Important guidance during COVID-19: Click here to learn about the precautions we're taking to protect the health of our visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(818) 909-5009 — Call The Premier Regenexx Regenerative Orthopedics Provider Serving Southern California

ANDREW M. BLECHER, MD

  • Board Certified in Sports Medicine
  • Team Physician: College of the Canyons, Los Angeles Valley College
  • Event coverage/consultant:  NFL, NBA, NCAA, USTA, X-Games, Ironman
  • Educator: UCLA, CSUN Clinical Instructor
  • Director: Center for Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Director: SCORE Concussion Program
  • Certified ImPACT Consultant
  • Registered in MSK U/S – “Pioneer” Certificate
  • Regenexx, Certified Regenerative Medicine Physician
  • Inventor: Sports Medicine braces (patents pending)

Dr Blecher specializes in Primary Care Sports Medicine and has been practicing at the prestigious Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI) for over 15 years where he has had the opportunity to care for a wide range of patients. From Little League to high school, to collegiate, to elite and professional athletes; Olympic champions, weekend warriors and award-winning entertainers have all entrusted their care to Dr Blecher to recover from their injuries in a quick, non-surgical manner.

Andrew M. Blecher was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City. He attended Williams College in Massachusetts where he was an NCAA All-American in Track & Field and graduated with Cum Laude honors. He then completed medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, receiving many clinical and pre-clinical honors. After medical school, he completed his residency at UCLA’s Family Medicine program at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles. This training provided him with knowledge in various aspects of internal medicine, women’s health and pediatrics that could be applied to the broad field of sports medicine.

Following residency, he completed a sports medicine fellowship at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. His fellowship responsibilities included the NFL Cleveland Browns and NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as Cleveland’s professional hockey team and NCAA Division I collegiate soccer, volleyball and wrestling teams. The fellowship also provided him the opportunity to participate in the NFL combine and Cleveland Indians spring training. Additionally, Dr. Blecher has been part of the medical team for national and international events, including the Gravity Games, the U.S. National Gymnastics Championships, and the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice, Dr. Blecher is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, and is also Board Certified in Sports Medicine. Additionally, he was also awarded the “Pioneer Certificate” for being one of the first to be registered in musculoskeletal ultrasound with the ARDMS certification.

Dr. Blecher provides medical orthopedic care to athletes of all ages and specializes in sports health and medical conditions related to sports participation. He provides pre-participation physical exams, exercise and rehabilitation prescriptions and has an interest in nutritional and sports supplements. He lectures extensively on current sports medicine topics such as cartilage disorders and early arthritis in the athlete. As a runner himself, he also has a special interest in running injuries. Another area of interest is concussion in the athlete. Dr Blecher has years of experience evaluating and managing concussions on the sidelines as well as in the office. He has lectured extensively on the subject at many grand rounds and national conferences such as the National Summit on Sports Concussion. He was also one of the first Certified ImPACT Consultants in the greater Los Angeles area. Dr Blecher has also served as an expert witness in landmark cases involving athletes with head injuries.

Dr. Blecher is also a leader in the growing field of Regenerative Medicine for joints, tendons and ligaments. Using biologic techniques such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy, and Stem Cell Treatment, as well as advanced imaging such as Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, Dr. Blecher is able to accelerate healing for many acute athletic and orthopedic injuries, as well as provide non-operative, minimally invasive treatment for many musculoskeletal injuries that would otherwise require surgery or become chronic untreatable conditions.  He was the first certified Regenexx provider in Los Angeles and has lectured nationally and internationally on the use of Stem Cells and PRP in athletes.  He is also one of a select group of U.S. physicians to provide international concierge travel medicine procedures such as cultured stem cell treatment.

Dr. Blecher has been named a Los Angeles Top Doctor and he currently serves as a team physician for Los Angeles Valley College, College of the Canyons (Valencia, CA) and Campbell Hall High School (Studio City, CA). He has also served as a medical consultant for ESPN and as a treating physician for the Summer X-Games in Los Angeles, as well as the WTA LA Women’s Tennis Championships and USTA Men’s Tennis Farmer’s Classic. Dr. Blecher is also the Medical Director of the Center for Rehabilitation Medicine at SCOI and is the Director of the SCORE Concussion Program.

As a Clinical Instructor for UCLA and CSUN, Dr Blecher also serves as an educator for Sports Medicine Fellows and Sports Medicine Athletic Training Students.  He has also invented numerous braces and is involved in several ongoing research and development projects to help the next generation of athletes.

In his free time, Dr. Blecher has enjoyed traveling, hiking, tennis, racquetball, soccer, skiing, whitewater kayaking, SCUBA diving and spending time with his family. Having undergone multiple back surgeries himself, he has a personal understanding of what patients and athletes go through to try and return to what is most important to them. He is looking forward to meeting you.

