Back on the slopes: An Olympic snowboarder’s recovery
From professional snowboarders to dedicated weekend skiers, we treat many active adults who love spending their days on the hill.
Proactive Care vs Injury Recovery
Physicians around the country inject high-dose corticosteroids into joints like it’s holy water. But while the milligram-dose range used sounds small (after all, it’s only a thousandth of a gram), to the body it’s massive. In fact, it’s a million times too much, as the joint and cells of the body are used to seeing a billionth of grams (nanograms).
When Regenexx first began using stem cells in 2005, the research was clear that nanogram-dose (ultra-low-dose) steroids was what the body was meant to experience. This is more than enough to activate receptors. In fact, steroids in this dose range can do some interesting things, but steroids in the milligram-dose range (one million times more) kill cells. Hence, the solution would seem to be simple: given the steroid injection risks, if you must use steroids, why not use them in the appropriate dose range for the body? You observe the same suppression of inflammation, and you’re not killing cells.
Proactive Care vs Injury Recovery
Some patients proactively visit Regenexx Cayman in the off-season, wanting to boost their joint health before next season.
“As a 65+ year old skier, who skis over 100 days per season, my stem cell procedure was successful. I now ski with no brace and no swelling in some of the steepest, most rugged terrain in North America!” – M. Shambaugh, Regenexx-C Patient
Following an acute injury, other patients trade their snowy mountains for our sandy beaches and have stem cell or PRP treatment to promote natural healing, decrease joint pain, and improve function.
This was the case for professional snowboarder, and 2014 Olympic athlete, Taylor Gold.
A Professional Snowboarder’s Tale of Recovery
Taylor Gold shattered his kneecap on the slopes in 2016, and despite exhausting all surgical options, the cartilage underneath his kneecap remained damaged.
Struggling with pain and limited function, Taylor turned to stem cell therapy to support his healing.
“Before I had the Regenexx treatment, I was constantly dealing with knee popping, and my knee would hurt when I went snowboarding. It would get more and more sore, and at the end of the day, it would be really swollen. Having that treatment fix that issue was a huge help.” – Taylor Gold, Regenexx-C Patient
Now back to competing in the halfpipe, Taylor Gold was eager to share his inspirational story of recovery. Watch his mountaintop testimonial below.
