I had STEM cells injected three years ago. It took about a year to feel 90%. Three years later, I have no issues with my knee. I was faced with a total knee replacement. So thankful that I went the route that I did. read more

Dr. Derrington is fantastic! I feel like I've tried it all--chiropractic care, massage, cortisone injections, physical therapy, etc. While some treatments provided temporary relief, none have given me long-term hope. I'm now six days post-PRP injection into my lumbar, and while there's still some soreness at the injection site, my daily pain level has dropped to a 1 or 2. It's early, but I'm really happy with the results so far. Dr. Derrington and his assistant, Jocelyn, are fabulous. They explained everything clearly and couldn't have been more professional and supportive throughout the process. Their office is also incredibly responsive to emails and phone calls, which makes a huge difference. I wouldn't look anywhere else for care--highly recommend! read more

Im scared to write a review bc I'm afraid it may jinx my situation. Just had my injections on Weds and I went to PT today (2 days later) Back was sore after injections but not too bad I drove home afterwards. Next day very sore. Today not bad but the pain is getting better and better. I'm praying my back continues on the mend but so far so good. Dr. Derrington is great, very patient and nice. Good bedside manner. For Point of reference I had L5/S1 discectomy 13 yrs ago and now my L4/L5 on left giving me massive nerve pain where I was immobile for about a month. Again so far so good. read more

Really caring doc. It took me a while after prp lysate to feel better but around month 3.5 month In there was a huge improvement. 2 tips, these epidurals can hurt so relax and use the Rx for a few days. Also stay in town nearby for at least 2-3 days. We used air bnb even though I live an hour away. You will be sore after procedure and need to lay down. read more

Getting my right shoulder checked out. Had surgery on it over 40 years ago. Confident Dr. Derrington is going to get me back to good as new! I had awesome success with Regenexx stem cell therapy on my left knee. Excited to get my shoulder fixed. read more

Dr. Derrington has helped me a lot from all the chronic back pain I've been having post-surgery. After having my first PRP injection last year and the 2nd this month, I have seen tremendous progress with my health having more energy than before. I have ease of mind knowing that there will be little to no back pain waking up in the morning. Improving your health doesn't come easy, it takes baby steps. Thank you Dr. Derrington for giving me my life back. read more

Semi large disc herniation l5-S1. I am a 38 year old active guy who enjoy golf, surfing and other outdoor activities. I injured my lumbar back on several occasions over a few years and it progressively got worse. Sitting in front of a computer for the more part of my working ours didn't help either. I was diagnosed via MRI with a large semi large disc herniation. I saw my regular doctor as well as a spine specialist outside my network prior to contacting Stephen and Regenexx in San Rafael. All my prior consultations only stated the already known facts; disc herniation and that they wouldn't surgically try to improve the condition unless it worsened. It was not until I spoke to Stephen I was suggested alternative methods for dealing with my injury. We spoke about anti inflammatory foods and supplements to lower inflammation. We also spoke about the importance of a strong core. He suggested I stopped taking medications such as voltaren and similar pain meds I was taking on occasion for pain and inflammation. I researched this further and as it turns out - in the longer run the actually cause more inflammation. I started taking turmeric and collagen 2 instead. Over a year I had a total of 6 to 8 epidural injections done on two occasions. After the first set of injections I started obsessively strengthening my core, which turned out to be significantly weaker than I always thought. I worked through the pain and was very sore for several days. I got better after a few weeks after the first set of injections, but the real improvement started coming on after a couple of months. The more part of the year I gradually got better. At the end of year I requested one more MRI and the herniation had shrunk 4mm in size! I decided to get one more set of shots at the end of that year to top things off. At this time I was about 75% of my old self, a lot less inflammation happening. I didn't have all the same shots done at this time, only around the disc itself. Today, about a year later I have a solid strong core that I continue to strengthen. I am about 99.8% healed, no pain at all in my daily life at all. I am back to surfing, golf and all the other things I couldn't do for about 2 full years. I believe a combination of proper dedicated training - both mobility and strength, lowered inflammation and the regenexx epidural shots which shrunk the herniation sealed the deal for me. Don't listen to doctors who say surgery is the only solution! DM me if you want to ask me questions. read more

