Locations
Golden State MD Health & Wellness
San Francisco, CA
About
Bio
Ahimsa Porter Sumchai MD, NSCA-CPT is celebrating 11 years in practice offering medical, fitness, nutrition and Telehealth services in San Francisco and California 7 days a week.
UCSF and Stanford Fellowship trained in surgery and emergency medicine, Dr. Sumchai became a diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine in 1992, and established a sports medicine practice in San Francisco at Back To Sports on West Portal Avenue in 2006 after serving for ten seasons as an emergency physician for the San Francisco Giants MLB at Candlestick Park Stadium. Published in international peer review journals in the topic areas of spine trauma and helicopter transport, environmental health and the exercise prescription, Dr. Sumchai is author of The 21st Century Upright Woman.
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.
Sports Medicine
Emergency Medicine
Environmental Health
Holistic Medicine
Integrative Medicine
Licenses
United States: California
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
83 Answers
9 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Paternal history key: I have evaluated hundreds of patients with deficits in focus and attention. Anxiety is the most common cause of distractibility. Do your father or br... Read More
863 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Carbs as energy: Let me begin by congratulating you! A postprandial blood sugar of 100 mg/dl range is something to brag about. Obviously you are doing something right ... Read More
793 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Neurapraxia: This question should be directed to your operating surgeon if symptoms emerged immediately postop. It would be helpful to know the pathology of the tu... Read More
884 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Zoloft & Vertigo: The SSRI Zoloft is most certainly linked to side effects including dizziness and vertigo according to on line patient reviews and adverse effects note... Read More
860 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Anxiety : Anxiety and fluid retention are not related entities. Many women report fluid retention as a PMS symptom along with mood disturbances and anxiety. OTC... Read More
888 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
VitB12 Neuropathy: Peripheral neuropathy associated with Vitamin B12 deficiency was first described in 1958. The distribution of the nerves involved in your symptoms cor... Read More
855 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Lymphadenopathy: Swollen lymph nodes or lymphadenopathy is often a benign transient condition caused by reactions to acute and chronic infections. This reactive lympha... Read More
860 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Neuralgia: This is an intriguing question I do not have enough information to answer but I can say the symptoms are arising in the ophthalmic division of the fif... Read More
890 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Lumbar Disc Disease: Common things occur commonly and low back pain with neuropathic symptoms in a 24 year old female are statistically more likely to be the result of L5 ... Read More
855 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Eye Rinse: Rinse your eyes with a balanced salt solution or warm tap water.The eyelids, conjunctiva and cornea form protective layers and a first line defense to... Read More
844 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Patella Dislocation: The patella dislocates laterally towards the outside of the knee in people with malalignments of the patella and patella tendon. Kicking, explosive an... Read More
884 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Resolving URI: Probably not if your symptoms are resolving and due to an uncomplicated URI or a bronchitis triggered by environmental allergen exposures or air pollu... Read More
844 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Pelvic Compression: When you understand the neuroanatomy of the pelvis and the role compressive loads play in triggering low back, pelvic and sciatic pain, it becomes cle... Read More
793 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Increased Metabolism: Yes! Your resting metabolic rate is higher when you have a greater percentage of your weight contributed to by increased lean body mass. That includes... Read More
844 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Lymphadenopathy: The lymph nodes in the anterior cervical chain can enlarge and become tender in reaction to infections of the head and neck that drain into their dist... Read More
855 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Is this ADD?: I agree with the need for MD evaluation if symptoms interfere with your school performance. ADD and specific learning disabilities can present with sy... Read More
855 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Atopic Dermatitis: Eczema is a common skin disorder that may not require a dermatologist to diagnose. It recurs characteristically on the neck and flexor creases of the ... Read More
856 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Chronic Pain: It can be difficult to treat chronic pain arising from two locations. A partial tear of the medial meniscus in the knee is most often treated conserva... Read More
804 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Exercise Tachycardia: I question the accuracy of a HR monitor that registers a maximum HR in the 220bpm range for a human subject!Infants do not achieve this heart rate wit... Read More
848 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 63-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Common Complaint!: A 2004 study in Manual Therapy reveals up to 61% of chiropractic patients report mild side effects including dizziness or vertigo for up to 24 hours f... Read More
863 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Myofascial pain: Myofascial pain syndromes arise from chronic inflammation of the fibrous sheaths that attach broad muscle groups to other muscles and bone. They inclu... Read More
895 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Resting Heart Rate: As a sports medicine physician and NSCA certified trainer who works with athletes my impressions are that your heart rate variance is not at all abno... Read More
849 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Cauda Equina Syndrom: It would be most helpful to know your age and the nature of the back injury. Do you have neuropathic symptoms radiating into your legs or in a saddle ... Read More
849 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Epicondylitis: Occupational repetitive strain induced inflammation of the lateral and medial epicondyles of the humerus at the site of wrist extensor and flexor inse... Read More
889 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Hiatal hernia?: These are very unusual symptoms for a 25 year old female and I urge you to undergo a medical evaluation. If you are morbidly obese, increased pressure... Read More
890 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Prehypertension: A single blood pressure reading above 120/70 mmHg may not be significant in an active teen depending on the circumstances in which it was tested. Elev... Read More
