Key Notes (I hope you don't mind. You can tell me if you do.): 14:18 Timing. When to seek help 24:55 Upper Cervical Instability 35:57 Cervical instability and how anaesthesia procedures during surgery can come with extra risks (intubation, turning in Prone Position [face down], extra laxity due to parallelization) 08:00 + 18:34 Problems of Steroid Injections for muscle--skeletal pain only (e.g. can breakdown of tissues) vs. regenerative procedures 17:36 + 20:50 Risks of (long-term) NSEDs use ------ 19:13 NSED alternative Turmeric, Kurkuma, Tylenol, [Supplements I couldn't catch, sorry], Healthy Diet, Movement 12:48 Contraindication for regenerative procedures 47:10 Factors predictive of procedure outcomes (or what isn't helpful). ----- 48:53 Medicines that impact outcomes negatively, particularly on stem cell procedures (Statin drugs, blood pressure meds, steroids, NSEDs, some prostate and hair-loss meds)
He also mentioned glucosamine, chondroitin, and boswellia. Check out the transcript here. www.bendybodiespodcast.com/cutting-edge-pain-relief-without-surgery-with-dr-john-pitts/
So...the timeframe. Best to get treatment at about a month. Does that mean those of us with chronic pain are out? Or, might it work with a new injury on top of an old injury? I've been in pain for 45 years. I also fell a few months ago which has resulted in my 3rd shoulder surgery and potentially my 4th hip surgery & possible THR. I would love to avoid surgery, but don't want to pay a ton for a low likelihood of relief. Thank you for this information!
You are most welcome and thank you so much for the comment! Regenerative medicine is performed all the time for chronic problems. I personally have had PRP and prolotherapy (multiple times at a few different places) for long standing problems. Unfortunately, these results were suboptimal, however I would still consider trying injections in the future especially as a means of avoiding surgery (especially if the data was favorable for that specific problem). We desperately need more data and I am grateful for doctors like Dr Pitts who are tracking their outcomes.
@@bendybodiespodcastthank you for responding! I'm researching the different treatments now while waiting for a second opinion on my hip. I'd be fine with a THR if I hadn't already had a femoral osteotomy. I just can't wrap my head around how that works & don't want to go through that again if I can help it.
I'm on NSED right now (in theory, practically taking break after 2 days into taking it I got a new odd rash and just waiting out my suture removal tomorrow, too, before properly starting this round). So that information was SUPER helpful (even to know how well my GP watches out for me) And my doc told me to avoid the steroid shots for my shoulder in a "you do that twice and then you can forget that shoulder" (I'm very paraphrasing). So it's super interesting to hear about this! I'll hear the rest tomorrow or whenever I'm OK enough after suture removal. Already looking forward to it!!
Thank you so much, Dr. Bleustein! Do you know of anywhere reputable in the Asheville, North Carolina or Greenville South Carolina area? I see pain management for a failefd three disc ACDF( I believe due to my HSD). Also, I have Botox injections for migraines. No one ever said I had CCI, but it is exactly how I feel when I hear your and your speaker’s descriptions. I’m looking for alternatives rather than more ablations, more injections and Botox every three months for migraines. Thank you in advance.
it is sad as I have been taking Meloxicam for 17 years. I started out low dose and not every day but the older I get I am taking 15mg daily. I also take Vitamin D and Turmeric daily and walk and do other exercises. But now at age 66 I have tried to back off on the Meloxicam, but the pain all over my body, is so bad that I can't function. Also, HRT, is important to manage some of the types of pain.
Thank you for sharing your story. Unfortunately, many people end up taking NSAIDs for years and years often unaware of the potential consequences. I hope you will listen to other episodes (eg: Office Hours: My Personal EDS Story - coming out soon - Oct 31 I think) because useful tips are shared.
35:58 WOW I'm baffled about the part of potential after effects for people in regards to anaesthesia. That is so good to know and just write on the anaesthesia forms if you know your neck is often making problems (in a "better safe than sorry" fashion!). To just have a talk of "my body is weird. Sometimes just lying oddly will mess it up. I learned that for some patient groups that makes anaesthesia more risky. I would like to request extra caution with intubation and how you prop my body to avoid complications" I'm that person who can rest on the floor or firm mattress/carpet for a few minutes and get up with my ribcage is screaming at me for days like I'm stabbed each time I breathe. (T~T)
I write lots of letters for patients and clients who are having surgery and they report that they are taken seriously. I am also working on updating the anesthesia card I created before but that is generic so is less helpful.
