When faced with pain in your back or joints, it is important to recognize that surgery may not always be the optimal solution. Surgical procedures often carry risks, particularly those involving the removal of tissue. Instead, consider innovative therapies that focus on healing and rejuvenating the affected areas. Treatments such as stem cell treatments, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and prolotherapy are advanced options that have revolutionized pain management. These therapies, previously reserved for professional athletes, are now available to anyone seeking effective, non-surgical relief.

Welcome to Living Pain Free

Welcome back to Living Pain Free, broadcasting live from Southern California. I am Dr. Thomas Grove, a board-certified sports medicine physician with fellowship training. As a former athlete in football, basketball, baseball, track, and wrestling, I understand firsthand the importance of maintaining peak physical health. My experience includes playing linebacker at the University of Nebraska and training professional athletes internationally.

With over 10,000 hours spent in orthopedic surgery rooms, emergency departments, and trauma bays, my passion lies in promoting the body’s natural healing processes through regenerative medicine. Our clinic specializes in harnessing healing cells, such as platelets and stem cells obtained from bone marrow and other tissues, to treat injuries. Using advanced image-guided musculoskeletal ultrasound, we target these cells precisely where they are needed most.

This approach enables us to effectively treat joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, often avoiding the need for elective orthopedic surgery. If you are experiencing pain, considering surgery, or relying on pain medications, we invite you to schedule a consultation to discuss regenerative treatment options.

The Healing Timeline in Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine can sometimes provide rapid improvements, with noticeable responses occurring fairly quickly. In my experience, I have undergone treatments across my entire body, from head to toe, and have occasionally seen swift progress.

However, the healing process is not always immediate. Sometimes, results take a few weeks or even months to become apparent, especially when multiple rounds of treatment are necessary. We often advise patients to approach their recovery one treatment at a time, focusing on promoting the natural healing process.

Post-Treatment Guidelines

After a treatment session, it is crucial to give yourself adequate time to rest, particularly for the area that was treated. For example, if you recently received injections in your knees, it is important not to participate in strenuous activities such as running a 10K or a marathon. Similarly, if your shoulder was treated, avoid heavy exercises like bench presses for a period of time.

The effectiveness of regenerative medicine relies on allowing the treated area to rest. By targeting healing cells to the affected regions, we support recovery—but rest is essential before resuming exercise or other strenuous activity. Taking time off from exercise allows the body to heal properly before using the treated area again.

Follow-Up and Monitoring Progress

An important aspect of the treatment timeline is scheduling follow-up appointments. After administering your treatment, I want to monitor your progress. These follow-ups include physical assessments and ultrasound examinations to evaluate how well you are responding to the therapy.

Through this ongoing evaluation, we can confidently guide you back to physical activity when it is safe to do so. Ultimately, our goal is to help you return to an active lifestyle, ensuring that your recovery is thorough and sustainable.

Caller Introduction – Patient’s Knee Issue Description

We received a call from a local resident in West LA—Tony. Tony explained he is experiencing severe pain on the inside of his right knee, specifically near the lower part of the kneecap. Based on his personal experience, he suspects there may be a tear in that area. He noted that traditional medical advice has been to try therapy first and then re-evaluate the situation. Tony has already undergone this approach.

Diagnostic Approach Inquiry

Tony’s main question was about the preferred method for diagnosing his knee issue. He asked Dr. Grove if MRI, ultrasound, X-ray, or another technique is recommended for determining the exact nature of his injury.

Dr. Grove acknowledged Tony’s situation sharing that he has experienced similar issues himself. He began by considering common causes of pain on the inside of the knee, mentioning possibilities such as a ligament strain (specifically the medial collateral ligament), issues with the posterior oblique ligament, a medial meniscus injury (the knee’s shock absorber), arthritis, or a muscle problem involving the pes anserine group.

Importance of Physical Examination – Ultrasound scan

Dr. Grove explained that pain can be complex and sometimes originates from a location different from where it is felt (referred pain). A careful hands-on exam helps pinpoint the source of the pain. After the physical examination, Dr. Grove typically follows up with a musculoskeletal ultrasound scan. This allows for a detailed look at the ligaments, tendons, muscles, and joints. By correlating the symptoms with ultrasound findings, he can confidently identify the cause of the pain. Tony expressed surprise, noting that no previous doctor had performed an actual physical examination of his knee.

Identifying the Real Source of Pain

Sometimes, pain is caused by structures around the joint, such as ligaments or tendons. For instance, a patient may present with an MCL strain, and although the joint itself appears healthy, the ligament is strained. When diagnosing symptoms, it’s important to identify whether the pain stems from the joint or from adjacent anatomical structures. Proper injection techniques require delivering healing cells directly to the structure causing pain, not simply into the joint.

Modern technology, such as high-definition ultrasound, allows clinicians to examine tissue in real time. By stressing the tissues during imaging, practitioners can detect laxity or stretchiness in ligaments that may not be apparent otherwise. This approach helps identify the true source of symptoms and guides effective treatment. Many joint replacement surgeries fail to relieve pain because the actual pain generator was a ligament, tendon, or muscle outside the joint.

Unnecessary surgeries

Often, patients will tell us that in previous doctor visits, the doctor never touched them and they did not get a physical examination. In busy orthopedic clinics, where providers may see dozens of patients daily, this limited interaction can hinder effective diagnosis and care. As a result, patients may be referred to surgeons who recommend procedures based solely on imaging, without confirming if the image correlates with the patient’s symptoms. The typical trajectory—pain, imaging, medications, physical therapy, and surgery—does not focus on healing tissue but rather on symptom management. There is a significant gap in the medical system regarding regenerative medicine, which aims to heal soft tissue and prevent escalation to surgery.

Importance of Treating the Patient, Not Just the Image

Pathologies seen in imaging reports can be misleading. The medical process typically involves one provider ordering the exam and another, often a radiologist working remotely, interpreting the results. This separation can lead to confusion, as radiologists cannot examine the patient directly, and the ordering provider may lack expertise in interpreting the imaging. A more effective approach involves training in both physical examination and imaging interpretation. By combining hands-on evaluation with imaging, clinicians can better identify the true source of pain and engage in meaningful discussions with patients to develop informed treatment plans. When multiple providers are involved and direct patient evaluation is lacking, the situation can become unclear, increasing reliance on pain medications and unnecessary surgery.

Pitfalls in Diagnostic Imaging

Imaging reports often identify abnormalities that may not be the cause of symptoms. On physical exam or in-person scans, a clinician may discover that pain originates from a different area than what the imaging suggests. Therefore, it is essential to correlate imaging findings with thorough physical evaluation to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate care.

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Part 1 of this show

Avoid unnecessary elective orthopedic surgeries – Stem Cell Institute radio 2-14-26 Part 1