CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Regen Rx offers many services and programs to help with musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.
A common question they encounter is what services they have and if they can help in their specific case. The services at Regen Rx are not familiar to most patients. Some patients research and learn more about these procedures before getting an appointment, but most find talking with a regenerative medicine provider and experiencing these procedures is the only way to understand how these fit into their care. This experience can help them with an informed opinion on deciding to pursue this type of care and the expected results.
Regenerative medicine procedures are not covered by insurance therefore can be difficult for patients to decide if the service is worth their time and financial investment. Also, since the long-term benefits of these non-invasive procedures usually take time for the tissue to heal, it can be a giant leap of faith going to a provider and being pressured into choosing a lengthy, costly program which may or may not work without at least some experience being treated with these devices. Therefore, at Regen Rx, they do not require an up-front commitment to a lengthy treatment program.
The musculoskeletal intake process for regenerative medicine at Regen Rx is different than most other traditional providers for several reasons. They have found a two-appointment intake to be the most efficient and beneficial. Dr. Barrett says “What we have found is the best way to allow a patient to get to know the range of our services and the benefits of the medical devices and regenerative medicine options we offer is to offer a procedure session during the initial visit. Then we schedule a follow-up in about one week. This gives the patient time to reflect on the treatment and see how they feel. Then we will follow up in one week to reassess and provide another session that will be modified from the first based on the feedback we get. It also allows us to review any imaging or labwork we may have requested on the first visit.”
Dr. Barrett continued “A key difference with us is that our treatment devices are unlike anything most patients have ever experienced. These aren’t simply generalized applications to an area of the body that is sore. These devices are not just the “set it and forget it” type. Shockwave is worth a more detailed explanation of what you should expect and what we expect from you. We are not just hooking up pads to an area and turning the power on then coming back in 15 or 20 minutes. These procedures are active, dynamic sessions where we constantly adjust the treatment in real-time based on active feedback.”
How Shockwave works to alleviate pain, restore function, and regenerate tissue is complex and he asks you to refer to their website for a detailed description of those topics. Or you can refer back to a previous article here.
What to Expect During a Shockwave Session:
Shockwave is a therapeutic device that uses focused acoustic pulses to target damaged, diseased, and pain-generating tissue. Patients undergoing a Shockwave procedure will be able to instantly feel when the Shockwave has targeted the pain-generating tissue. The exact sensation varies on many factors, such as the type of pain generator (tendon, ligament, fascia, bone, etc.), how chronic the process has been, the area of the body, etc. Many will describe it as a deep ache, in some tissues, it is sharper and more intense.
During your Shockwave session, you will be in constant communication with your provider. They must know if the pulses are targeting the proper area. Dr. Barrett says “With focused Shockwave we are not just doing a generalized application to an area. You will be providing biofeedback so the provider can adjust the target and the intensity of the applied pulse. The sensation is uncomfortable but does not need to be intolerable to provide benefit. The target pain generator may be as small as a few millimeters and may need a very specific angle and energy setting to properly dose the diseased tissue. We have found sometimes just a small inflection of the applicator can have the patient feeling nothing to suddenly feel this ache. The Shockwaves cause this sensation when they get absorbed by unhealthy tissue. They do not generally cause pain in healthy tissue. So, it should become apparent that since Shockwave localizes diseased, pain-generating tissue it has great value when we are evaluating a patient.”
During an evaluation of the patient’s area of concern, the providers will be assessing the area using traditional physical examination methods as well as identifying more specific osteopathic soft-tissue abnormalities termed “somatic dysfunctions.”
Dr. Barrett stated, “We are looking to initially identify if the patient has a condition that is not amenable to our procedures or if they have contraindications to one or more of our devices. Next, we will provide education on the devices and are expected outcomes. As regenerative medicine services are not covered by insurance, we need to be able to give the patient the information needed to decide if the service is worth their investment in the most efficient way. A very large part of that is through performing these two diagnostic sessions with our devices. If we can find the pain generators with our devices it typically means we can help.”
We asked Dr. Barrett if these procedures were only for more serious chronic conditions. He answered “Not at all. Those minor aches and pains are often resolved in a session or two. We have many patients that initially were seen and treated for a more disabling condition then came back to have us work on other areas that were of less concern since they had great results with the first service.”
Many patients want to know how soon they should get results. With non-invasive regenerative procedures, they often have several patterns reported by their patients. It depends on many factors as everything else does in medicine.
“Shockwave usually has a very noticeable effect on pain rapidly due to its action in reducing the levels of two pain transmitting chemicals in nerve tissue called Substance P and Prostaglandin E2. Initially, this pain relief lasts a few days and then with more time as the tissue heals the pain relief is more sustained and then to the point where the pain resolves entirely. Just because the pain may come back after a few days after the first procedure doesn’t mean it didn’t work. It means that we targeted and applied the right dose to the pain-generating tissue and that the regenerative process has been signaled. It is the regenerative process results that take longer to notice, but it is the primary component that allows the tissue to heal and not need further treatments at all or at least not very often to maintain the results. Some people with minor aches and pains resolve in one or two targeted sessions.”
We asked about how long results last, he answered “It is again very dependent on the condition we treated and the patient’s lifestyle. Our goal is complete resolution. If we get a good result and the patient has a definable reason for why their problem occurred and can change that, we most often achieve resolution. If the causative factor is something the patient can’t eliminate, they might need a touch-up here and there if their conditions recur. Most people report even if their pain recurs it is minimal and goes away rapidly. Some patients come in once every few months or once or twice a year. Some come in before a vacation to make sure they can enjoy their time off. Because we know these patients and they know how to communicate with us, the treatment times are shorter, and we offer them a discount. In many cases when we complete a program on a patient they can again get out and be active, exercise, lose weight, and improve their overall health. We’ve had many people say that these programs have changed their lives. It’s hard for people without these conditions to understand how musculoskeletal pain can sabotage a person’s overall well-being, but for those with conditions such as knee arthritis and plantar fasciitis their reduced mobility and activity levels affect their entire life and emotional health.”
New patients enter the practice with a two-session intake. Both sessions will include non-invasive regenerative medicine procedures. The first is most often a very comprehensive Shockwave session to help diagnose the pain-generating tissues and help estimate the utility Shockwave may have on their condition. Dr. Barrett said “During these visits, the patients and provider will both be able to assess whether Shockwave will be of use to them. It gives the patient the experience and education on how to communicate with the provider to receive a high-quality treatment session. Receiving Shockwave is a very interactive experience for the patient. Patients almost always leave feeling that the treatment was targeting their painful areas, and they commonly tell us that they already feel better and although it is mildly uncomfortable, they can tell it was beneficial and they are excited to come back.”
For most conditions, a new patient intake is $350. It includes the intake, examination, and two procedural sessions. If the patient is a candidate for a complete six-session program this fee is applied to the program cost.
A 25% discount is also offered for their IV infusion or IM injection offerings while in a treatment program.
Regen Rx offers multiple non-invasive regenerative medicine procedures and minimally invasive ultrasound-guided PRP injections to help with a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions.
Download the Regen Rx app, call or text the office at 814-227-5855 to schedule an appointment!
Available by Appointment:
Monday: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday: 9:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
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Google Play Store: Regen RX App
More information can be found on their website at www.regenrxhealth.com
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