We love sharing patient success stories! Here is a spotlight on Guy, a business owner and an Ironman triathlete. He was diagnosed with a herniated L4-L5 disc and received treatment on his spine between March 2014 to November 2014.
Here are the highlights of how Regenerative and Performance Specialists helped Guy get back to doing what he loves to do best – competing in triathlons.
Dr. Leiber just mentioned that Guy “kicked the younger guy’s butts” when he went cycling with him recently!
Before Platelet Therapy
An elite athlete with national and world titles, Guy Berkebile competes in Ironman Triathlons—grueling one-day events that include a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and marathon 26.2-mile run.
In August 2013, during a trip to compete in Germany, Guy woke in excruciating pain. His L4-L5 disc had ruptured.
“I scheduled an emergency flight home and they took me from the plane in a wheelchair,” he remembers. “I had paralysis down the front of my right leg and could not stand or walk for more than a few seconds at a time.”
Spinal surgery relieved the nerve pressure and pain. However, in January 2014, Guy picked up a dumbbell during a workout and felt the disk re-rupture. The pain and paralysis returned
“I own a chemical company and could not spend much time in the plant because it hurt to stand and walk,” he says. “Even standing to sing a hymn in church was agony.”
Guy’s surgeon warned that a second surgery carried a high risk for the disc collapsing.
“That’s when a friend who competes in ironman triathlons recommended that I call Dr. Lieber. My friend had back problems and Dr. Lieber was able to help him recover without surgery,” Guy says.
After Platelet Therapy
From March to November 2014, Guy visited Dr. Paul Lieber at Regenerative and Performance Specialists for seven treatments combining Regenexx prolotherapy and PL-Disc platelet procedures.
A blood component, platelets are growth factors that promote healing throughout the body. For each PL-Disk treatment, Guy’s own platelets were isolated and concentrated from his blood.
“They drew my blood in the afternoon and I would return the following morning for the injections,” he says. “There was only mild discomfort and I drove myself back to the office.”
After reducing his activity for three days, Guy was back to his normal work and training regimen. By the following summer, Guy’s triathlon performance was back on track—and better.
“I was swimming faster than I ever have,” he says. His cycling times were equally impressive during races in harsh conditions.
Guy encourages anyone considering back surgery to learn about platelet procedures.
“For me, it worked better than surgery,” he says. “And the best part about it—I still have all of my disc tissue because nothing was removed.”
Disclaimer: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx Procedures have a success & failure rate. Not all patients will experience the same results.
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