Winter sports enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating hitting the slopes in the upcoming month. Find out how to prep for the season and stay safe with regenerative medicine.
At NW Regen, regenerative treatments include Prolotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, and autologous Adipose Biocellular therapies.
In this article, we offer a Q&A with one of our patients who’s used PRP treatments to recover from past injuries and to prep pre-season. Find out how regenerative treatments at NW Regen can help keep your ski and snowboard season as pain-free as possible.
Meet Michael K., high-risk outdoor sports enthusiast.
Michael K. leads a very active lifestyle and travels the world for winter and summer sports. He is a great example of a regenerative medicine success story. We love the mantra he shared with us when we put this article together for you, because it sums him up perfectly.
“If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love,
you have to find the courage to live it.”
– John Irving
We first met Michael when he came to NW Regen due to joint issues that were hindering his abilities to snowboard and paticipate in other winter activities, as well as interfering with surfing and his other summer-time activities. Read on to learn more about how orthobiologic treatments at NW Regen continue to help this die-hard athlete engage in the activities he enjoys.
Q. Michael, you’re quite the sportsman. What brought you to visit NW Regen?
A. Yes, well I was in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada snowboarding when I caught an edge of my snowboard – going 40 miles an hour, I slammed my shoulder into the ground. I got a class 2 to 3 separation of my left AC. (Note: The acromioclavicular (AC) joint is the shoulder joint where the collarbone (clavicle) meets the shoulder blade (scapula).
I was in a panic about being able to recover enough to make a big trip to the Himalayas I had planned in five months. A good friend who is a Physician Assistant referred me to Dr. Wood and I went into NW Regen to confer with Dr. Wood and get PRP injections.
Three months after that initial Platelet-rich Plasma treatment, I was able to start swimming. Five months after PRP treatments, I had a backpack on and was doing a trek in Nepal.
While the injury could’ve probably been a surgical referral, with the PRP treatment, I was able to avoid surgery and I experienced full recovery.
Q. That’s so great! With your active lifestyle, has regenerative medicine helped you with any other sports-related injuries?
A. I have gone back to see Dr. Wood many times for multiple and very varied injuries. He has done PRP and prolotherapy on both of my knees over 4 different snowboard seasons. I also tore my popliteal ligament one year. (Note: The oblique popliteal ligament (OPL) is a broad, flat, fibrous ligament in the knee that plays a key role in preventing hyperextension and excessive external rotation.) Dr. Wood is a key part of my prep and recovery regimen.
I’ve worked with NW Regen and Dr. Wood for PRP treatment for both of my SI joints, a torn rotator cuff, and for a labral tear in my right hip. (Note: A labral tear is a tear or detachment of the labrum, a ring of cartilage that surrounds the hip or shoulder joint.)
Q. Ouch! That’s a lot of wear and tear on your physique. How have the regenerative treatments at NW Regen impacted your athletics and active lifestyle?
A. Without these treatments, I would NOT be doing what I love to do today. The treatments in multiple areas have given me a new lease on many of my outdoor high-risk activities.
The length of time before my issues were resolved enough to be able to return to sports varied. As far as how long till I started noticing results, it depended on the injuries. Historically, the first 2 to 3 weeks after treatment, I experienced a high inflammatory response, and then after that I noticed an expedient and increased level of healing.
Every year after snowboarding season, I make sure I go and make an appointment with Dr. Wood, so I can help heal from the risks that I take to live the life I want to.
Q. Do you recommend other people investigate these treatments—if their active lifestyle is being hindered? Do you feel like your investment was worth it?
A. I have referred many of my coworkers who are in the healthcare profession to Dr. Wood, He is a rare clinician who can not only find the injury but also isolate it and get the right treatment to exactly where it needs to be done.
With his training, skill set, talents, education, his degree in physiology, and chiropractic credentials, he’s able to also look at collateral areas of damage and treat those as well. What Dr. Wood does is really is an art and he has perfected it.
Q. What ‘next steps’ do you recommend to those curious about regenerative medicine?
A. The first step is to realize that there are a lot of things out there besides traditional medicine to help people heal. The next step is to call Dr. Wood!
Also, the NW Regen website offers so much information and peer review journal articles that back up what he’s able to accomplish.
To learn more about orthobiologic treatments and ways that you can prepare your body for the upcoming ski and snowboarding season, book a consultation with NW Regen today.
NW Regen
We offer regenerative and interventional medicine – tailored to empower you with a more vibrant, active lifestyle.
