Physical therapy · Patient experiences
11 five-star reviews for Dr. Sanjay Khurana discuss physical therapy. Patients describe Dr. Khurana as compassionate and knowledgeable. Their stories also speak to compassionate care and helpful staff. Read their words, learn what mattered to them, and bring the questions that matter to you to your next visit.
Read the full patient accounts and original sources below. Review totals reflect the source ratings available here.
A person behind your care
Dr. Sanjay Khurana is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon with more than 20 years of experience and over 7,000 successful surgeries. He specializes in motion-preserving procedures like cervical and lumbar disc replacement, as well as minimally invasive microscopic and endoscopic techniques. Whether he’s treating complex conditions like scoliosis or performing precision-guided reconstructions with robotic navigation, his approach is deeply focused on safety, function, and long-term results.
Dr. Khurana’s expertise has earned him numerous accolades, including recognition by Castle Connolly, Newsweek’s Top Spine Surgeons, and the Hall of Fame Super Doctors, among other regional and local honors. Dr. Khurana completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley, followed by his medical degree and orthopedic surgery residency at Stanford University. He then completed an orthopedic and neurosurgical spine fellowship at the University of Miami.
Patients describe Dr. Khurana as warm, attentive, and exceptionally skilled. He’s known for his clear, thorough consultations and a calm, empathetic presence that helps patients feel supported and confident in their care. He and his team are known for their professionalism and responsiveness, and patients often describe their results as ‘life-changing.’
Outside the OR, Dr. Khurana enjoys family time with his two kids, catching up with friends, and soaking in the best of Southern California.
Bring what matters to you
Looking for the everyday details of rehabilitation? These reviews mention physical therapy and the people or routines involved in the patient’s experience.
In their own words
These are individual experiences. A topic mention does not establish who performed a procedure, medical suitability or a typical result.
This collection shows written reviews rated 4 or 5 stars that mention physical therapy. You can read every rating and written review on the full clinician profile.
11 written reviews
Highest rated first · Newest within each rating
It was a long surgery on fusing L4/L5 and several other corrections. The result was so successful that I was walking the next day. After four months now, I am walking much more than before without any pain. Physical therapy and support team instructions were very helpful. I recommend Dr. Khurana to everyone having lower back pain.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
I visited Dr. Khurana for a 2nd opinion and in the process was won over to a new spine specialist. When my physical therapist recommended Dr. Khurana as someone I should get an opinion from, his was a name I’d heard many times over the years. He had a reputation as one of the top spine surgeons in the country. This was something I’d heard touted numerous times over the years. Selecting a doctor with Dr Khurana’s prominence to render a second opinion on a surgery I was scheduled to undergo was comforting to my unsettled mind. I was seeking confidence that the surgery I was about to undergo was appropriate. Alternatives approaches hadn’t been discussed and in the absence of such, I was left to assume surgery was my only option. I just didn’t know the degree of necessity. Was it absolutely necessary? Unsure as I was, I was racing toward another double ADR surgery. I already had double ADR surgery some years ago. Following through with the surgery as planned would render the majority of my cervical spine artificial. Was this even prudent? How many quadruple ADRs exist in the universe? What are the outcomes? I had questions and needed confirmation from another spine specialist that additional ADR surgery was my best course of action. Dr. Khurana analyzed my cervical imaging and surgical history. He reviewed his interpretations with me and my wife, provided us ample time to ask all the questions that had remained unanswered and in the end, it was Dr. Khurana opinion that I didn’t need surgery. Dr. Khurana explained his diagnosis and other more measured alternatives available to treat my case. My visit to Dr. Khurana was as relieving as it was revealing. I feel very fortunate to have turned to Dr. Khurana for answers. It was, in retrospect, a very good decision. Dr. Khurana may be a highly regarded spine surgeon, but he’s a good doctor because he understands the importance of communication and through it, connects. By comparison, It’s now obvious to me what I was missing in my relationship with my previous spine doctor – a human connection. In better hands, C
Sanjay Khurana, MD
Dr. Khurana saw me and my wife for neck & back issues. He was just wonderful. He spent time with us. He told us both, "Don't let anyone tell you that you need neck surgery." He told me that my pain was coming from L4/L5. He said, "See a pain Doctor, try everything that he or she recommends. Try Physical Therapy. If nothing works, call me back and we'll talk about a minimally invasive surgery to resolve your pain." My wife and I both felt that Dr. Khurana was absolutely the surgeon we would use for any neck or back issues. He is knowledgeable, professional, and has a compassionate personality.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