Dr. Derrington has come highly recommended by many other people in the field. I have done several treatments with him and seen tremendous progress in my low back with prp epidurals. read more

I had chronic pain in my right shoulder for over 8 years, due to a series of gymnastic and martial art related injuries. Over the course of traeting my shoulder I tried acupunture, ART, RRT, massage, clincal fasting, physical therapy, modaility training, and a host of both topical and oral mediacations. All roads pointed to arthoscopic surgery. Based on MRI results, and the opinions of many leading specialists, I was a classical candiate for arthscopic surgery of the glenoid labrum, with various aneterior tears from noon to six. I was also looking at a biceps tenodesis to remove the long head of my biceps tendon. I was dreading surgery and thought that there was no other alternative. Then I found Regenexx. The Regenexx Procedure on my right shoulder has greatly improved the functionality of my shoulder and reduced the chronic pain. I would recommened the regenexx procedure to anyone with chronic shoulder pain who is either contemplating arthoscopic surgery or who has been examined by a medical professional and been deemed a candidate for arthoscopic surgery. I am so glad I tried the Regenexx Procedure. Please give this procedure a try before attempting any invasive surgery. You will be glad you did. read more

I walked into the office needing help to take my shirt off because my shoulder had snapped, crackled and popped out of place from Jiu Jitsu. I already had a confirmed torn labrum from a previous MRI before this injury and had just pushed through for 2 years before the most recent one. Dr. Derrington was extremely good at listening to what was going on with it and making an assessment on the best way to handle the injury and recommended starting with PRP and seeing what will happen. Fast forward to day 5 or 6, and I was able to use the arm like nothing had ever happened. I truly couldn't believe it and have been telling every single one of my friends with nagging long term injuries to see what is possible with this treatment because I had accepted that I would live with bad joints or get some traumatic surgery which rarely fixes the issue completely. DO NOT continue to stay in pain if you have joint issues and get an evaluation from this man! read more

Dr. Derrington is a real pro at his work! He has passion for what he does and takes the time to listen and explain. I love that he takes healing from the approach as to what is the root cause and working to put a correction in place rather than a band-aid on the problem. I had horrible lower back pain and several doctors said I needed surgery. I so did not want someone cutting on me to potentially make matters works....The PRP injextions worked. It's now been three years and still free of lower back pain! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! read more

I've just met Dr. Derrington but I'm very impressed! I'm visiting from out of town but called about a knee injury and he took me in immediately . He gave me a very thorough exam and was very patient with all my questions. He made me feel very comfortable. I left with print outs so i can buy supplements for pain relief and healing. He examined and offered all he could do for my situation. I don't think I've ever been to a doctor that patiently offered his time and expertise. I would highly recommend! read more