Follow Dr. Blecher on Twitter (@the_jockdoc), Instagram & LinkedIn.

Employment 2003-Present

  • Southern California Orthopedic Institute,  Van Nuys, CA and Valencia, CA
  • Partnership in large group private practice and teaching institution
  • Busy clinical practice of Primary Care Sports Medicine, Orthopedics and Musculoskeletal Medicine
  • Procedures include diagnostic MSK ultrasound, ultrasound-guided injections, arthrograms, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, Regenexx Stem Cell treatment, viscosupplementation, ImPACT concussion testing
  • Teaching responsibilities include sports medicine fellows, family medicine residents, athletic training students and physician assistant students.
  • Teaching responsibilities include sports medicine fellows, family medicine residents, athletic training students and physician assistant students.
  • Instructor Northridge Family Medicine Residency Program – UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
  • Instructor Cal State University Northridge Athletic Training Program
  • Medical Director of Center for Rehabilitation Medicine; Chair of CRM Committee
  • Director, SCORE Concussion Program
  • Member of Physician Recruitment Committee
  • Member of Marketing Committee

Learn More about Andrew M. Blecher, MD Below

EDUCATION

2002-2003          The Cleveland Clinic, Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Dept of Orthopedics, Sports Health Division, Cleveland, OH

  • Program Directors: Dr. Robert Dimeff, Dr. John Bergfeld
  • Board Certification in Sports Medicine, April 2003

 

1999-2002          Kaiser Permanente LAMC, UCLA Multi-campus Dept. of Family Medicine Residency Program, Los Angeles, CA

  • Program Director: Dr. Jimmy Hara
  • Board Certification in Family Practice, July 2002
  • Member Curriculum Committee
  • Resident representative on Dept. Family Practice Faculty Committee
  • Member of committee to create sports medicine curriculum

 

1995-1999          Tufts University School of Medicine,  Boston, MA

  • Doctor of Medicine, June 1999
  • Clinical Honors: Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine, Primary Care, Family Practice, Internal Medicine Sub-internship, Trauma Surgery
  • Preclinical Honors: Nutrition, Growth and Development

 

1991-1995          Williams College, Williamstown, MA

  • Bachelor of Arts Degree in History with concentration in Military History and completion of Pre-medical Program, June 1995
  • Cum Laude
  • Dean’s List 5 semesters
  • Scholar-Athlete Nominee
  • NCAA All-American – Track & Field
TEAM PHYSICIAN DUTIES AND EVENT COVERAGE

2003-present       Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, CA), team physician, training room and game coverage.

2003-present       Los Angeles Valley College, team physician, training room and game coverage.

2010-present       College of the Canyons (Valencia, CA), team physician, training room and game coverage.

2010-present       Master’s College (Santa Clarita, CA), team physician.

2015-present       Campbell Hall High School (North Hollywood, CA), team physician, game coverage.

2015-16             Crossroads High School (Santa Monica, CA), game coverage

2011-2013          ATP World Tour Farmer’s Classic Men’s Tennis Tournament (Los Angeles, CA), tournament physician.

2007 & 2009      X-Games  (Los Angeles).  Event coverage and ESPN medical consultant.

2009                 WTA Los Angeles Women’s Tennis Championships.  Event coverage.

2001, 2005         Ironman Triathlon World Championship, (Kona, Hawaii).  Medical van and medical tent event coverage

2014, 2015

2017    

2002-2003          NFL Cleveland Browns, training room, pre-season camp and scrimmage coverage.  Free-agent physicals.  Inpatient coverage.  NFL combine in Indianapolis.

  • NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, training room, game and pre-season camp coverage. Inpatient coverage.

2003                 WNBA Cleveland Rockers, game coverage.

2003                 MLB Cleveland Indians, spring training coverage (Winterhaven, FL).

2002-2003          AHL Cleveland Barons Ice Hockey, game coverage.

  • Cleveland State University, training room and soccer, volleyball and wrestling, game coverage.
  • Padua Franciscan High School (Parma, OH), training room and football and hockey game coverage.

2002                 John Carroll University Football, game coverage.

2002                 U. S. Gymnastics Championships (Cleveland, OH), event coverage.

2002                 Gravity Games (Cleveland, OH), event coverage. 

  • Los Angeles City College, training room, baseball and soccer game coverage.
PUBLICATIONS

Blecher A, Richmond J:  “Transient Laxity of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Reconstructed Knee Related to Pregnancy.” Arthroscopy.  Vol. 14, No. 1, 77-79 1998.

