When All Else Fails, Find an Expert in Regenerative Therapies!
Posted February 14, 2025 in Uncategorized | 11 minute read
10-minute read
Whether you are an orthopedic surgeon, plastic surgeon or into regenerative therapies I think you might find this blog of interest. It’s about human nature and how to use current research to grow your practice and improve the lives of your patients.
I’m writing as a consumer today after having dinner with six friends last night and hearing them discuss their approach to healthcare. Specifically treating joint and lower back pain. Probably an odd dinner conversation, but cocktails were involved.
These were all smart and well-informed individuals. Two dentists, one a cosmetic dentist who just sold her multi-million-dollar practice, a dental implant specialist, a C-Suite insurance executive, and a bioengineer with an international composting business. I was the only marketing person in the group and my husband was an innocent bystander.
Of course, working for Tulip Medical and reading countless papers on adipose use for pain, I raised the issue of why not investigate some of the newer regenerative types of procedures.
I was shocked when the response was, I’m going to use steroids and have the nerves cut because it’s covered by insurance. This was coming from a well-off 70-year-old woman who loves to ski and loves to travel. She can afford to shop where she chooses, receives regular Botox and microneedling (not covered by insurance) drives a Tesla and lives in a beautiful home, with a view of the water. As hard as it was, I dropped the conversation! It was almost as contentious as politics these days, and no good outcome appeared imminent.
This dinner conversation was on the heels of the previous night’s dinner meeting I had with Dr. Mary Ambach, board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine, with an Orthobiologics and Regenerative Medicine fellowship and more than 20 years of experience in treating sports, spine, and pain conditions in various medical practice settings. She practices in Encinitas, California just up the coast from San Diego.
I was clearly caught in a tale of two cities. One in which people would rather seek treatments that are proven not to work very long and may ultimately cause more harm than good, and the other, based on the latest research in relief from pain safely while regenerating tissue.
I must tell you that marketing regenerative therapies has almost become an obsession for me. I realize it’s one of my jobs as the Chief Marketing Officer for Tulip, but if I wasn’t a believer I couldn’t do it. I have walked away from other marketing projects with other companies that I would never have ethically endorsed. I have always believed I had an obligation to the public to be as truthful as possible.
My dinner with Dr. Ambach was both delightful and enlightening. She told me how she got tired of treating patients with steroids as the only option, knowing in her heart and intellect this could not be the only answer, which is when she went back to school to learn regenerative medicine.
Due to her interest in integrating natural-based solutions to target pain and keep patients active, she joined a team of internationally recognized experts and faculty in regenerative medicine at the prestigious Orthohealing Center in Los Angeles. In this pioneering facility, Dr. Ambach provided expert care to Olympic and professional athletes in treating their injuries and getting them back to their optimum fitness level.
Now more than a decade she has used regenerative therapies to treat hundreds of patients suffering from orthopedic injuries and observing long lasting, and life changing results. Included in this group are Marines, Navy Seals, and Special Forces veterans. As part of her commitment Dr. Ambach, has provided complimentary regenerative treatments to veterans to give back to our nation’s heroes and contribute to the Warrior2Warrior program.
So, my question to you, dear readers, is why is it so hard for people to embrace something new? I have my theories, but what I have observed is whether you are a physician, introducing your patients to a new procedure or new medical device, or a marketer like me, you must start with where your customers are.
I’m convinced we do not ask patients enough questions and we sure don’t wait for their answers. Let me give you a great example of a completely different medical device. Years ago, I lead the marketing team that introduced Sciton Corporations new Diva laser for vaginal rejuvenation. The launch was a smashing success because there was high-profile interest in this procedure, and we had done extensive research on what women cared about and what types of procedures they were considering.
We used the right language, and we addressed the right terminology, we wrote for and to women. We knew our demographic focus extremely well!
The other thing we did was to spend time talking with physicians and their staff sharing how to introduce the sensitive topics of urinary incontinence and vaginal tightening into the conversation when a patient hadn’t brought up the issue herself.
Keep in mind, none of these types of procedures were covered by insurance any more than getting neuromodulators for your crow’s feet. Engaging in casual conversation that doesn’t feel like a “set-up” is the key to all of relationships regardless of whether you are a customer of Tulip Medical or just happen to be reading this blog.
One of the first things I did when I came on board with Tulip was to write a brochure for how to explain “The Miracle of Your Own Fat”. Picture in your mind the patient in your treatment room is there for her facial filler, and she has been coming to you for the last five years. She’s dug in, and did I mention she is a recurring patient with recurring revenue that amounts to more than six figures over the lifetime of that patient.