53:52 + Questions Summary what to ask doctors ppl are considering for the procedures : (I've tried, as non-native English speaker X'D. Also Paraphrasing, all mess is mine!!) - Who is doing the procedure? Are they a (muscle-skeleton trained) physician and what is their training? (PMNR Doctor, Anaesthesia Pain, sports medicine, in[I didn't catch that] radiology) - What procedures are available? ----- [Detailed questions starting 55:25] (Note: some of these are difficult if you wouldn't understand what the replies even mean :'D) ----- [Warning about scamy stuff that's not allowed in the US, thus beware!! 55:52] - What is their experience with your specific procedure? - How many times have they done this specific procedure already? - What type of imaging is being used for the procedure? - When is it appropriate to do the procedure? ----- When am I NOT a good candidate for this procedure? [Beware if being able to pay is the only requirement, people who are selective about their patients are better for complex procedures]
@@KT-eh6yv that is a topic that I am planning to cover in the near future. Please visit my website and check out the blog post by Dr. Courtney Gensmer, PhD, on hormones. www.hypermobilitymd.com/blog There are also some really good accounts that I will share here if I can find them again.
It is challenging, unfortunately. As discussed, there are some companies that contract with clinics like this to offer non surgical options to their employees. Their employees are off work for a shorter period of time, which benefits the company.
Yes, currently 2 weeks post-op from PRP for extensive ligament tears after 2 shoulder surgeries and pain that has had me prone most of each day. Got lucky with lots of platelets in my draw and the doctor also hit my shoulder joint directly and my tears by my knee which had just gone out as well. It was $1500 for all of that, far less than the copays on either of my past surgeries, and I’ve seen about 20% improvement in my shoulder and 80% improvement in my knee so far.
The higher level procedures require a lot of equipment and training and are therefore more expensive. Prolotherapy is less expensive because it is much less costly to perform. Insurance companies should be covering these procedures in my opinion.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Fantastic interview! I feel like I just completed a semester in med school! Thank you!
You are most welcome! What was most helpful?
Key Notes (I hope you don't mind. You can tell me if you do.):
14:18 Timing. When to seek help
24:55 Upper Cervical Instability
35:57 Cervical instability and how anaesthesia procedures during surgery can come with extra risks (intubation, turning in Prone Position [face down], extra laxity due to parallelization)
08:00 + 18:34 Problems of Steroid Injections for muscle--skeletal pain only (e.g. can breakdown of tissues) vs. regenerative procedures
17:36 + 20:50 Risks of (long-term) NSEDs use
------ 19:13 NSED alternative Turmeric, Kurkuma, Tylenol, [Supplements I couldn't catch, sorry], Healthy Diet, Movement
12:48 Contraindication for regenerative procedures
47:10 Factors predictive of procedure outcomes (or what isn't helpful).
----- 48:53 Medicines that impact outcomes negatively, particularly on stem cell procedures (Statin drugs, blood pressure meds, steroids, NSEDs, some prostate and hair-loss meds)
He also mentioned glucosamine, chondroitin, and boswellia. Check out the transcript here. www.bendybodiespodcast.com/cutting-edge-pain-relief-without-surgery-with-dr-john-pitts/
@@bendybodiespodcastthat’s a really helpful transcript, might help to link it in a pinned comment for better visibility
@@jstrombleyt4442 thank you for the suggestion and I will see if I can figure out how to do that.
Amazing informative Interview. Thank you so much
Glad you enjoyed it! What was most useful?
So...the timeframe. Best to get treatment at about a month. Does that mean those of us with chronic pain are out? Or, might it work with a new injury on top of an old injury?
I've been in pain for 45 years. I also fell a few months ago which has resulted in my 3rd shoulder surgery and potentially my 4th hip surgery & possible THR.
I would love to avoid surgery, but don't want to pay a ton for a low likelihood of relief.
Thank you for this information!
You are most welcome and thank you so much for the comment! Regenerative medicine is performed all the time for chronic problems. I personally have had PRP and prolotherapy (multiple times at a few different places) for long standing problems. Unfortunately, these results were suboptimal, however I would still consider trying injections in the future especially as a means of avoiding surgery (especially if the data was favorable for that specific problem). We desperately need more data and I am grateful for doctors like Dr Pitts who are tracking their outcomes.
@@bendybodiespodcastthank you for responding! I'm researching the different treatments now while waiting for a second opinion on my hip. I'd be fine with a THR if I hadn't already had a femoral osteotomy. I just can't wrap my head around how that works & don't want to go through that again if I can help it.
@@OhOkierocks totally understandable!!!!
I'm on NSED right now (in theory, practically taking break after 2 days into taking it I got a new odd rash and just waiting out my suture removal tomorrow, too, before properly starting this round). So that information was SUPER helpful (even to know how well my GP watches out for me)
And my doc told me to avoid the steroid shots for my shoulder in a "you do that twice and then you can forget that shoulder" (I'm very paraphrasing). So it's super interesting to hear about this!
