Neel J. Raval, M.D. is a Sports Medicine physician with Providence Health Services in Los Angeles.

“Having played competitive basketball and soccer, I have an interest in caring for athletes who play a variety of sports and have an appreciation for the demands of higher-level athletics. I enjoy seeing patients of all ages, including adolescents, weekend warriors, individuals engaging in exercise for their health, and those battling with arthritis affecting their daily lives,” he says.

Dr. Raval grew up in Southern California, and attended UCLA for his undergraduate degree. He earned his medical degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, before returning to California to complete his residency in Family Medicine at The Glendale Adventist Medical Center. He went on to complete a fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Anaheim, California.

“I enjoyed my time serving as the assistant team physician for several sports teams including the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Galaxy, and the San Diego Gulls,” he says. “Additionally, I served as the head team physician for Loyola Marymount University as well as several local high schools.”

Dr. Raval has expertise in the conservative, non-surgical management of musculoskeletal conditions, including acute, chronic, or as a result of overuse. He has training using ultrasound both as a diagnostic tool, as well as to perform guided injections into a variety of joints and soft tissues. He has expertise with cortisone injections, viscosupplementation (hyaluronic acid, gel injections) as well as biologic injections, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP). While his goal is to help patients avoid surgery, he has an understanding of surgical indications, which allows him to provide appropriate guidance to all of his patients.

When not with patients, Dr. Raval enjoys playing and watching basketball (he is a die-hard Lakers fan), traveling, trying out the latest restaurants in L.A., hiking, and spending time with his fiancé, brother, parents, and dogs.