Why would you want to disrupt that relationship? You wouldn’t. Unless of course, there was some potential for a newly identified negative result for patients.
However, if you’ve been following the fashion news out of Hollywood you would know that Khloe’ Kardashian, Courtney Cox and Amy Schumer have all removed their filler. The chances of this becoming a “thing” and the fact that the term “Filler Fatigue” is hitting the airways, makes bringing up this conversation timely. If not now? When?
To help our customers deal with this new information we created training modules to help practices introduce nanofat into the conversation. Whether you have an orthopedic practice, or a cosmetic surgery practice the principles are the same and we have physician and staff training for multiple specialties.
Timing is everything, and knowing how to introduce a topic requires some finesse. The first rule is to ask questions, not the drilling kind, where the person feels like they’re under the single ceiling light bulb dangling in a back room.
The best way to discover what your patients are thinking is to ask them. Whether they are doing their own research and may be confused about what is correct, don’t be judgmental about them sharing the wrong information with you. You can always go back later in the conversation and correct it, but if you cut them off at this stage of the idea exchange forget learning anything more. Embarrassment never opens the door further it only slams it shut.
When they are finished telling you what they know, share your own journey of researching the latest science and talking with your colleagues. Talk about what you would recommend to your wife or sister and why you feel this way. It’s not a matter of convincing anyone of anything at this point. It’s just two people chatting about a procedure.
Conversations that start with, “I’ve been researching for myself and I’m excited about the science”, are much easier to open. Followed with, “would you like to know more about what I’m doing in aesthetics and why I’m leaning this way on fillers?” People simply cannot hear what you are saying if they are debating you in their head, you must remove barriers first to be heard.
As I wrap this blog up, I’d like to leave you with my personal revelations after being in the regenerative field for just two years. It has left me spellbound with the possibilities for any specialty treating patients for pain, healing, or rejuvenation of the skin. However, finding providers is not always easy in every state as I found out in trying to find a regenerative orthopedic in the Seattle, Washington area for my husband. To treat tendinosis, everything was possible if it involved surgery or drugs. We left the state to find a provider.
On the aesthetic side of the aisle, I know much more about this area, being a Botox® and filler patient for many years. I have probably worked on over a thousand marketing campaigns involving these aesthetic services. I would venture a guess I have been responsible for millions of dollars in revenue from coast to coast over the last 30 years.
What I started to see in the last few years was how distorted patients began to look, in some cases like cartoon characters. Lips so huge and cheeks so high it was like a visit to the circus. I often wondered how quality providers could justify treating the body dysmorphic patient and having them out in the public space as one of their patients.
Unfortunately, anyone who can hold a syringe of filler and has been to some type of training can inject if they have the necessary credentials. Once a person loses their perspective of what looks human or normal all bets are off. I think many providers adopted the opinion, “if I don’t treat them, they’ll just go down the street.”
The economic impact is huge, and we are talking about million-dollar businesses that do everything aesthetic but surgery. We know from the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons that non-surgical procedures are taking over many of the top surgical spots.
In this decade, it would be hard to find a plastic surgeon that does not have a med spa in their office. The med spa business may be the only business today that serves clients between the ages of 20 to 80 and in some cases, you can find three generations of women all clients of the same med spa. Let’s not forget men, their numbers are growing too, surely, you’ve heard of “BroTox.”
According to Market Research Future® The Medical Spa Market Industry is expected to grow to 32.0 (USD Billion) by 2032. The Medical Spa Market CAGR (growth rate) is expected to be around 7.84% during the forecast period (2024 – 2032).
The good news from my vantage point is, the pendulum somehow always returns to the middle and so it appears to be happening now as we see “Filler Fatigue” gain in popularity and a more natural look is gaining in acceptance.
Whether you are treating patients for pain or appearance you have options today that are changing the medical landscape for the better and if you start now, you will be able to claim you were there at the beginning.
Normally, I do not advertise or promote in my blogs, however coming up this summer is the 6th Global, San Diego Academy of Regenerative Therapies and Science conference (SDARTS).
As I look at the faculty and topics for both plastic surgeons and orthobiologics and sports medicine I cannot encourage you enough to come and explore what is possible for growth in this burgeoning healthcare market on all fronts.
I will also be teaching a marketing and practice development workshop on Thursday, July 31st, the opening day of the conference. Whether you use Tulip products or not, you will learn how to grow your practice and have exposure to some of the most advanced courses available on regenerative medicine.
For any of you interested in staff training or marketing strategies, please contact me at
