Prior to receiving treatment from Dr. Reeves, I was informed by the orthopedist I was seeing for…read moreright shoulder pain that his treatment plan would begin with steroid injections to manage the pain. However, he said these injections would eventually destroy the cartilage in my shoulder leading to the need for a shoulder replacement. Obviously, this was not a very attractive treatment option for me. When I spoke to Dr. Reeves, he told me that prolotherapy would not damage my cartilage but rather stabilize the cartilage surface and help the shoulder move more normally but calming or repairing irritated tendons, ligaments and nerves about the shoulder, reducing the possibility of needing a shoulder replacement. This was a much more appealing treatment plan.
The first time I met with Dr. Reeves, I was struck by the thoroughness of the exam. He began by examining my range of motion and which movements caused pain. He then, using subtle pressure with his finger and thumb, asked me to let him know when I felt any pain. In the end, this proved not to be necessary, because once he applied pressure he would say "this spot probably irritates you but this one doesn't." Remarkably, he was accurate 100% of the time. He then used a marker to map where to place the injections. Before the prolotherapy treatment began he asked me if I would like to pray. Admittedly, I was shocked, in a good way, by this option, because I had never before been given this option by a medical professional. Kind of wish this practice would become more common.
Because prolotherapy involves using needles to inject natural substances into different tissues, I was stuck by how little discomfort was involved in this procedure until I reminded myself that Dr. Reeves specialty is pain management and he is extremely good at this. At the completion of the treatment, I had increased range of motion and an obvious reduction in pain. However, the elegance of prolotherapy is that the real healing occurs in the weeks and months following treatment.
In addition to working on my right shoulder, Dr. Reeves, in subsequent appointments, has treated my left shoulder and both knees.
As a result of my positive experience of being a patient of Dr. Reeves, I refer all my friends and acquaintances, dealing with chronic pain, to him. This is easy to do because Dr. Reeves processes all the traits of a true healer. He is companionate, humble, patient, smart and honest. One reviewer described him as a saint. A description I can't disagree with. He truly loves what he does and I am always stuck each time I met him by how much he has learned since the last time we met. Consequently, I am confident that I am always receiving the most cutting edge treatment available. I feel blessed to have met such an exceptional individual and hope others receive this blessing too.
