We are proud to share that Dr. Paul Lieber of Regenexx Pittsburgh was recently featured on Leaders and Legends, the American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine’s interview series hosted by Dr. Charles Mahl. The show spotlights the physicians other physicians turn to, the globally recognized innovators known for clinical excellence and compassionate care. Dr. Lieber’s conversation is a wonderful look at the journey, the philosophy, and the heart behind his work.
If you have a few minutes, the full interview is well worth a watch. Here are some of the highlights.
From Pittsburgh, to the bike, and back again
Dr. Lieber is a Pittsburgh native, but his path to medicine was anything but a straight line. As a teenager he discovered cycling, and that passion never left him. He raced competitively in the 1970s, even chasing a spot on the 1976 Olympic road racing team, and spent about five years building custom racing frames that sold across Pittsburgh and beyond. Decades later, in 2010, he returned to racing for another six years.
His route into medicine was just as unconventional. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hobart College and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England, originally considering a career in psychiatry or psychology. When he decided to pursue medical school, he went back and completed the science coursework he had not taken as an undergraduate, then earned his medical degree from Chicago Medical School.
That blend of psychology, athletics, and medicine still shapes how he treats patients today.
Finding his calling in regenerative orthopedics
Dr. Lieber trained in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and gravitated toward outpatient musculoskeletal care, treating the joints, tendons, and ligaments that cause so many people daily pain. Early in his career, working within a workers’ compensation network, he grew frustrated watching injured patients wait far too long for the spinal injections they needed.
So he decided to learn to do it himself. In 1995 he trained in interventional spine procedures at Stanford and began performing them, even though a physiatrist doing that work in an anesthesiology-dominated world was, in his words, “politically incorrect” at the time.
Standard injections and physical therapy still were not delivering the results he wanted for his patients. That search led him to prolotherapy in 1998, and he never looked back. He joined the AAOM in 2002, eventually serving as its president and earning its Lifetime Achievement Award. His practice evolved alongside the field itself, from palpation-guided prolotherapy, to platelet-rich plasma, to the advanced regenerative procedures he performs today. He joined Regenexx in 2012.
Since 1995, Dr. Lieber has performed more than 30,000 procedures, and he has treated patients who traveled to Pittsburgh from across the country and around the world, including Canada, Europe, and Israel.
Patient-first, always
What comes through most clearly in the interview is how deeply Dr. Lieber cares about the people he treats.
“I really do love my patients. Everyone is unique and special, and that keeps me passionate. It enables me to continue to evolve and learn more so I can help my patients more.”
He trains his staff to remember that a patient who walks in grumpy or frustrated is not angry at them. They are simply hurting.
“These people are hurting, so you have to cut them some slack. Our job is to try and make them better.”
He holds himself to an exacting standard of accountability, too.
“When treatment goes wrong, it’s always my fault until proven otherwise.”
And he is candid about what has guided his entire career.
“I’ve never centered myself on making money. I’ve always centered myself on trying to do what I think is right. Do things right, and things will come.”
Advice for the next generation, and a look ahead
Asked what he would tell a young physician just finishing training, Dr. Lieber’s answer reflects the values that have defined his own practice: be passionate, be patient-centric, stay humble and honest, and never rest on your laurels. Keep learning, keep growing, and bring what you learn back to your patients.
He is just as energized about where the field is heading. New developments in orthobiologic medicine, he believes, could meaningfully change how pain is managed over the next five to ten years. As he put it, quoting a line he loves:
“Change is the only constant. And this field continues to evolve. For me, it’s very exciting.”
Experience the Regenexx difference
Dr. Lieber’s interview is a reminder of what sets Regenexx Pittsburgh apart: deep expertise paired with a genuine commitment to every patient who walks through the door. If you are living with joint, spine, or musculoskeletal pain and want to explore non-surgical regenerative options, our team would be glad to help.
Watch the full Leaders and Legends interview above, and contact Regenexx Pittsburgh to learn how regenerative orthopedics could help you get back to the life and activities you love.
