Orthobiologics are living substances like stem cells and platelet rich plasma (PRP) that some medical doctors use in the rehabilitation process for orthopedic injuries. Dr. Matthew Lucas from the Centeno-Schultz Clinic, the original orthopedic stem cell therapy clinic based out of Denver, CO, joins the podcast to explain the use of orthobiologics in medicine today. Dr. Lucas also sets the record straight with respect to injuries and ailments that might benefit from stem cell and PRP treatments, while also debunking some of the reckless claims that are being made about the benefits of stem cell procedures. The latter point is important given the prevalence of stem cell misinformation in the media. For example, guests on the Rogan Experience, including Mel Gibson and Bas Rutten, have made some seriously misleading and outlandish claims about the benefits of stem cell therapies. While the types of stem cell procedures Rogan and his guests are talking about are illegal in the US, there are clinics in the states that are erroneously marketing stem cells as some kind of magical super drug. Vox published an interesting article earlier this year that describes how the FDA is cracking down on these non-FDA approved clinics.
In light of all the misleading information about stem cells, it was super interesting and refreshing to have Dr. Lucas on the program to provide a balanced perspective and one that was void of the kind of advertising you usually hear in podcasts today. But I’ll do that for them, because I had a fantastic experience the Centeno-Schultz Clinic. Centeno-Schultz was the first clinic to use the stem cells from your body in orthopedic treatments. I went to them because I thought the pain I was experiencing was from a meniscus tear. However, Dr. Lucas found that I had only injured/strained a tendon that connects to my kneecap (patellofemoral syndrome is the medical term). He gave me a few exercises to do and left the window open to physical therapy. What he didn’t do was push stem cell therapy on me, which I really appreciated. That’s because if you trust your doc, you’re probably going to do what they say. I was certainly worried that whatever was wrong with my knee was going to cost me dearly, but that wasn’t the case and I have Dr. Lucas to thank for that. If you’d like to learn more about the Centeno-Schultz Clinic, I highly recommend checking out their blog (here) where some of the world’s leading orthobiologics doctors write about their work. It’s well worth a bookmark if you’re interested in non-invasive procedures.
Great talk Dr. Lucas!
There are self-funded employers that do have Regenexx, at Centeno-Schultz Clinic and at over 60 other Regenexx clinics nationwide, as a covered benefit. The list of clients is getting longer!