
6.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Several days: Depending on the test, 1-14 days usually.
6.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Two main ones: Sciatica (pinched nerve in the spine)
hamstring muscle strain/tear.
6.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
6.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Good: Sciatica: a review of history, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and the role of epidural steroid injection in management
Br. J. Anaesth. (2007) 99 (4): 46... Read More
3.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Cardio: For weight loss you'll need to do something that burns calories. Water aerobics classes are run by the arthritis foundation. Stationary bike, elliptic... Read More
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:

Dr. Douglas Changanswered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
get checked: Not sure but it's not normal and you should get a physical and check some blood work.
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
407
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Chang is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Chang is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I had no idea I could take that much within a day. I'll avoid the boun
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! This was so great to have, I have shared with my aunt as well. Thank U
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thanks for the details and comment vs. chiropractic therapy.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
UC San Diego School of Medicine, CA
Graduated 2000MD
Awards
Top Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist, First Place, California - Summer
2013
Top Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist, First Place, California - Summer
2014
Top Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist, Second Place, California - Fall
2014
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