Dr Derrington, under promised and Over Delivered. The lowest disk - between L4 and L5 - in my back gave me constant pain and was "out" on a day to day basis. Now after four months, my back hasn't gone "out" once and the pain is completely gone. In 2012, I was diagnosed with a flat disk from several childhood injuries. At that point the pain ranged, on a scale of 1 to 10, between 1 and 3, and this is if I didn't stretch and my back would go "out" every several months. Over the next several years, my back pain got worse and it started going out more often. Mind you, I am very active, but had to stop because my condition seemed to be accelerating. Then in Sept 2017, I did something to my back that caused daily pain and was also out on a daily basis. The pain constantly ranged from 4 to 6 and stretching my back and legs never helped. In fact, it was too painful to even stretch. The pain and debilitation was so bad that I did some research and found that stem cell therapy was a newer option and found Dr Derrington information and scheduled a visit in Oct 2017. He told me that I would need a new MRI to confirm if I was a candidate, but I never felt pressured by he or his staff. I was skeptical, since this medical treatment was about 10 years old, but my pain and debilitation made it hard to think anything else. Several depressing months went by and I know my condition would only get worse, so I scheduled an MRI in Jan 2018. The new MRI confirmed my candidacy, but I was still skeptical. Over the next month, I weighed my two options - live the rest of my life in debilitating pain or undergo the Regenexx stem cell procedure. I figured it was worth trying and any level of improvement would be worth it. I had my procedure in late March 2018 and the daily pain is almost completely gone. The pain never goes above 1, on a scale of 1 to 10, which only occurs if I'm sitting in hard chair for hours. If any pain returns, all I have to do is stretch and it goes away. Even better, my back hasn't gone out since my procedure and I have returned to staying active. Before my procedure, my L5 vertebrate would pop in and out of place by massaging my lower back muscles. That is, it was very lose and shifted around. Now, after my procedure, it does not shift at all. This procedure has changed my life and for that, I am grateful and recommend it to anyone. read more

Dr. Derrington performed 3 time PRP procedures ( Regenexx DDD ) for my chronic low back pain over 7 months, but no luck to me. Although he has a very kind manner, my pain got worse than when I started the treatment, especially after the 3rd procedure. I very much regret doing the last treatment because at least I was not painful in the buttock area before. I am afraid he made the wrong diagnosis because of his lack of clinical experience. As a result, it ended up with a very painful injection, which made it worse over the months despite the fact that I spent $9K. I understand that I did sign a consent that there are no guaranteed results. However, I know one of his injections in the last treatment hit some nerves in my SI joint area, which caused my pain to aggravate. The chronic back pain is very hard to diagnose and treat well. So I just want to share my treatment experience for those who suffer form the similar pain. My two cents are to do the sufficient research and find the best experienced doctor to understand your conditions, and give you all possible outcomes. Hope this information will be helpful.. read more

This review is wayyy overdue, thanks for adding me on LinkedIn, it finally reminded me to write this. January 2019 I initially injured my lower back, but it wasn't all that bad at first. Fast forward to August 2019, after a couple of reinjuries, I really ended up messing up my low back. My problem was due to L5-S1 spondylolisthesis and for a solid 4-5 months I could barely walk, I could not sit in a chair AT ALL, and all the physical activities that I enjoyed were out of the door. On top of the spondy, my disk at that level was dessicating, my facet joints were inflamed, and that whole L5-S1 region would slosh around due to a lot of mechanical instability. From previous research, I kind of figured I would be a great candidate for this procedure, but after showing my MRI to Dr. D, I think that pretty much confirmed it. I went ahead and got the full stem cell procedure, where a combination of prp and bone marrow stem cells were injected into my disk, facet joints, epidural space, and the surrounding ligaments responsible for segmental stability. Within 2 weeks, I noticed the pain levels began to decrease, and by month 3, it was obvious the treatment was working. Upon my improvements, I also noticed some issues around my SI joints since the pain from L5-S1 was no longer so overwhelming. 6 months post procedure, I went ahead and had another treatment done (prp only), this time basically covering the SI region and my left knee that was also bugging me. The knee has improved a good bit, but not 100%. The SI joints improved only marginally, to this day, they still bug me, but I think that is because the treatment was not comprehensive enough. I think if the treatment was more thorough, I would have noticed a better improvement. In any case, I am well over a year from my first treatment, and wow, what a night and day difference. At this point, I am back to weight lifting, running and doing pretty much all the physical activities I once enjoyed. The SI joints still bug me so I am trying to be becareful with all activities; I'll probably want to get another treatment done to polish off that area. L5-S1 I daresay has noticed a 100% improvement. Just bare in mind, this procedure will not grow you a brand new joint, but it can get you out of chronic pain, maybe even completely! If you are considering surgery for joint degeneration, I highly recommend giving this treatment a look, because it is much safer, much less invasive, and more promising than what surgery has to offer. If I ever had to do this procedure again, I would do it in a heart beat. Dr. Derrington will only ever recommend something to you if he feels you are a good candidate, he is not there to sell a product. After hours of research, I came to conclusion that he was my best option here in southern california, and I think my outcome confirmed it. If I were to give one recommendation (to Dr. Derrington), it would be to maybe be a bit more holistic with the treatments so that no areas are left unaddressed and so that patients will not need to come in 2-3 times to get the final results they are hoping to achieve. Thanks again Dr. Derrington for doing what you do, you basically gave me a normal life back after thinking I would have to succumb to spine surgery. Stem cell therapy and your expertise in the matter is truly a diamond in the rough in the nightmare that is American healthcare. If I ever need to get additional treatments (which I probably will), I know who to call. read more

