Dr. Friedlis tells the Patch about his Stem Cell Arts practice, an affiliate of National Spine and Pain Centers and its cutting edge techniques that patients overcome chronic pain with non-surgical procedures.

Patch: What is Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine (or Platelet Therapy)?

Dr. Friedlis: Stem Cell Therapy and Platelet Therapy / platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy are revolutionary non-invasive medical procedures that relieve pain. These treatments promote the long lasting healing of musculoskeletal conditions for common injuries and degenerative joint conditions, such as osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis, using the natural healing properties of the patient's own stem cells. Stem cells are used to heal damaged tissue, ligaments, cartilage, and bone while managing pain. The stem cells are harvested from the patient's own hip bone marrow via syringe, concentrated, and then re-injected into injured tissue in other areas of the body. These stem cells then act as a 'booster' for the body's natural healing process and enable the patient to heal without the use of foreign materials or surgery. These rapidly emerging techniques are showing exciting success with osteoarthritis of the knee, shoulder, hip, and spine, rotator cuff tears, chronic plantar fasciitis, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, pelvic pain and instability, back and neck injuries, tennis elbow, ankle sprains, tendonitis, and ligament sprains.

Patch: What can Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Procedures do for a prospective patient?

Dr. Friedlis: Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Procedures are viable alternatives for individuals who may be considering elective surgery or joint replacement due to injury or arthritis, we offer these procedures to patients wishing to avoid lengthy periods of downtime and painful rehabilitation that come with invasive surgeries.

Patch: Am I Too Old or Too Injured to have Stem Cells Work for me?

Dr. Friedlis: Age and level of injury are not typically a factor in a regenerative procedure because the treatment is noninvasive and stimulates the body's natural healing mechanisms. The risk of surgical treatment for older patients or those with existing injuries is greatest during the recovery period. Because stem cell therapy is non-invasive, complications during the recovery are not a concern.

Typically, patients come see us for one of three reasons. The first of those being that the patient is younger, and due to either a genetic condition or injury, is facing joint replacement at an early age. Often what happens, over long periods of time, is that the replacement joint will experience wear and the patient will need another replacement surgery to remedy the problem. By seeking regenerative treatment, we are able to help our younger patient manage the pain enough to delay the need for surgery. That way the patient will only have to undergo one joint replacement surgery in their lifetime instead of two or three.

The second reason many patients come is that they cannot afford to take the required amount of downtime necessary to recover from traditional surgical treatments for musculoskeletal ailments. Because our treatment is noninvasive, patients are able to quickly recover and begin the healing process, allowing them to get back to their everyday lives.

The third type of patient that visits us are those who have already had surgical treatments to help manage their condition, however are still suffering from pain. In partnership with their orthopedic surgeons, we use regenerative therapies in adjunct to their traditional therapy to help the patient manage their pain.

Each patient has a unique situation when they visit us. Because of that, each treatment is customized to meet the individual patient's needs.

Patch: What attracted to you to this industry, and how did you start?

Dr. Friedlis: As a physician in pain management, I became frustrated with the lack of solutions to truly fix my patients. There are many excellent methods to controlling pain using traditional medicine. However, those methods are often used to simply hide the problem. Regenerative medicine enables us to help manage the root cause of the patient's pain by preserving and improving the body's function with little or no downtime. That way our patients can get back to doing the things they love sooner.

Patch: What's the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you've faced in your job?

Dr. Friedlis: I have been among the first to adopt regenerative therapies after much scientific review. The science of these newer procedures and therapies is still not at the level of a double blind study; the most rigorous and expensive research method. So, I would say that one difficulty is facing naysayers who are not open to newer methods for non-surgical treatments that harness the body's ability to heal. Luckily, patients are getting the word out. Our network has a full-time research team studying the outcomes of several thousand patients over the course of several years. The studies are demonstrating positive results, such as pain reduction across the knee, shoulder, hip, and elbow, as well as other joint, ligament, and tendon conditions.

Patch: What advice would you give a person just starting in your industry?

Dr. Friedlis: Regenerative medicine is a very specialized field that requires a significant amount of training. Because of the progressive nature of the practice, unfortunately, the skill and knowledge that you need cannot be obtained through today's standard medical training.

In order to achieve the level of expertise required, you need to be diligent in educating yourself in regenerative medicine and take it upon yourself to stay well versed in the latest advancements in the field. You need to always be scouring the web for blogs and latest findings from people all over the world on the subject matter to keep track of all the advancement that people are making.

Regenerative medicine is a work in progress. However, you have a responsibility to stay on top of the latest and best practices being used globally so you can provide and deliver top quality care to your patients.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

Dr. Friedlis: The best piece of personal advice I received was to marry my wife. However, on a more professional level, the best piece of advice I received was to always have the courage to think outside of the box when trying to find solutions for your patients. By only sticking to the traditional menu of medical solutions, we as physicians may be missing some important treatments that can make a real difference in our patients' lives. I have been fortunate to find partners in Dr.'s Wagner and Dade, who are like-minded.

Patch: How did you come up with the name of your business?

Dr. Friedlis: The name of our business, Stem Cell Arts, is a direct reflection of what we do. In our practice, Dr. Rodney Dade, Dr. Robert Wagner, and I integrate over a decade of experience in using a patient's own stem cells to manage pain with the science and art required to successfully implement some of today's most progressive medical research and techniques in a rapidly advancing field.

Patch: What's the best part about doing business in your town?

Dr. Friedlis: Living in Potomac, Maryland and working in Chevy Chase, Maryland and Tysons/McLean, Virginia allows me to meet a variety of extremely interesting, engaging, and diverse people. The most gratifying aspect of what I do is helping patients get back to the things they desire to dobe it working, exercising, travelingyou name it. I also enjoy treating multiple members of one family and getting to know them well.

Patch: If you were to get an indulgent snack in your town, where would you go and what would you get?

Dr. Friedlis: I would have to say Moby Dicks. The food is healthy, prepared fresh, and well done. Overall, I find it very satisfying.

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Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine with Dr. Mayo ...