Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano The Problem: Why Many Patients Struggle to Avoid Surgery As a specialist, I routinely evaluate patients who have already consulted highly skilled and respected surgeons. These physicians do extraordinary work, and I continue to refer to them when surgery is appropriate. However, many patients seeking to avoid surgery arrive after consultations constrained by time which is an unavoidable reality of insurance-driven medicine

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Myth #11: Going Along to Get Along — Why Playing It Safe with Steroid Shots and Surgery Can Cost You Your Joints There’s an old Southern phrase, "Go along to get along.”I t means you keep doing what everyone else does… not because it’s working, but because that’s what’s familiar. But when it comes to your health and mobility, “going along to get along” can cost you something you can’t get back: your joints. For decades

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Orthobiologic Myth #7: “Older Adults Don’t Respond to PRP” There’s a persistent myth that once you cross a certain age, regenerative medicine is off the table. That your platelets are “too old” or your body no longer knows how to repair itself. That simply isn’t true. It’s accurate that platelet viability and stem-cell activity gradually decline with age, and that certain medications (like platelet inhibitors or anti-in

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano The Problem with New Drugs for Chronic Pain Pharmaceutical companies continue to release new drugs for chronic pain, often celebrated as breakthroughs. These medications can quiet the brain’s pain signals or reduce inflammation temporarily. For some, they offer a measure of relief. But here’s the truth: pain is a signal. It’s the body’s way of alerting us to a deeper issue. If we only mask it, we risk ignoring the cause

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Surgery and Medications Aren’t the Only Answer Too many people are told their only solutions for joint pain, spine pain, or aging tissues are surgery or medications that simply mask symptoms. This fragmented model overlooks the body’s ability to restore itself. True healing requires excellence, precision, and trust—values often missing in conventional care. The Inspiration: A Childhood Book and a Female Healer When pati

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Listening to the Body: What Pain Is Trying to Tell You About Joint and Back Pain Relief In Dallas, Texas Most people treat pain like an enemy—something to silence, ignore, or drug away. But when it comes to back and joint pain relief, Dallas patients deserve a smarter solution—one that looks at what the body is actually asking for. Pain starts to appear in small, subtle ways—when you twist out of a chair, lift a suitc

You Replaced One Joint… But Now the Other One Hurts Maybe you had a knee or hip replaced—and it helped. The pain eased, the joint stabilized, and you got back to moving again. But something feels different now. The other side—the joint you’ve been relying on to “carry the load”—is starting to ache, feel unstable, or simply not perform like it used to. This isn’t your imagination. Joint replacements change how your body moves. When one part is replaced, it alters force distrib

The Hidden Advantage: When Your Health Plan Covers Regenexx Many patients don’t realize how fortunate they are to work for a progressive, self-insured company—one that recognizes the value of Regenexx regenerative orthopedic solutions and chooses to cover them. If you’re one of the few with this benefit, here’s what that really means for your body, your time, and your future. The Problem: Surgery Is a Permanent Structural Change Orthopedic surgery often requires cutting throu

Long hours. High expectations. Active weekends.Joint pain, stiffness, or old injuries shouldn’t be the reason you slow down—or the reason you're told surgery is your only option. There’s a Smarter Path Forward. At Pain Experts, a Regenexx affiliate, we help driven professionals preserve their joints, avoid surgery, and stay at peak performance using advanced, image-guided orthobiologic procedures—no scalpels, no general anesthesia, and no hospitals. Covered by over 3,500 self

This patient avoided spine surgery with a precise, non-invasive orthobiologic procedure. We treated multiple levels of the lumbar spine—targeting joints, ligaments, nerve roots, and the deep stabilizers. Within weeks, he was back to working, moving, and living fully. At Pain Experts, we restore performance without disruption. Click Below to schedule your new patient appointment: https://pp-wfe-100.advancedmd.com/117946/onlinescheduling/v2/patients #BackPain #BackPainDallas #B

You Might Avoid Shoulder Rotator Cuff Surgery with PRP The Problem: Surgery Isn’t Always the Best First Step For many patients with shoulder pain, the journey often begins with a visit to their primary care doctor. From there, they’re referred to an orthopedic surgeon who, upon finding complete or partial but significant tears in the rotator cuff tendons, sends them to physical therapy. If therapy doesn’t resolve the pain, surgery often becomes the next step. Orthopedic surge

Choosing the Best Regenerative Care in a Crowded Market Navigating the world of regenerative medicine can be overwhelming for patients, especially when they face chronic pain, joint dysfunction, or spinal issues. Many patients hear about treatments from international clinics promising "cutting-edge" procedures unavailable in the U.S., leaving them questioning their options. Recently, a patient referred to me by a trusted spine surgeon came seeking regenerative treatment for l

By Deborah Westergaard, MD Pain Experts How to Avoid Knee Surgery Are you or someone you know facing knee pain or considering surgery? There are ways to explore non-surgical options that may help protect your natural joint for longer. In our latest Pain Experts Talk episode, we dive into the impact of prior knee surgeries on early arthritis and explore how regenerative treatments like PRP and bone marrow concentrate can support cartilage health and possibly delay the need for

When you’re faced with pain from a herniated disc, surgery might seem like the quickest solution. However, surgery is not always the best option, and in many cases, disc issues can resolve with the right conservative care. Before opting for surgery, it’s important to explore all your options and understand why non-surgical treatments may be the best choice for you. The Role of the Posterior Ligamentous Complex (PLC) The spine’s stability relies heavily on the posterior ligame