In August 2015, Erin O’Neill, was involved in a car accident that caused physical and mental anguish for years. She suffered through years of limited mobility, weight gain and constant pain. As a result, O’Neill needed frequent physical therapy sessions and chiropractic visits just to maintain her current level of function.
“I went from playing college softball to barely being able to stand for more than 20 minutes at a time,” O’Neill says.
At her wits end and believing this would be her life from here on out, O’Neill reached out to Jeffrey Berger, D.O., an experienced Regenerative Medicine specialist with Premier Orthopaedics, in the hopes that he could help with long-term pain relief. O’Neill did not want treatment that would simply mask her symptoms but something that would correct the underlying problem and allow her to regain as much mobility and function as possible.
Dr. Berger suggested a combination of high concentration Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in addition to Platelet Lysate (PL) injections to treat her disc, joint as well as tendon and ligament related pain. O’Neill admits she was not familiar with this form of treatment. However, after an appointment with Dr. Berger, during which he explained the procedure in detail as well as the rationale behind a regenerative medicine approach using cells from her own blood she determined it was her last chance at long-term pain relief.
“I was able to get in quickly for the blood draw and the actual procedure,” O’Neill says. “Within a few weeks of the procedure, I was already feeling some relief. By the third month, I felt significant pain relief. I was more active and finally able to do things I have suffered through in the past. I was able to do the dishes without having to rest on the countertop because of back pain. I was finally able to drive for more than 20 minutes at a time and be able to just be normal again. I am no longer using pain meds to get through my days. I’ve even lost weight and feel as if my overall mental health has greatly improved.”
“Erin was an excellent candidate for regenerative medicine treatment,” says Berger. “Her symptoms and imaging all played a role, but ultimately it was through her examination that we determined much of her pain was related to higher level instability due to hypermobility. My approach to Erin’s complex low back pain was to treat the entire functional spinal unit addressing the multitude of pain generators along with predisposing factors. I am really happy with her outcome.”
O’Neill is now a big believer in Dr. Berger and the healing power of her own blood.
“When I say that Dr. Berger is a Godsend, I truly mean it,” she says. “He is such an advocate for your well-being. He has literally given me back my life and I am so excited to see what the future will bring from it. If you are on the fence about doing PRP, stop thinking about it and just do it. Dr. Berger will bring you back to life!”
For more information about regenerative medicine at Premier Orthopaedics, visit www.premierortho.com.