More than 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain according to the CDC, a debilitating reality that costs the country upward of $635 billion each year in treatment and lost productivity. At the same time, the United States is in the midst of a prescription painkiller epidemic. Widespread over-prescription of painkillers has resulted in opioid misuse and addiction, a problem that’s muddied the conversation surrounding chronic pain even further.

On today’s Broken Brain Podcast, our host, Dhru, talks to Dr. Shounuck Patel, an interventional and functional orthopedics specialist with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. Dr. Patel has a clinical interest in the biomechanical etiology of musculoskeletal injuries and pain conditions, and the holistic treatment of the whole-body continuum with innovative orthobiologic treatments, osteopathic manipulation, and therapeutic exercise.

Dr. Patel is board-certified in Sports Medicine, board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and fellowship trained in interventional pain management. Dr. Patel lectures at medical conferences across the nation, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Western University and Touro University colleges of osteopathic medicine, and is an expert instructor for the Interventional Orthopedics Foundation where he teaches other physicians how to do advanced stem cell and orthobiologic procedures. In addition to numerous publications including journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Patel is the illustrator/co-author of the recently published atlas, Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Cross-Sectional Anatomy.

In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Patel discuss the current state of pain management, the opioid crisis, and the integrative and regenerative therapies Dr. Patel is using to help his patients address chronic pain. They discuss how platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP) and stem cell therapy can amplify your body’s own ability to heal, and when it’s a realistic option for pain. They also talk about the importance of addressing the root cause when it comes to the treatment of pain, as well as the role nutrition plays in regenerative medicine.

In this episode, we dive into:

-What regenerative medicine is (5:21)

-The current state of pain management (7:41)

-The difference between DO vs. MD (9:49)

-How stem cells work to facilitate healing in the body (15:28)

-When platelet rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapy is a realistic treatment option for pain (22:37)

-Can PRP or stem cell therapy heal your ACL tear without surgery? (28:14)

-The problem with opioids for chronic pain management (33:24)

-Can back surgery lead to future disk degeneration? (40:00)

-Why cortisone injections are not a long-term solution for chronic pain (43:20)

-Why nutrition is the first step when it comes to pain management (45:40)

-Dr. Patel’s supplement recommendations for pain management (48:06)

-How platelet rich plasma therapy can amplify your body's ability to heal (51:43)

-Where you can find a regenerative medicine doctor (1:16:08)

-What is legal when it comes to stem cell therapy (1:20:14)

-Learn more about Dr. Patel and his work (1:24:51)

For more on Dr. Patel, be sure to follow him on Instagram @stemcelldrpatel and check out his website https://www.healthlinkcenter.com. You can also watch Dr. Hyman's interview on The Doctor’s Farmacy about his own stem cell makeover, regenerative medicine, and what stem cell therapy can do for every part of the body from joints to hair and even our sex organs.

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