 Chapter:  “The Athlete with HIV”.  Sports Medicine: Just the Facts,  Eds: O’Connor, Sallis, Wilder and St. Pierre.  McGraw Hill, 2005.

Chapter:  “The Athlete with HIV”.  Sports Medicine: Board Review and Examination.  Eds: O’Connor, Sallis, Wilder and St. Pierre.  McGraw Hill, 2005.

RESEARCH

MONOVISC Hip OA Study
Ongoing multi-centered prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial comparing Monovisc viscosupplementation vs saline injections in the hip for hip osteoarthritis

Use of Diagnostic MSK U/S for assessing chondral surfaces of the knee
Blecher AM.  Ongoing study to determine if MSK U/S can be used to perform accurate and reproducible measurements of articular cartilage in the human knee joint.

Assessment of Cerebral Hemodynamics for Concussion Management
Ongoing multi-centered clinical trial of use of transcranial doppler for diagnosis and evaluation of concussion

Variations in Acute Hamstring Injury Diagnosis and Management
Blecher AM.  Study of variations in diagnosis and management of acute hamstring injuries among high school, NCAA Div I, NCAA Div III, NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and MLS athletes. 

Chest Pain in a Professional Football Player
Blecher AM, Dimeff RJ.  Case study of primary spontaneous pneumothorax in a professional football player. Presented at AMSSM 12th Annual Meeting  April 2003. 

Evaluation of Sports Medicine Training within U. S. Family Practice Residency Programs
Blecher AM.  Study of sports medicine training within all U.S. Family Practice residency programs.  Presented at UCLA Multi-Campus Dept of Family Medicine Sixteenth Annual Research Forum  May, 2000

 

SPORTS MEDICINE CONFERENCES ATTENDED / PRESENTED

June 2018          The Orthobiologic Institute Symposium (Las Vegas, NV)

April 2018         AMSSM 27th Annual Meeting  (Orlando, FL)

Feb 2018           Interventional Orthopedics Foundation Annual Conference (Broomfield , CO)

Jan 2018            Santa Clarita Valley Concussion Conference (Santa Clarita, CA)

  • Conference Faculty

Oct 2017            Ironman Triathlon Sports Medicine Conference (Kona, Hawaii)

Aug 2017           California Community College Athletic Trainer Association South Meeting (Valencia, CA)

  • Conference Faculty

June 2017          The Orthobiologic Institute Symposium (Las Vegas, NV)

May 2017          AMSSM 26th Annual Meeting  (San Diego, CA)

Jan 2016            San Francisco Giants Sports Medicine Conference (San Francisco, CA)

Oct 2015            Ironman Triathlon Conference (Kona, Hawaii)

April 2015         Warthog Sports Medicine Conference (Barcelona, Spain)

  • Conference Faculty

Jan 2015            Santa Clarita Valley Concussion Conference (Santa Clarita, CA)

  • Conference Faculty

Oct 2014            Ironman Triathlon Sports Medicine Conference (Kona, Hawaii)

May 2014          5th Annual PRP and Regenerative Medicine Symposium (Las Vegas, NV)

April 2014         AIUM Annual Convention  (Las Vegas, NV)

April 2013         AMSSM 22nd Annual Meeting  (San Diego, CA)

August 2012       Sports Legacy Institute California Concussion Coalition Advanced Concussion Training (Los Angeles, CA)

June 2013          4th Annual PRP and Regenerative Medicine Symposium (Los Angeles, CA)

May 2013           2nd Annual SCORE Concussion Program Conference (Granada Hills, CA)

  • Conference Chairman

May 2013          Stoller Comprehensive Tutorial in Musculoskeletal Imaging  (Las Vegas, NV)

June 2012          National Summit on Concussion (Los Angeles, CA)

May 2012          SCORE Concussion Program Kickoff Conference (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Conference Chairman

March 2012        AIUM Annual Convention (Phoenix, AZ)

August 2011       ImPACT Training Seminar (San Diego, CA)

May 2010          National Summit on Concussion (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Conference faculty

March 2010        AIUM Annual Convention (San Diego, CA)

April 2009         AMSSM 18th Annual Meeting (Tampa, Florida)

June 2006          SCOI New Concepts in Sports Medicine Injuries (Van Nuys, CA)

  • Conference Chairman

May 2006          AMSSM 15th Annual Meeting (Miami, Florida)

Oct. 2005           Ironman Triathlon Sports Medicine Conference (Kona, Hawaii)

July 2005           Warthog Sports Medicine Conference (Keystone, CO)

July 2005           Innovations in Sports Medicine (Galveston, TX)

April 2004         AMSSM 13th Annual Meeting (Vancouver, Canada) 

June 2003          Sports Health Sports Medicine Conference (Huron, Ohio)