855 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Internal Derangement: I urge you to seek UC evaluation as this may be a patella fracture or an internal derangement inside the knee joint mechanically restricting the norma... Read More
803 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Gallbladder/Pancreas: This may be atypical pain from your gallbladder or pancreas? Are you overweight or obese. You are very young for these symptoms. Alternately they may ... Read More
804 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Strength training: Strength training using the hypertrophy formula or 80% maximum strength capacity for select multi joint exercises is the natural way to increase lean ... Read More
856 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Protein & Nutrients!: American seniors are the population at greatest risk for protein calorie malnutrition and those with diabetes must avoid high glycemic processed foods... Read More
849 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Conjunctivitis: People with atopy and sensitivity to environmental allergens present with a profile of symptoms when exposed to triggering events that include transie... Read More
814 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 98-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Scoliosis: The most common cause of asymmetry of the thoracic cavity and rib cage I see daily in my practice is a malalignment of the spine due to scoliosis or k... Read More
814 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Humeral Cysts: Cystic changes are seen in the head of the humerus on MRI scan of the mature shoulder in the bone marrow of the greater tuberosity where the rotator c... Read More
814 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Mixed Pain Syndrome: You have two separate and very distinct causes of chronic severe disabling pain. Complex regional pain syndrome neuropathic pain Your frozen shoulder... Read More
890 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Lumbar pain: I can tell by your list of ankle injuries you may be active or athletic. The sensation of tightness in your lumbar region would best respond to stretc... Read More
889 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Six weeks & RICE: An ankle sprain is a serious musculoskeletal injury that accounts for 1 of 10 ER visits in the US and cause pain, swelling and bruising on the outsid... Read More
896 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Consult Orthopedist: I would give your orthopedist an immediate call for bloody drainage in an amount significant enough to soak through gauze and a plaster splint. I also... Read More
861 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Coccyx Fracture: An abrupt vertical deceleration injury to the butt can result in a coccyx fracture that would not show up on X-ray unless the bone fragments displace... Read More
890 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Thumb Pain: Common things occur commonly and in a young adult with pain in the thumb of the dominant hand and no history of fall or acute injury to the hand, you ... Read More
848 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Achilles Rupture: Please seek ER or urgent care evaluation now. You are describing a rupture of the Achilles' tendon that will likely require surgical reattachment. In ... Read More
854 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Repetitive Strain: Walking, hiking or running long distances produces symptoms of repetitive strain or cumulative trauma in toes similar to keyboard operators rapid sequ... Read More
814 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Fasciotimy: I responded to your question about exercise induced compartment syndrome and facial hernias due to increased compartmental pressures in athletes like ... Read More
895 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
High fiber CHO: As a certified sports nutritionist I urge you to focus on overall caloric restriction as opposed to restriction of important macro and micro nutrients... Read More
890 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Typical Aura : A specific migraine syndrome called Typical Aura Without Headache has been described in which an aura- most often visual- emerges not followed by head... Read More
856 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Wrist Pain: You may not be able to tell the difference between a wrist sprain or fracture in the immediate aftermath of a FOSH-fall on outstretched hand injury wi... Read More
848 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Sleep Study Needed: Obstructive sleep apnea, major depression with vegetative symptoms, hypothyroidism and low testosterone are all in the differential diagnosis of hyper... Read More
856 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Status Asthmaticus: You were treated with a common bronchodilator for bronchospasm, cough and wheezing secondary to asthma or asthmatic bronchitis. Lack of oxygen can hav... Read More
848 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Energy Balance: It would be most helpful to know what your current body weight is and it's relationship to your height. This is called BMI. What is most helpful is yo... Read More
849 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
DJD: By age 50 virtually everyone has signs of degeneration in the anterior compartment of the knee- the patella and tendon,,bursa and ligaments. The impor... Read More
847 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ahimsa porter Sumchai mdanswered
Specializes in Sports Medicine
Over age 50-never!: The posterior tibial tendon supports the arch of the foot at the medial ankle. Athletes report pain and collapse of the arch with progressive flat foo... Read More
895 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
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.
1
Recommendations
55
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Nov 15, 2021
Dr.Sumchai saved my life after I sustained a head injury and identity theft during the COVID 19 shutdown in 2020.
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! I am sure that there are more up-to-date clinical type info out there than one study 12 years ago. Thanks for the research on this anyway.
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! Thank you, I will certainly take your advise. I greatly appreciate it. Very helpful.
HealthTap member
Your answer was very helpful, thanks! Loved your view on fasting-induced stress. 12-hr fasts are best.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
UC San Francisco School of Medicine, CA
Graduated 1981MD
Residency
university of California San Francisco
Completed 1984
Awards
UCSF Medical Alumni Association Alumni of the Year Award
2021
Presidential Who's Who Among Business and Professional Achievers as a VIP for 2008-2009.
San Francisco Public High Schools Reunion Medical Achievement Award
2019
Publications
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
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