Jonathan Q. Had Spine Surgery with Dr. Robert Watkins IV

The pain was fine when I was on the ice, but every time I sat down, drove, or rested I’d start to get severe pain shooting from my back through my body. I consulted our team physician, and he took me to Dr. Robert Watkins, who diagnosed me with a herniated disc pinching on my sciatic nerve. At that point, surgery was the only viable option. But at the recommendation of Dr. Watkins and the team, I went for it. The first week after surgery was rough. I even had trouble putting my socks on in the morning, something my wife had to do for me. After that first week, I started to feel much better. Rehab is a constant struggle, but with the quality of the surgery and subsequent timetable from Dr. Watkins, I saw steady gains. Dr. Watkins guided me with the help of his Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital team through this tough time in my career and set me on a path that will allow me to keep working as hard as I can to get the Kings another cup.