April 2003         AMSSM 12th Annual Meeting (San Diego, CA)

Feb. 2003           NFL Physicians Society Annual Scientific Meeting (Indianapolis, IN)

July 2002           AMSSM Research Workshop for Sports Medicine Fellows (Neptune, NJ) 

Oct. 2001           Ironman Triathlon Sports Medicine Conference (Kona, Hawaii)

March 2001        Kaiser Permanente Sports Medicine Symposium (Big Bear Lake, CA)

April 1998         Boston Marathon Sports Medicine Conference, (Boston, MA)

April 1998         Pediatric Sports Medicine Conference (Dedham, MA)

LECTURES GIVEN
  • Regenexx PRP and Stem Cell treatment: A Sports Medicine Physician’s Experience
  • Tendinopathies, PRP Treatment and Regenerative Medicine
  • PRP and Stem Cell Treatment for Ligament injuries in the Athlete
  • Concussions in Athletes
  • Concussion State Law and Developing Concussion Policies for Youth Sports
  • Concussion Litigation
  • MSK Ultrasound Basics
  • Evaluating the Kinetic Chain in the Athlete
  • Viscosupplementation in the athlete
  • Patellofemoral Disorders
  • Knee Contusions
  • Osteoarthritis of the Knee
  • Shin Splints and Stress Fractures
  • Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes
  • Muscle and Strength Physiology
  • Athlete’s Nutrition, Ergogenic Aids and Sports Supplements
  • The Pediatric Athlete
  • Sports Rehabilitation
  • Exercise Immunology, Acute Illness and Blood-borne Pathogens in Sports
  • Skin Diseases in Wrestlers and Sports Dermatology
  • Altitude and Dive Medicine
PRE-PARTICIPATION PHYSICAL EXAMS
  • NBA Boston Celtics
  • MLB Cleveland Indians
  • NFL Cleveland Browns
  • NFL Combine (Indianapolis)
  • AHL Cleveland Barons
  • Cleveland State University
  • John Carroll University
  • Baldwin-Wallace University
  • UCLA
  • College of the Canyons
  • Los Angeles City College
  • Los Angeles Valley College
  • Los Angeles Mission College
  • Shaker Heights High School
  • Beverly Hills High School
  • Santa Monica High School
  • Notre Dame High School
  • Birmingham High School
  • Valencia High School
MEDIA
  • Concussions Inc: “Un-Ringing the Bell: Lessons From ‘Eveland v. San Marcos Unified School District’”
  • The Health Care Blog: “The PEDs Question and the 2012 Olympic Games”
  • The Gold Medal Success Show (Rockstar Radio Network): Guest
  • NFL Concussion Litigation – The Science of Sport (Webinar): Speaker
  • Bleacher Report
    • Projecting the Effects of the “Helmet Rule” on Player Safety in the NFL
    • Rob Gronkowski’s Forearm Injury, Infection Might Still Have a Long Way To Go
    • The Impact of Advancing Modern Medicine on the NFL
  • National Alliance for Youth Sports – “Travel Weary”, “Overuse Injuries”
  • Dr Geier: “The Use of  Orthokine in Sports Medicine”
  • Take Part: “Hard Knock Life – Concussions in Sports”
  • Expert Beacon: Know How To Treat A Concussion Right Away”
  • Perrin Conferences Webinars:
    • Concussion Litigation – NFL
    • Concussion Litigation – NCAA and High School
CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS
  • Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine (Board Certification)
  • Diplomate, American Board of Family Practice (Board Certification)
  • Licensed Physician and Surgeon,    
  • Certified ImPACT Consultant
  • RMSK Pioneer Certificate for ARDMS Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Certification
  • ACLS/BLS provider
  • Certified Researcher – Rochester University CME “Protecting Study Volunteers” Course
  • PADI Open Water SCUBA Certification
AFFILIATIONS
  • American Academy of Family Physicians
  • American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
  • American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
  • Regenexx International Physician Network
  • Interventional Orthopedics Foundation
  • Warthog Sports Medicine Society
  • Sports Legacy Institute California Concussion Coalition
  • S. Naval Reserve – Retired
    Lieutenant Commander, Physician, Naval Medical Corps. PRIMUS unit, Camp Pendleton, CA
ADVISORY BOARDS
  • AYSO – Region 58 Safety Director
  • Neural Analytics – Physician Advisor
  • Kelvi – Physician Advisor
  • BluemarbleHealth Company – Physician Advisor
  • MomsTeam: Online Resource for Sports Parents – Physician Advisor, Contributor
MED-LEGAL
  • Expert Witness for Plaintiff “Scott Eveland vs San Marcos Unified School District”
    • Traumatic brain-injured athlete received $4.4M settlement from school district in landmark case

img

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This