After suffering a debilitating shoulder injury, Jim Seidel, 57, initially thought he had just two options: living with the chronic pain brought on by the injury or undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Continuing on with the pain was out of the question, but Seidel was concerned about the risks associated with surgery and the recovery time that would be required. Fortunately, he discovered a third alternative after learning about the services available through Bluetail Medical Group’s Dr. Kristin Oliver and Dr. Chris Wolf. Dr’s Oliver and Wolf are partners at Bluetail Medical Group and pioneers in the field of regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy. By utilizing a patient’s own stem cells and platelets to help to repair muscle, tendon, ligament, and other tissue, Dr. Oliver offered Seidel a safe and effective alternative to surgery with little downtime. After receiving his treatment, Seidel experienced a complete relief from his pain with only one week of recovery time.
Seidel’s experience provides a great example of the benefits regenerative medicine can offer patients who are looking to avoid going under the knife. It’s also a great option for those who want to avoid having to rely on opioid medications to manage their pain.
“When someone is no longer gaining relief from cortisone shots but would rather avoid surgery because they don’t want to have the recovery time and possible side effects, including infection or possible addiction to opioid pain medication, regenerative therapy is proving to be a popular and effective alternative,” notes Oliver. Per Dr Wolf: “People want to avoid missing work or having to put their active lifestyle on hold, and we’ve seen over the past decade that regenerative therapies address both of those concerns.”
For other’s weighing their options to address an injury or reoccurring pain, Dr.’s Wolf and Oliver suggest seven reasons why it may be worth exploring if regenerative therapies could be an option.
- The injection is made of biological material found in your own blood and tissues.
- There is minimal risk of infection or adverse reaction.
- The therapy is a highly effective alternative to surgery for many common orthopedic conditions.
- Stem Cell and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Therapy provide long term pain relief as well as therapeutic benefit.
- The therapy is performed under local anesthesia in the office and patients experience minimal pain.
- There is minimal down time – most patients can return to work within a few days and sports within several weeks.
- Stem Cell and PRP Therapy is backed by mounting research.
For Seidel, once he had explored all his options and gained an understanding of the benefits associated with regenerative therapy, it was an easy choice.
“For four or five months following the shoulder injury sustained while exercising, I was in constant pain to the point where I couldn’t get my wallet out of my pants pocket or remove a container of milk from the refrigerator,” notes Seidel, a sales manager for a company based in Brentwood, MO., who also happens to love snow skiing, waterskiing and a range of other activities. “One week to the day after I had the treatment, it was like the injury had never happened. I’m a very active person, and it enabled me to keep doing things I love to do.”
Dr.’s Wolf and Oliver focus on two primary treatments: stem cell therapy using concentrated bone marrow aspirate and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Therapy. Stem cell therapy is one of the most common forms of regenerative medicine and has been recognized by the medical industry worldwide as the biggest breakthrough in natural healing. Stem cells have regenerative power; when they are injected into an area that needs healing, the body’s natural response is to accelerate the process and repair the damage. It is a non-surgical procedure involving the extraction and injection of a patient’s own naturally occurring stem cells to treat ailments such as tissue injuries, rotator cuff tears, knee arthritis, back pain and joint damage.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, another non-surgical treatment, involves an injection of a patient’s own platelet-rich plasma that gives the body a natural boost to accelerate the healing process. Platelets play a critical role in healing wounds, soft tissue injuries, and fractures by activating stem cells to regenerate new, healthy tissue. PRP can help orthopedic conditions like arthritis, tendon injuries, and ligament injuries anywhere in the body.
To learn more, please visit our website at www.bluetailmedicalgroup.com.
For personal responses to questions regarding our evaluations and treatments please email Brianna LaBarbera, MAT, ATC, LAT at blabarbera@bluetailmg.com.