I give Dr. Khurana a million stars if I could. He is very knowledgeable and compassionate. I thought I hurt my left shoulder somehow and had excruciating nerve pain running down my left arm. It was so bad I wanted to chew it off myself. I went to several doctors that sent me for an MRI of the shoulder and was sent for physical therapy. One finally sent me for an MRI of my neck which showed a degenerative disk that was pressing on a nerve. I wasn't comfortable with that doctor or a fan of spine surgery so I went to a chiropractor for help. After several treatments there was no relief in sight. By some miracle my dermatologist suggested I call Dr. Khurana and get a second opinion. I did and was able to get an appointment the next day! When he saw me almost in tears from the pain and me telling him I had a planned trip to Italy a week later, he immediately told me he would make room for me to have surgery to replace a disk in my neck the very next day. Something about the way he said it and of course researching him the day prior, made me feel at ease. Well, he did the surgery, it took a few days to feel myself again, but only because of the anesthesia. I felt no pain the moment I woke after surgery. The pain was gone! Within one week, I was able to board several flights, pain free and enjoy a well deserved Italian vacation with my family. I wouldn't have been able to do that without the surgery and certainly not without Dr. Khurana's expertise! His staff from the front desk to the surgery center he uses to his after care team is by far the BEST I have ever experienced. Don't hesitate to make an appointment if you have spinal pain. You have a life to live and Dr. Khurana may help you live it pain free! Thank you again doctor for your compassion!
Sanjay Khurana, MD
I had one level herniated disc surgery with Dr Khurana in 2010 and the results were.excellent. In 2023 I developed spinal stenosis on two levels in my lower back. I went the route of physical therapy, steroid shots, to no avail. I had the stenosis surgery in November 2023 with Dr Khurana. The results far exceeded my expectations. No more pain and no more trouble walking---and I had a lot of each. Quite amazing actually.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
Dr. Khurana is very smart, skillful surgeon and a warm and friendly human being. He successfully operated the disk hernia and stenosis in L4/5 area about nine years ago. Just recently I consulted with him again to make sure everything is in stable condition and get his advise on physical therapy. My visit was informative and helpful. I can say, Dr. Khurana “has my back” for life.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
Dr Khurana has been very influential in my life and he is humble about it, that he probably doesn't realize that. I am a Spine and Sports Medicine physical therapist that has been helping people with debilitating spinal pain. I only bring that up because when I had back surgery, he demonstrated good bedside manner, compassion, expertise and most importantly, I've been able to perform at a high level... lifting weights and being active with three kids 15 years later. When I had to make the decision on who to do my spine surgery at age 28, (I am 42 now) I went and had consultations by the best. I was a spine specialist at that time and went to numerous conferences, so those were who I reached out to. I had second, third , and fourth opinions. Khurana was my fourth and he was the only one that showed compassionate care. Btw I had a disc that was sequestered (broke off). He taught me that being the best is not enough as a practitioner. It is important to also be compassionate and caring. To practice listening. We don't get taught this in school. I've referred my colleagues and patients to him and they come back with the same beautiful stories as you are reading. I hope Dr Khurana is reading this review and to know that he is truly a gem in this field. Wishing everyone who is reading this the best recovery. I know it's a scary place to be when you are in pain and deciding to have surgery or not, you don't know who to trust, and I hope this LONG over due review can help you.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
Dr. Khurana communicated very well and laid out surgical treatment option. I’d done physical therapy with out improvement, and he evaluated my MRI and x-rays with a expert’s eye. My critical issues were degenerative spondylolisthesis and stenosis that together had come to make walking more than a couple hundred feet difficult with dangerous potential for a bad fall. Dr. Khurana explained his surgical approach and I knew I’d found the right surgeon. As he explained, he’s a spine specialist; that’s “all” he does. He uses a minimally invasive approach that makes the surgery much less traumatic for his patients (but probably more technically challenging for the surgeon). I’d been scared of front and back access approaches I’d read about that involved extensive dissection, so I was greatly relieved. In my case, I had minimal post-operative pain, (just used cold packs a few times) and one week post-op I’m walking well (with a walker for safety for a few more days) and a back brace to remind me not to Bend, Lift or Twist. I’m very happy with results so far! I’m very happy with the results so far.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
