By Deborah Westergaard, M.D. Dallas | Regen Experts Dallas & Plano Regenerative Spine Treatment Dallas: Why Imaging Guidance Matters as Much as the Biologic Regenerative spine treatment uses biologic preparations such as platelet-rich plasma or bone marrow concentrate instead of steroid to address selected spinal structures. But the biologic is only half the procedure. Professional society safety practices and current reviews continue to identify fluoroscopy as the recommen

By Deborah Westergaard, M.D. Dallas | Regen Experts Dallas & Plano Perhaps buying a convertible in middle age or while heading toward retirement is not a crisis after all. Perhaps it is simply a very enjoyable reason to get outside, put the top down, and experience the morning light. That does not make a convertible a medical treatment. But morning light, healthy sleep, regular movement, good nutrition, and metabolic health all contribute to the environment in which your body

By Deborah Westergaard, M.D. Dallas | Regen Experts Dallas & Plano What If We Have Been Treating the Wrong Part of Knee Arthritis? The Traditional Arthritis Conversation If you've been told you have "bone-on-bone" arthritis, you've probably heard the same treatment options repeatedly: - Anti-inflammatory medications - Cortisone injections - Physical therapy - Activity modification - Eventually, knee replacement surgery For many patients, these options can be helpful. But what

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Regen Experts powered by Pain Experts Deborah Westergaard, MD is a double board-certified physician with over two decades of advanced experience in minimally invasive, image-guided spine and musculoskeletal procedures. She specializes in precision-guided orthobiologic and regenerative medicine approaches designed to help selected patients pursue non-operative options for joint and spine conditions. Orthobiologic Joint Maintenance There is a momen

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts There Are Biological Points of No Return Cartilage does not regenerate indefinitely. Ligaments do not re-tighten themselves once instability progresses. Muscles that protect joints can shut down quietly over time. There are structural thresholds in biology. And once those thresholds are crossed, your options narrow. If you want to Avoid Joint Surgery in Dallas, the smartest strategy is early structural clarity not late-stage reaction.

Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Pain Relief Is Not the Same as Avoiding Back Surgery in Dallas For many patients in Dallas, the path toward back surgery begins quietly. It often starts with procedures that calm pain signals—nerve blocks, ablations, injections that temporarily reduce symptoms. And for a long time, that approach represented the best medicine available. I trained in that era. I practiced in that era. And those treatments helped many people

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Why “It’s Just the Disc” Is an Incomplete Diagnosis and How to Avoid Back Surgery Many patients seeking to avoid back surgery in Dallas are told their pain is caused by a “bad disc.” This conclusion is usually based on MRI findings alone with disc bulges, degeneration, or annular tears. The challenge is not that discs are irrelevant. The problem is that they are rarely the only pain generator. Disc changes are common wi

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 Muscle Mass Longevity is Important and Why Muscle Mass Declines With Age In sedentary adults, muscle mass typically falls about 1–2% per year starting in midlife, and this loss may accelerate after age 60. Resistance training can substantially slow this decline. Why it matters: less muscle means poorer joint stability, lower metabolism, and higher risks of imbalance, falls, and fractures. Add to that the stress of overu

By Deborah Westergaard, MD Board-Certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology Regenexx-Affiliate Pain Experts Dallas–Plano Back pain doesn't care how successful you are. It doesn't care if you're mid-swing on the golf course or mid-deal in the boardroom. When it shows up, it quietly steals your power—limiting your movement, your performance, and even your presence. And if you're the type of person who's used to solving problems fast, the typical advice to “rest and take NSAI