I was in so much pain in the left side of my upper back which shot down my arm to my hand. Had several shots which didn't help. Saw 2 different surgeons that said I need surgery. Went to see Dr. Derrington which was the best decision I could of made! He and his staff are GREAT! I had platelet injections and I feel so much better! He explained everything and I felt very comfortable with the procedure. It has been 9 months and (if needed) I wouldn't hesitate to do it again! Thank you Dr. Derrington! read more

I would give a million stars If I could. Dr Derrington and ALL of his staff are amazing!!!!! I had a bone bruise in my femur with some cartilage damage same knee. All the previous Surgeons I consulted with did not convince me it was in my best interest to do a myriad of invasive Surgery, with months of recovery, and no guarantee of recovery. I found Dr Derrington after exhausting search for a solution. Its only been 10 days since I started treatment with these guys. I have had Prolo Therapy, Stem Cell Therapy, a bone augmentation, and a follow up, with thebest kind of PRP(SCP) injections/treatment avail. All of those things and to avoid Surgery and recover with only a few days of discomfort is a miracle. Thank you guys. They are saving me. Ok everyone 8 weeks after the procedure and going back to work. I'm almost 100% in only 2 months. This group Dr Derrington and Emily literally gave me my physical life back. Also I recommend PT with Inside Out Dr Dave Paczkowski his brilliance in PT has GREATLY improved my legs/knee recovery in a very short time. Ty all SOOO MUCH!!!! I am 57 years old. read more

For years I had been fighting back pain. I have scoliosis and didn't think anything could be done because of my advanced age. I've known about PRP for some time but didn't think I could find a skilled practitioner locally. Then I heard about Health Link in Oceanside and Dr. Derrington and decided to go for it. It was the best decision I've made in a very long time. I continue to improve daily and I am grateful to Dr. Derrington for using his considerable skill and expertise to help give me back my life. I improve each day and now am able to walk farther before my back starts to tell me it's too tired to hold me up. I am confident that over time I will get back to a completely normal life. read more

It has been one year since I received PRP injections from Dr. Derrington for long-standing low back pain, and I am thrilled with the improvement I have experienced. I had a series of injuries and flare-ups in my low back over the previous 10 years and developed a feeling that my low back was a vulnerable area that could be easily aggravated. I avoided bending, running or any bouncing activity. Bending over to wash my face in the morning was difficult, and I needed to do stretches every day to loosen up. Dr. Derrington spent a generous amount of time with me evaluating my back. In reviewing my MRI results, he pointed out multiple areas where specific tissues had weakened. He recommended PRP injections into several ligaments, muscles, facet joints and epidural areas to stimulate regeneration of tissue. The procedure itself was quite comfortable. Over the last year my back has felt progressively better. In the past few months, there has not been any significant pain despite returning to all my normal physical activities. For an active guy in his mid-60s, that is a wonderful feeling. I highly recommend Dr. Derrington for his knowledge, professionalism, and expertise. read more

