Regenerative Medicine: What to Look for in a Provider

Is regenerative therapy, or stem cell therapy, really an effective treatment for chronic pain? Or is it just the latest gimmick, all empty promises and inconsistent results?

It might surprise you to read this on a Regenerative Therapy practice’s website, but both answers are correct!

Regenerative therapy is effective for many conditions. Patients who have tried almost everything else to treat their chronic pain are amazed to find healing in stem cell therapy. When regenerative therapy is applied to conditions for which it has been clinically proven to work, the results are genuine.

Because regenerative therapy is still a very new field of medicine, it is still being tested and studied in many applications. Despite it being unproven, many practitioners use the therapy even when it is not indicated for a given condition.

We encourage patients to be their own advocates and do their research before working with any medical provider. Following are 3 important questions to ask your potential regenerative medicine provider.

Do You Provide Consultations?

Can you imagine handing over your financial information to an accountant you have never even spoken to? Would you drop off your child at a daycare without first touring the facility and meeting a few caregivers?

In both cases, you would probably prefer a meeting to get to know these service providers before you trust them. Your medical providers should receive the same scrutiny.

When you contact a regenerative therapy practice, be sure to ask if they schedule a consultation before treatment. Qualified medical professionals will never treat a patient prior to assessing the complaint.

During a consultation, clinicians will collect important information about your medical history, injury or chronic condition, and past treatments. They might perform a physical exam or collect diagnostic data to determine if the treatment method you are exploring is applicable to your situation.

If a practice simply schedules you for treatment without an initial consultation, you are a customer, not a patient.

During a Stem Cells Philadelphia consultation in our Villanova office, we will carefully review your condition, our treatment options, and the risks involved. If we don’t feel that regenerative therapy is right for you, we will provide alternatives that might be a better solution. We might recommend one of our other treatment modalities, or we could even refer you to a different provider. Our goal is to help you get back to your life with the most effective treatment.

Do You Provide Follow Up Care?

Injuries and chronic conditions do not exist in a vacuum. It is extremely rare for a patient to have a single physical issue, which once treated, will restore them to the picture of health. In reality, most chronic conditions and injuries are just one aspect of an individual’s overall health. In almost every case, there are lifestyle and other health contributors to the condition that brings you into a provider’s office.

If you have a chronic pain issue, you already know this to be true. Even if you consider yourself to be very healthy, you most likely suspect that your pain is more than just an isolated physical issue. When researching regenerative medicine providers, ask about their process for follow up care and additional services.

If they only deliver stem cell therapy and nothing else, you are a customer, not a patient.

Our practice was founded on the principles of patient-centered care. During the initial consultation, we construct an overview of all the issues that affect your present condition. While stem cell therapy may be one aspect of your treatment, we will also bring in other clinicians from our practice to optimize your results. We offer nutrition counseling, weight loss coaching, hormone replacement therapy, other therapies, and educational resources that apply to specific conditions. Most importantly, we follow your progress and shift gears if your therapy is not producing results. Our goal is to help you get well, and we’re going to stick with you throughout the process.

Can I Talk to My Doctor?

If you have any experience in the traditional medical model, which most of us do, you know that you’re rarely going to see your doctor for more than a few minutes. Most of your time is spent with various levels of staff, and you don’t feel like you ever get your questions fully answered.

If you are working with a private pay regenerative medicine practice, you should expect more. When researching a stem cell therapy practice, look at how accessible the practitioners are based on their website and search engine listings. When you call, do you spend most of your time with an automated system, or can you get in touch with a human? When you have questions, who calls you back? Are you required to submit every question through a portal, only to receive email responses?

If you can’t communicate directly with your doctor outside of rushed treatment sessions, you are a customer, not a patient.

When you take a look around our website, the first thing you should notice is that you can actually text us! Our clinic hours and phone number are clearly listed on every page of our site, and we’ve got our staff pictures and contact information right there for you to review.

While our non-physician staff does their share of patient communication, they are all highly educated professionals who know how to help you get the information you need. Our doctors are always willing to speak directly with patients to answer questions, review symptoms, and explore treatment options. We also have a dedicated patient care advocate, Jerry Penders, who provides direct and responsive support to everyone under our care. Jerry offers a wealth of information in his mission to educate others about achieving a healthy lifestyle.

Choosing a healthcare provider for regenerative therapy requires due diligence. You want to be certain that you are working with a reputable practice that cares about its patients and their long-term well-being. If you’d like to learn more about Stem Cells Philadelphia and how we can treat your chronic pain condition using stem cell or other therapies, please contact us today. We look forward to seeing if we can help you heal!