MDNews - Minnesota

says Blake A . Johnson, MD, FACR , Twin Cities Medica l Director and Director of Neuroimag ing at CDI a nd Director of Regenerative Medicine at CDI. "Stem cells live in norma l tissue a nd a re on ca ll to beg in the repa ir process when injur y or disea se occurs. That 's how a tor n liga ment , for exa mple, or a ny injured tissue, hea ls. With regenerative medicine, we ha r vest a nd concentrate the repa ir substa nces in the body a nd de l iver t hem t o t he i nju r e d s it e t o accelerate the natura l hea ling process." THE NEXT STEP IN IMAGE-GUIDED THERAPY CDI offers two forms of regenerative medicine on an outpatient basis: stem cell therapy and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy. The treatments are a natural outgrowth of CDI's 35-year history of providing image-guided therapies for musculoskeletal and spinal conditions, according to Dr. Johnson. "We've been using steroid injections and loca l anesthetics — conventiona l medical pharmacotherapy — to treat pain for decades," he says. "We have extensive experience with image-guided interven- tional procedures. Regenerative medicine is an extension of that." Approximately a dozen physicians — all of whom possess subspecialty training — practice regenerative medicine at CDI. The organization debuted stem cell and PRP therapies at its St. Louis Park location in the Twin Cities during the summer of 2016. Regenerative medicine is also available in central Minnesota, at CDI's Sartell o¡ce. EVALUATION AND SELECTION The regenerative medicine eva lua- tion and treatment algorithm typically begins at CDI Pain Care, CDI's multisite pain clinic. Patients can self-refer to CDI Pain Care or visit at a physician's recommendation. Once a CDI physician has assessed a patient's pain and identi- fied its origin, regenerative medicine is ty pica lly one of severa l treatment options they may discuss. Regenerative medicine is appropriate for any individua l who is a candidate for conventiona l pa in ma nagement, such as steroid injections, according Self Help BY 2014, DECADE S of running left Blake A. Johnson, MD, FACR, Twin Cities Medical Director and Director of Neuroimaging at CDI and Director of Regenerative Medicine at CDI, with a painful, ar thritic left knee. Periodic steroid injections helped, but the relief they provided was temporar y. "I had a steroid injection in my knee in May 2014," Dr. Johnson says. "It felt great for three months and then star ted hur ting again. I'd heard of regenerative medicine and decided to research it a bit more. Eventually, I tried stem cell therapy for my left knee. The lasting relief it gave me — three years and counting — is what led me to offer regenerative medicine at CDI." to Dr. Johnson. That includes, he says, patients with pa r tia lly torn rotator cuf fs a nd other sof t tissues, degen- erative knee damage, facet joint pain, a nd spina l disk disorders, as well as patients with: + Cartilage loss + Plantar fasciitis + Soft-tissue strains, sprains and tears + Tendonitis + Chronic or acute joint pain + Nonhea ling fractures + Mild to moderate osteoarthritis "Anytime patients exert themselves, degeneration of the tissue occurs in the form of microtrauma," Dr. Johnson says. "A ba la nce exists between the anabolic and catabolic forces [metabolic instruments of molecular growth and deconstruction, respectively] of a joint. When injury or disease disrupts that ba la nce, destruction of ca r tilage or soft tissues occurs, and the reparative mechanism that exists to keep the tissue healthy is overwhelmed. A degenerative cascade takes place. Using regenera- tive medicine, we can interrupt that cascade by restoring the environment to a healthier milieu for cells — slowing 0 7 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S M I N N E S O TA ■ 2 017

• Cover