FAQs

No, a referral is not required to schedule a visit. Many patients reach Dr. Johnson's office through a referral from another physician, since referring clinicians use his orthopedic sports medicine training and his work with shoulder, hip, and knee problems as a guide for where to send patients. If your insurance plan requires a referral for a specialist visit, call the office before your appointment and the staff can confirm what your plan needs.

Bring your insurance card, a photo ID, and a list of current medications. If you have had imaging done elsewhere, such as an X-ray or MRI, bring a copy of the images or the report, or ask that office to send them ahead of your visit. If another physician referred you, bring any paperwork they gave you. Wearing clothing that allows easy access to the joint or area that hurts, for example shorts for a knee visit, makes the exam easier.

Most people don't need surgery right away. Dr. Johnson's clinical focus includes the shoulder, hip, and knee, and conditions such as rotator cuff disease, knee osteoarthritis, and ligament injuries are often managed first with activity changes, physical therapy, or an injection. Arthroscopic surgery or joint replacement becomes part of the conversation when those steps have been tried and the joint is still limiting daily activity. Your visit will include an exam and, often, imaging before any treatment plan is set.

Yes. Most low back pain improves without surgery within six weeks, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and cervical radiculopathy, which is nerve pain that travels from the neck into the arm, are areas of clinical focus for Dr. Johnson, and treatment typically starts with the least invasive option that fits the problem. Surgery is discussed only if symptoms persist or a nerve is being compressed in a way that calls for it.

An epidural steroid injection places anti-inflammatory medication near a compressed spinal nerve to reduce pain and swelling around it. It is one area of clinical focus for Dr. Johnson, used for patients with sciatica or cervical radiculopathy whose pain is coming from a specific nerve root. For sciatica and cervical radiculopathy caused by a compressed nerve, Dr. Johnson offers steroid injections and nerve blocks to calm inflammation around the nerve, guided by imaging to place the medication precisely. Whether this injection is the right next step depends on your exam and imaging findings.

Dr. Johnson is an orthopedic surgeon who completed residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Dr. Johnson completed fellowship training in Orthopedic Sports Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. That fellowship is the basis for his focus on sports medicine, shoulder, hip, and knee care, alongside arthroscopic and joint replacement surgery when it is needed.

Dr. Johnson is accepting new patients. Call the office in Clifton, NJ to schedule a visit, or ask your referring physician's office to help set one up.

Insurance plans and in-network status change from year to year, so the most accurate answer comes from the office directly. Call ahead of your visit with your insurance card in hand, and staff can confirm whether your plan is in network and whether a referral or prior authorization is needed for your visit. This page is for general information and does not replace a medical evaluation. For guidance about your own condition, schedule a visit with Dr. Johnson's office.