Dr. Omid Jalali is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon with Community Orthopedic Medical Group (COMG) in Mission Viejo, California. He evaluates and treats adults with conditions affecting the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. His care is focused on reducing pain, restoring movement, and helping patients return to the activities that matter most to them.
Dr. Jalali combines careful diagnosis with individualized treatment planning. He considers a patient’s symptoms, examination, imaging, health, and goals when discussing options. Treatment may include nonsurgical care, injections or radiofrequency ablation coordinated with the care team, or surgery when appropriate. When surgery is recommended, he considers established and minimally invasive techniques in the context of each patient’s needs.
A patient-centered approach to spine care
The same spinal finding can affect people differently. Dr. Jalali takes time to understand how pain, weakness, numbness, or reduced mobility affects a patient’s work, sleep, exercise, and daily life. He explains the diagnosis and available options so patients can make informed decisions about care. The goal is a treatment plan tailored to the individual patient and based on the full clinical picture.
For Dr. Jalali, meaningful progress may begin with less pain and continue with better movement, greater confidence, and a return to the activities that give life meaning. Every recovery is individual, and treatment recommendations are based on the patient’s condition and goals.
A personal understanding of mobility
Before becoming a physician, Dr. Jalali was a high-level soccer player and captain of the University of California, Berkeley Division I team, which rose to No. 1 in the nation. A devastating injury ended his playing career. He experienced firsthand the physical and emotional toll of pain and losing mobility, as well as the determination required to regain the ability to move.
Dr. Jalali competing as a collegiate soccer player at UC Berkeley
That experience continues to shape how Dr. Jalali approaches patient care. He understands that reduced mobility can affect far more than a person’s physical capabilities. He is committed to helping patients navigate their own recovery and work toward more active lives.
Spine conditions treated
Dr. Jalali evaluates adults with a broad range of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine conditions, including:
Neck and cervical spine: neck pain; cervical disc herniation; cervical radiculopathy; cervical myelopathy; cervical spinal stenosis; cervical spondylosis
Thoracic spine: thoracic disc disease
Low back and lumbar spine: low-back pain; lumbar disc herniation and sciatica; lumbar radiculopathy; lumbar spinal stenosis; degenerative disc disease; spondylolisthesis
Spinal deformity and fractures: adult spinal deformity; vertebral compression fractures
Treatment options
Dr. Jalali offers individualized surgical and nonsurgical spine care. The appropriate plan depends on the diagnosis, symptom pattern, examination, imaging, health history, and the patient’s goals.
Nonsurgical care
Nonsurgical options may include physical therapy and spine rehabilitation, activity modification, medication management, image-guided injections, selective nerve-root blocks, facet procedures, or radiofrequency ablation coordinated with the appropriate care team.
Surgical care
When symptoms, examination findings, and imaging indicate that surgery may help, Dr. Jalali discusses the expected benefits, risks, alternatives, and recovery considerations. Surgical options he performs include:
- Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), Cervical disc replacement, Cervical laminectomy and fusion, Cervical laminoplasty, and Posterior cervical foraminotomy for appropriately selected patients.
- Lumbar microdiscectomy, Lumbar decompression, including laminectomy, and Lumbar fusion, including TLIF, ALIF, and lateral interbody fusion for selected nerve-compression conditions.
- Adult spinal deformity reconstruction, Revision spine surgery, Thoracic discectomy and decompression, and Vertebral augmentation in selected cases and for appropriate compression fractures.
- Minimally invasive techniques when appropriate for the patient and procedure.
Cutting-edge technology with a purpose
Dr. Jalali uses modern surgical technology as part of an individualized treatment plan. Depending on the procedure, this may include robotic guidance, intraoperative navigation, and patient-specific planning software. These tools are used to support precise surgical planning and execution and can help reduce certain technical risks, including risks related to implant placement. Technology works alongside careful diagnosis, sound surgical judgment, and a plan tailored to the individual patient.
Nationally recognized training
Dr. Jalali’s training spans leading academic institutions in California and Utah:
University of California, Berkeley Undergraduate study in premedical sciences and business at the Haas School of Business; graduated magna cum laude. Captain of the Division I soccer team; recipient of academic and athletic honors, including UC Berkeley’s first Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition.
University of Southern California Medical degree; elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and received a Dean’s Research Scholar Award.
University of California, San Diego Orthopedic surgery residency.
University of Utah Orthopedic spine surgery fellowship, with training from Drs. Darrel Brodke and Brandon Lawrence.
Research and publications
Dr. Jalali has published numerous articles and presented research at regional and national conferences. His peer-reviewed work spans spine surgery, orthopedics, and sports medicine. The linked list below includes every journal article and review listed in the CV provided for this update, plus a 2025 journal article corresponding to a 2023 conference presentation listed in that CV.
- Activity-Related Low Back Pain in the Athlete Mizels J, Jalali O, Martinez F, Spiker W. Sports Med Arthrosc Rev. 2026;34(2):70-73.
- Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation for Large Osteochondral Lesions of the Femoral Head in Young Patients Jalali O, et al. J Pediatr Orthop. 2025;45(9):e826-e831.
- Validation of the Oswestry Disability Index in Adult Spinal Deformity Jalali O, et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2024;49(10):682-688.
- Wear of Third-Generation Cross-Linked Polyethylene in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A 10-Year Analysis Jalali O, et al. J Arthroplasty. 2024;39(5):1335-1340.
- Positioning Considerations for Lateral Lumbar Interbody Surgery Gabriel S, Mitchell B, Jalali O, et al. Semin Spine Surg. 2022;34(2):100942.
- Plate Fixation Versus Intramedullary Nailing of Proximal Humerus Fractures: An ACS NSQIP-Based Comparative Analysis Over 8 Years Burgmeier R, et al. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2021;31(1):33-41.
- Malnutrition in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: A Review of the Current Literature Choi JT, Yoshida B, Jalali O, Hatch GF III. Sports Health. 2021;13(1):65-70.
- Modulation of Hedgehog Signaling by Kappa Opioids to Attenuate Osteoarthritis Weber AE, Jalali O, et al. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020;72(8):1278-1288.
- Reduced Bacterial Burden of the Skin Surrounding the Shoulder Joint Following Topical Protocatechuic Acid Application: Results of a Pilot Study Jalali O, et al. JB JS Open Access. 2020;5(3):e19.00078.
- Protocatechuic Acid as a Topical Antimicrobial for Surgical Skin Antisepsis: Preclinical Investigations Jalali O, et al. JB JS Open Access. 2020;5(3):e19.00079.
- Third-Generation Medium Cross-Linked Polyethylene Demonstrates Very Low Wear in Total Hip Arthroplasty Jalali O, et al. Arthroplast Today. 2020;6(3):316-321.
- Risk Factors for Early Subsequent (Revision or Contralateral) ACL Reconstruction: A Retrospective Database Study Gallo MC, et al. Orthop J Sports Med. 2020;8(2):2325967119901173.
- Cutibacterium acnes Persists Despite Topical Clindamycin and Benzoyl Peroxide Heckmann N, et al. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2019;28(12):2279-2283.
- Bipolar Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation and Joint Reconstruction for Patellar and Trochlear Cartilage Defects Jalali O, et al. Arthrosc Tech. 2019;8(12):e1533-e1541.
- Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: Current Treatment Options Juhan T, et al. Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2019;11(3):8146.
- Nonoperative Treatment for Injuries to the In-Season Throwing Shoulder: A Current Concepts Review with Clinical Commentary Stone MA, et al. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2018;13(2):306-320.
Hospital affiliations
Dr. Jalali is affiliated with Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo and Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach.