Rheumatology Care for Southeast Los Angeles
Rheumatologist Serving Pico Rivera, CA
We're practically neighbors. Our office sits just over the Whittier line — about five miles and a ten-minute drive down Washington Boulevard from Pico Rivera. If your joints have been swollen for weeks, or a bone scan came back with a number nobody bothered to explain, you don't need to cross town for real answers. We handle rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, gout and osteoporosis in-house, DEXA scan included, in one visit instead of three referrals. Call (562) 758-6600, or book online.
Why This Gets Put Off for So Long
Arthritis is quiet at first. It doesn't show up on a standard blood panel, and it rarely gets dramatic enough to send anyone to the ER. So people push through it. There's a Pico Rivera grandmother who kept blaming her swollen knuckles on gardening every weekend, for almost a year, before she finally brought it up at a regular checkup. There's a guy who works nights at one of the warehouses off Slauson who figured his knee ache was just from being on his feet — turned out to be something else entirely.
Roughly 58.5 million adults across the country live with some form of diagnosed arthritis. California's rate runs a little below the national average, but that's still a lot of people in this part of the county carrying pain that never got a proper workup.
Here's the tricky part. Rheumatic disease and ordinary wear-and-tear can look almost identical from the outside, especially in the early months. Telling them apart takes bloodwork, imaging, and a doctor who's actually seen enough of both to know the difference instead of guessing.
What We See Most in Pico Rivera Patients
Rheumatoid Arthritis
The immune system attacks the joint lining, hands and feet usually first. We run RF, anti-CCP, ESR or CRP, plus a hands-on exam. Early DMARDs or a biologic limit the long-term damage — waiting doesn't help here.
Osteoarthritis
Cartilage wears down, usually past 50. Injections and PT before surgery, most of the time.
Lupus and related autoimmune conditions
Lupus, Sjögren's, scleroderma, vasculitis, mixed connective tissue disease. Organs, not just joints, so we watch these closer than most.
Gout
Sudden, sharp pain, usually the big toe. Treat the flare, check uric acid, usually start allopurinol so there isn't a rerun in a few months.
Osteoporosis
No symptoms until something breaks, which is exactly why we scan. The DEXA machine's right here in the office — real T-score before you leave, not a callback next week.
Fibromyalgia
Widespread pain and fatigue. Gets mistaken for other things early on, so we rule those out first, then build around medication, sleep, and pacing.
What a Visit Actually Looks Like
Bloodwork comes first, usually. RF, anti-CCP, ANA, ESR, CRP, uric acid — whichever fit what you're describing. Imaging next, if we need it. X-rays for bone changes, ultrasound when we need to see inflammation happening in real time, right there in the room. Sometimes an MRI referral, if something needs a closer look than we can manage in-office. Bone density a concern? The DEXA scan happens that same visit. Ten minutes, more or less.
Then we actually talk it through. Not the rushed "here's your prescription, see you in three months" version — a real conversation about why methotrexate might beat a biologic in your specific case, or why staying on allopurinol still matters once the flare's gone. You leave knowing what the medication does and what to watch for. Follow-up labs and scans come next, on whatever schedule fits, and we adjust as results come in. This isn't a one-visit kind of specialty.
When It's Worth Not Waiting Anymore
Most people wait because nothing feels urgent enough to act on. A handful of things genuinely are.
Joint pain or swelling that's hung around past six weeks. Morning stiffness that takes more than half an hour to loosen up. More than one joint acting up at once, especially if it's symmetric — both hands, both knees. Fatigue you can't explain, a low fever, or a rash that showed up around the same time as the joint pain. A parent or sibling with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or psoriatic arthritis. A bone that broke from a fall that shouldn't have caused a fracture. Sudden, severe pain in the big toe out of nowhere. Or you're a woman 65 or older who's never had a bone density scan — the USPSTF recommends screening at that point, and sooner if you've got added risk factors like a family history of hip fracture.
If any of that sounds like where you're at, just call. We'll tell you honestly what's open this week instead of leaving you guessing.
Why People Choose Us Over Driving Further Away
You get actual time with the doctor. Eight-minute visits don't really work for rheumatology, so we don't run things that way. Dr. Gilbert Gelfand's been at this for more than 30 years — Clinical Professor of Medicine at USC Keck, Chief of Rheumatology at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, which happens to be right in the neighborhood.
262 reviews on Google. 4.9 out of 5. Harder to fake than a well-designed website, that's for sure.
We explain the reasoning behind whatever we prescribe instead of just handing it over. Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Farsi — all spoken directly by staff here, so nobody's stuck on hold for a phone interpreter mid-visit. And some patients end up qualifying for clinical trials, which can mean earlier access to treatments that aren't widely available elsewhere yet.
What Patients Say
"She actually listened instead of rushing me out. First doctor who seemed to understand what I was dealing with."
— paraphrased from a Google review"Put off a bone scan for years. Finally got it done and had the results before I even left the building."
— paraphrased from a Google review"Used to end up in urgent care every couple months for gout. Haven't had a flare since we worked out the long-term plan together."
— paraphrased from a Google reviewWho You'll Actually See
Gilbert F. Gelfand, M.D.
Chief of Rheumatology at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, more than 30 years into practice. Sees patients in English or Spanish.
Tien-I Karleen Su, M.D., FACR
She founded the Rheumatology Private Practice Alliance and now chairs the ACR Community Practice Council. English, Spanish, and Mandarin.
Susan Mansourian, M.D., FACR
Tends to build a plan around the person in front of her rather than reaching for a template — especially useful in the more complicated cases. English and Farsi.
Branden Ireifej, M.D.
Handles rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis, gout, and vasculitis. Walks decisions through with patients rather than just handing them down.
Getting Here From Pico Rivera
We're at 12456 Washington Blvd in Whittier, about five miles and ten minutes down the same road, Washington Boulevard, that runs right through Pico Rivera. No freeway needed for most of the trip. Patients come in from all around this corner of the county:
Questions We Get a Lot
Do I need a referral?
Depends on your plan. HMOs usually want one from your primary doctor first. PPOs, you can typically just book with us directly. Call and we'll sort it out on the phone.
How long is the wait for a first appointment?
It shifts depending on the time of year, but active inflammatory arthritis or a bad gout flare jumps the line. Call (562) 758-6600 and we'll tell you what's really open.
What should I bring?
Your current medications, any recent labs, imaging on a disc or through the patient portal, and roughly when things started.
Can the bone scan happen the same day?
Yes.
Do you have Spanish-speaking staff?
We do — including physicians who speak it directly, not through an interpreter.
What if I already see a rheumatologist and just want a second opinion?
That's actually a common reason people find us. Bring whatever records you have and we'll go from there.
Not in this area? See all the areas we serve to find the right page for you.
Get a Real Answer, Close to Home
You don't have to keep guessing about what's going on with your joints or your bones, and you don't have to drive far to find out. Come in, we'll run the right tests, and we'll walk you through exactly what they mean.