Dr. Derrington saw me for my torn LCL. I received a couple injections of PRP from my orthopedic surgeon before seeing Dr. Derrington and I was expected to make a full recovery without surgery. Both of those injections were unsuccessful, and did not help one bit. Luckily I met Dr Derrington and through his expertise in PRP injections and proper physical rehabilitation I was able to make a full recovery in less than two months. I am now back doing jiujitsu and weight lifting like normal. I recommend him as a first point of contact because the sooner you get in to see him the better. read more

I am so thankful for Dr. Derrington. I am a self employed massage therapist who had a torn rotator cuff. I have heard only horror stories from people who had surgery and I needed to get back to work asap with a healthy shoulder. Dr. Derrington's knowledge and expertise, not to mention his friendly demeanor, made me feel comfortable right away. He really listens and respects your feelings and opinions. When I decided to do the stem cell procedure he walked me through everything and did whatever he could to make it a positive experience. He even played my favorite music during the procedure. I was able to start working again, a little at a time, after only 3 months. I had great range of motion and I continue to get stronger. It was been 8 months since the procedure and I am working, living my normal life, even swimming, and experiencing minimal discomfort, if any at all. Many of my friends were skeptical that I would do this well. I have no regrets and am so glad that I did not have surgery. Thank you so much Dr. Derrington and staff! read more

I had treatments done a month ago with Dr. Derrington at Healthlink Regenex in Oceanside (highly recommend) for my debilitating back and hip pain. I have bulging disks, arthritis and degenerative disk decease in my lower back, plus damaged tendons & ligaments in my left hip. Taking pain killers or having actual surgery was not an option for me. I've heard & seen too many horror stories and just didn't want to go there! (Not judging anyone here) So I had PRP & Prolotherapy done. They were great at keeping me comfortable during the whole procedure. I'm happy to report that I've been pain free for 30 days! Free of the debilitating daily pain that made it to where I couldn't even walk. I was told not to expect any significant changes for at least 2 months and the process takes up to a year to get the full benefit. Which of coarse is expected since your body is busy rebuilding itself. I haven't tried going on a long walk yet but will soon. But at least I can go short distances, stand, sit, sleep, wash dishes and cook without being in pain. I highly recommend Dr. Derrington and his staff! Everyone was truly amazing to work with. read more

I found Dr Derrington as I was searching for a way to avoid surgery for a nonunion fracture in my big toe. Combine his expertise and bedside manner with his staff plus the technology he uses, and you have a winning combination. Dr D performed a stem cell transfer and PRP in July, coordinating fabulously with my podiatrist (who was deeply impressed with his technique and thoroughness). I am beyond grateful that 5 weeks post-procedure a high-res X-ray revealed the fracture was completely healed. I hope I don't incur any future injuries that point to PRP or a stem cell transfer, but if I do, I know exactly who to see! Thank you, Dr Derrington! read more

I am extremely impressed by the care I received from Dr. Derrington and his staff for treatment of calcific tendonitis in my shoulder, for providing more current, less invasive procedures that worked great. After just a few weeks I am pain-free and back to complete normal activities, doing better than I have been for several years. Here's the back story: I had been having pain, limited mobility and weakness in my left arm due to calcific tendonitis for several years. I first went to an orthopedic doctor who gave me a steroid shot and recommended traditional surgery with 6 month or more recovery time. That's when I sought out alternative less invasive treatments and found Dr. Derrington. He suggested a procedure called lavage, along with PRP which was much less invasive than surgery. He basically sucked out the calcium with a needle and injected PRP to assist with healing. I was able to watch the whole procedure in real time on sonogram, and he even showed me the calcium he extracted in the syringe. That was cathartic! Less than a week after the procedure I was pain free and had full mobility. In about 2 weeks I was back in the gym at about 50% strength and by 4 weeks I was back at full strength which was something I was unable to achieve for several years prior. I am very impressed with the evaluation done by Dr. Derrington, the simplicity of the procedure and the most of all the final result. He would absolutely be my first choice for any orthopedic issue going forward. read more