Regenerative Orthobiologic Medicine
Drew Otten is a naturopathic medical student at Sonoran University of Health Sciences. His graduation date is set for December of 2024. He is currently in the Regenerative Medicine Honors Track and is pursuing a specialization in Interventional Orthobiologic Medicine. While he is not able to accept patients at this time or provide any medical advice, he is committed to educating on general topics within the field of Regenerative Medicine. Follow along on socials to see what the newly forming field of Naturopathic Interventional Orthobiologic Medicine is all about! His Instagram stories will keep a log of the process for anyone interested. To obtain updates on practice development after graduation, provide your email below by simply sending a message with your email. Let him know about yourself and why you're interested in this type of medicine!
Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.
- Hippocrates
Educational Information
Perineurial Injection Therapy
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Perineural Injection Therapy is a treatment modality for chronic pain that involves injecting a low-concentration of dextrose (sugar) solution near cutaneous nerves that are causing pain. The goal of the treatment is to reduce inflammation and promote healing of the nerves.
The dextrose solution is thought to work by targeting the nerves that are causing pain, and reducing the activity of these nerves. This can help to decrease pain and inflammation. While Perineural Injection Therapy is often used to treat chronic pain conditions, it's also sometimes used for acute injuries.
Typically a small needle is used in order to inject the solution just beneath the skin. Upon administration, effects are normally seen quite rapidly compared to other orthobiologic procedures.
Nerve Hydrodissection
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Nerve hydrodissection is a minimally invasive technique used to treat nerve entrapment syndromes, which can cause conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, and certain types of chronic pain. The procedure involves the injection of a fluid (often a local anesthetic, saline, dextrose solution, corticosteroid, or even prp) to separate, or "dissect," the nerve from the surrounding tissue. The primary goal of nerve hydrodissection is to alleviate the pressure on the nerve caused by the surrounding structures, which can help to reduce pain and improve nerve function.
The Healthcare provider will insert a needle into the area where the nerve is being compressed, using image guidance. The fluid is then injected, which pushes the nerve away from the surrounding tissue and helps to free it from any adhesions that might be causing compression or restricted movement.
Prolotherapy
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Dextrose prolotherapy, also known as proliferative therapy, is a nonsurgical treatment which stimulates healing. This type of therapy is used to treat chronic musculoskeletal conditions that have not responded to conventional therapies, such as osteoarthritis, tendonitis, and ligament sprains.
In dextrose prolotherapy, a solution of concentrated dextrose (a type of sugar) is injected into the affected area. The theory behind the treatment is that the injection of dextrose into the tissue causes inflammation, which stimulates the body's natural healing response. This response includes increased blood flow, the growth of new tissue, and strengthening of the damaged or weakened area.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is a medical treatment that uses a person's own blood components to stimulate a healing response in damaged tissues. A small amount of the patient's blood is drawn from the patient first. This blood is then placed in a centrifuge, a machine that spins at a high speed to separate the blood into its different components: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. The platelet-rich plasma is then extracted. This plasma is rich not only in platelets, but also in growth factors and proteins that can aid in healing and reduce inflammation. The PRP is then injected back into the patient at the site of injury or damage.
**Education on imaging modalities to be added at a future date...
**Education on other autologous therapies to be added at a future date...
Contact Drew Otten
My goal is to provide you the best and most up to date information I can within the field of Regenerative Orthopedic Medicine. If you would like to stay in touch and keep up to date with me as I complete my training, please fill out the contact form below.
About
Ever since my first orhtopedic injury from basketball in undergrad, Regenerative Orthopedic Medicine has become my passion. I eat, sleep, and breathe it from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. I am very excited about the versatility of these therapies to be able to help a wide array issues ranging from common sports injuries such as ligament tears to chronic degenerative conditions such osteoarthritis. I also love that Regenerative Medicine is primed as a therapy to help the highest performers such as professional athletes as well as the commoner on a budget. My plans are to develop approaches that are optimal for both of these categories of people. I think this is doable with the wide range of therapies this field has to offer.
Through my own struggles with a dual diagnosis of cervical instability and styloidogenic jugulovenous compression syndrome, I've developed a very strong interest in spine health, especially in relation to conditions such as Cranciocervical Instability, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Cervical Medullary Syndrome, chiari malformation, CSF leaks, POTS, Dysautonomia, Eagle's syndrome, Styloidogenic Jugulovenous Compression Syndrome, Vetebrobasilar Insufficiency Syndrome, and other various neurological sequelae that can derive from orthopedic abnormalities in the spine. My own health journey included surgical resection of the right styloid process. Through this, I've realized what a delicate and dynamic art it is to fix abnormalities in the spine. It often requires a humble yet competent physican who knows how to coordinate care with other professionals. While I am still a couple years away from my ultimate end goal, my long term plan is to specialize in Interventional Orthobiologics with subspecialization in the spine.
My own journey to where I am today has been a challenging yet rewarding process. I am still humbled every moment by how much there is to learn. I have been truly amazed by the incredible generosity of a lot of my mentors throughout this process. I am incredibly grateful to all of them because without their teaching, my knowledge would amount to nothing. I look forward to what the next 3 years of training has to offer! Please don't hesitate to shoot me a message on here and let me know who you are and why you're here! I look forward to getting to know you!