Yes, I have personally had 2 serious joint injuries treated in my office with HCT (formally known as stem cell therapy).
I’m writing this to show my readers that, yes, there are options, even when there previously were none. My first condition treated with regenerative treatments was a full tear of my right medial meniscus of my knee with extrusion. I injured it in the gym almost 3 years ago and could barely walk for almost a month. My patients noticed my severe limp, and on occasion I had used a pod cane until I had gotten my MRI to confirm the diagnosis. An orthopedist colleague of mine had recommended surgery especially because I lift weights so much.
He urged me to “just get it done already” so that I could continue training and not have to worry about it. Of course, I did not want surgery. It would involve downtime, and lots of rehab. I knew I had an option right in my own office. One of my nurse practitioners injected ozone into my right knee. This was the beginning of my treatment plan. I have at least a handful of patients who can share that they actually saw this happen. I limped to the back of my office to the medical room, received my ozone injection, and immediately walked out to the front desk with no cane and no limp. My patients in my reception area were shocked! They had been seeing me limp as I mentioned, for the last month and now there was no limp!
I was so grateful and felt terrific! Of course, there was still some minor pain but absolutely nothing like it had been only minutes prior. I had received PRP or platelet rich plasma on my next visit and by the third visit I had received HCT. (stem cells) The best part of having just had that first ozone injection on a Thursday, was that I was able to go back into the gym the following Tuesday and actually use the leg press. Even I was shocked!
I had been so disappointed thinking that I wasn’t able to do any leg workouts for months, and I was back within days. The ozone was able to heal my injury quickly and reduce the inflammation that was in there. Of course, I had taken no medications for this condition either, especially anti-inflammatories, as they cause damage to HCT. Over the months, I continued to feel better, and I have never had to have any touch ups of my injections nor have I had any setbacks where I could not go to the gym and do lower body workouts. At this point it’s been almost 3 years. For anyone who is interested, I keep my original MRI report in my desk in the office. I show it to patients frequently just so they can see how I have recovered from that serious injury without surgery.
My next story involves a shoulder injury that I incurred while on a morning run in grass back in May this year. I fully tore, with retraction, 2 of my rotator cuff muscles, and severely damaged much of the remaining muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Again, I often show patients my MRI report. It was recommended that I see a surgeon at Rush Presbyterian in Chicago, who specializes in difficult cases. Of course, surgery would make it difficult for me to treat patients for weeks, if not months. After speaking to the Chief Medical Officer at the cell lab I use, he said it would be OK to try the HCT, but there would be NO promises of recovery.
I had my 3 injections of PRP with ozone, which is one of the protocols we follow in my office. Then I received my HCT injection. My pain level had been a constant 7/10 in pain, and with my touch up 6 weeks later, it is now an occasional 3-4/10. I have no difficulty adjusting patients and have been doing upper body exercises in the gym for a month now albeit with very light weights, and smaller range of motion. Excited and grateful are just 2 words that can explain how I feel. So far, no surgery, no rehab, other than some therapy exercises I do on my own, and I’ve never missed a day of seeing patients as a result of the treatments.
As you can see, these treatments work. In both cases, it was recommended that I get surgery, and I did not. Of course, all cases are unique, and no promises can be made. It’s just so exciting that I can offer an alternative to those patients who really do not want surgery and have nowhere to turn. We are working on getting more testimonials for these treatments on my website, and many patients are willing to speak with anyone who may have questions about their experience.
I hope that my sharing of my personal experiences has helped you to understand how HCT can work. If you or anyone you know would like a complimentary consultation for HCT, please call my office.
For any questions regarding my articles, please contact me at [email protected] or call my office for an appointment.
Leisa-Marie Grgula. DC
Chiropractic Physician
Accurate Care Medical Wellness Center
18261 N. Pima Rd. Ste. #115
480-584-3955
www.CaringPainRelief.com