Hello to my fellow back pain sufferers. At 60 I have had all types of joint pain over the years, knee operations, rotator cuff tears etc, but nothing is worse than back pain which I felt severely limited my quality of life. After 5 years of severe back pain, acupuncture treatments, chiroprator visits, physical therapy and stretching exercizes, and 4 spine specialists (2 told me I needed back surgery, 2 told me surgery could make my back worse!) I finally came to know Dr. Khurana through a friend my age with simimar back issues who sang his praises. Long story short, Dr. Khurana is something of a miracle worker if you ask me. Had my surgery 8 months ago and after a few weeks of post surgery discomfort my back has been virtually pain free. No more frantically looking around for a chair when in a conversation, now I walk the Topanga hills of the SM mountains for exercize, no problem. Back pain is no joke, if you tried and tried to do things to alleviate the pain but nothing is really working...do yourself a favor and go see Dr. Khurana. If you elect to have surgery, ask to go to Docs hospital by San Vicente and Fairfax, a doctor owned facility which is a far sight better than one of those huge hospitals.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
This review is 1 year and a month post S1-L5 and L5-L4 microdiscectomy. After an injury at an obstacle course race that was completely my fault, load over capacity on a heavy lift, I had lumbar pain that eventually became a sciatic pain that was most felt in my left calf. I started Physical Therapy to resolve the issue, but in my case and situation, it was not resolving the issue the way we wanted it. The pain kept coming back immediately when walking, even after performing exercises that would relieve it. My PT recommended a few surgeons to talk to, and after looking at DISC I chose to go see Dr. Khurana. I figured if DISC gets Red Bull athletes back to performing, I would be in capable hands. Another reason I chose Dr. Khurana was that he understood why I had the injury and what I needed to do to get past it. There was no "oh you must have surgery" or "we can do surgery but never flip that 400lbs tire again". Upon initial consultation and look at my MRI, we both agreed to continue PT for a few more weeks to make sure that PT was not progressing for "me" and what I wanted to continue doing. As another reviewer stated, these things are not one size fits all. Make sure your PT, surgeon AND YOU are in line with your life goals. I felt that Dr. Khurana, and the entire DISC staff, cared about my situation and wanted to get me back to where I wanted to be. I wanted to race again that year, wanted to carry 70lbs buckets uphill, wanted to trail run for 30+ miles, wanted to crawl under barbwire, wanted to blah blah blah. Dr. Khurana understood where I wanted to be as an athlete and where I was before the injury and I felt his consultation kept all this in mind. I elected to have the surgery performed, and everything was super smooth. In on a Friday morning, out that evening and I was back to work on Monday. I was back to racing again in just over six months (Tahoe Ultra Beast, aroo!). My case is not all cases, as I had done a ton of work during the previous years that would have been considered pre-hab. The surgery experience was excellent. Everyone was very caring and explained everything to me in as much detail as I wanted. I would do it again if I "had" to. I was never second-guessing the decision. All of the post-op appointments were the same caliber. Dr. Khurana explained what I may experience in the next year or two as I started training again, so while sometimes I am alarmed thinking "uh...should I be feeling this now?" between Dr. Khurana and my PT I am guided in the right direction. He cared about how I was progressing and how I was getting back to my pursites. Shout out to Devin Blessing at Evolution Physical Therapy. They are just around the way from DISC in Playa Vista and are an excellent place to follow up your surgery at.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
Dr Khurana and his wonderful staff at DISC Sport and Spine actually get 10 stars!. In the last year, Dr Khurana performed 2 spine surgeries on me (cervical- ACDF and a lumbar XLIF) and both surgeries were the best things I've ever done. Dr Khurana is an amazingly skilled and competent surgeon and he is incredibly patient and explanatory throughout the whole process. His NP Susan is fantastic as are all of the nurses in the surgery center and support staff in the office.Over the last 18 months I consulted with 8 different ortho and neuro surgeons in LA, SF and Sacramento regarding my low back pain that had been on-going for over 10 years. Dr Khurana was the only clinician who suggested that less is more for me...and he performed an XLIF . Not many surgeons are adept at doing an XLIF, but I've had 2 Physical Therapist's that have been completely shocked that I'm up to the level of activity with no pain at 3 months post op. I'm thrilled to be able to get back to being an athlete again...and it's due to Dr Khurana.
Sanjay Khurana, MD
A little more understanding
Physical therapy
The right physical therapist understands what you want to do, measures where you are starting, and helps you use a plan outside the clinic. Ask about experience, progress, and the practical details of visits.
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