I'll hear the rest tomorrow or whenever I'm OK enough after suture removal. Already looking forward to it!!
Thank you so much for your feedback. It is very valuable!
Thank you SO MUCH 😊🎉
You are most welcome. What was most helpful?
Thank you so much, Dr. Bleustein! Do you know of anywhere reputable in the Asheville, North Carolina or Greenville South Carolina area? I see pain management for a failefd three disc ACDF( I believe due to my HSD). Also, I have Botox injections for migraines. No one ever said I had CCI, but it is exactly how I feel when I hear your and your speaker’s descriptions. I’m looking for alternatives rather than more ablations, more injections and Botox every three months for migraines.
Thank you in advance.
I am so sorry but do not know of anyone in that area.
it is sad as I have been taking Meloxicam for 17 years. I started out low dose and not every day but the older I get I am taking 15mg daily. I also take Vitamin D and Turmeric daily and walk and do other exercises. But now at age 66 I have tried to back off on the Meloxicam, but the pain all over my body, is so bad that I can't function. Also, HRT, is important to manage some of the types of pain.
Thank you for sharing your story. Unfortunately, many people end up taking NSAIDs for years and years often unaware of the potential consequences. I hope you will listen to other episodes (eg: Office Hours: My Personal EDS Story - coming out soon - Oct 31 I think) because useful tips are shared.
35:58 WOW I'm baffled about the part of potential after effects for people in regards to anaesthesia. That is so good to know and just write on the anaesthesia forms if you know your neck is often making problems (in a "better safe than sorry" fashion!).
To just have a talk of "my body is weird. Sometimes just lying oddly will mess it up. I learned that for some patient groups that makes anaesthesia more risky. I would like to request extra caution with intubation and how you prop my body to avoid complications"
I'm that person who can rest on the floor or firm mattress/carpet for a few minutes and get up with my ribcage is screaming at me for days like I'm stabbed each time I breathe. (T~T)
I write lots of letters for patients and clients who are having surgery and they report that they are taken seriously. I am also working on updating the anesthesia card I created before but that is generic so is less helpful.
53:52 + Questions Summary what to ask doctors ppl are considering for the procedures :
(I've tried, as non-native English speaker X'D. Also Paraphrasing, all mess is mine!!)
- Who is doing the procedure? Are they a (muscle-skeleton trained) physician and what is their training? (PMNR Doctor, Anaesthesia Pain, sports medicine, in[I didn't catch that] radiology)
- What procedures are available?
----- [Detailed questions starting 55:25] (Note: some of these are difficult if you wouldn't understand what the replies even mean :'D)
----- [Warning about scamy stuff that's not allowed in the US, thus beware!! 55:52]
- What is their experience with your specific procedure?
- How many times have they done this specific procedure already?
- What type of imaging is being used for the procedure?
- When is it appropriate to do the procedure?
----- When am I NOT a good candidate for this procedure? [Beware if being able to pay is the only requirement, people who are selective about their patients are better for complex procedures]
Make sure you are signed up for my email list as I will be sharing this list of questions (in an easier format) shortly.
This isn’t directly related to but wanted to ask where/if one can find information on HRT pros and cons for hEDS patients.
@@KT-eh6yv that is a topic that I am planning to cover in the near future. Please visit my website and check out the blog post by Dr. Courtney Gensmer, PhD, on hormones. www.hypermobilitymd.com/blog
There are also some really good accounts that I will share here if I can find them again.
@@bendybodiespodcast Thank you!
how does anyone afford? I can't get care in Canada but can't afford US care.
It is challenging, unfortunately. As discussed, there are some companies that contract with clinics like this to offer non surgical options to their employees. Their employees are off work for a shorter period of time, which benefits the company.
Have you experienced the benefits of regenerative medicine?
Yes, currently 2 weeks post-op from PRP for extensive ligament tears after 2 shoulder surgeries and pain that has had me prone most of each day. Got lucky with lots of platelets in my draw and the doctor also hit my shoulder joint directly and my tears by my knee which had just gone out as well. It was $1500 for all of that, far less than the copays on either of my past surgeries, and I’ve seen about 20% improvement in my shoulder and 80% improvement in my knee so far.
@@jstrombleyt4442 Wow! Thank you so much for sharing that. Please come back and provide an update if you can!
So…$$$
I pay $250 per treatment for prolotherapy.
The higher level procedures require a lot of equipment and training and are therefore more expensive. Prolotherapy is less expensive because it is much less costly to perform. Insurance companies should be covering these procedures in my opinion.
I would love to hear more if you are willing to elaborate. How has it gone for you? Where have you had the injections (both facility and body part)?