By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Regen Experts | Dallas and Plano Short answer: Imaging guidance helps confirm that a spinal injection reaches its intended target. Fluoroscopy can show needle depth and contrast spread, while ultrasound provides information about surrounding soft tissues. At Regen Experts in Dallas and Plano, Dr. Deborah Westergaard reviews imaging and performs an examination to assess whether regenerative spine treatment may be appropriate for selected patients.

By Deborah Westergaard, M.D. Dallas | Regen Experts Dallas & Plano Perhaps buying a convertible in middle age or while heading toward retirement is not a crisis after all. Perhaps it is simply a very enjoyable reason to get outside, put the top down, and experience the morning light. That does not make a convertible a medical treatment. But morning light, healthy sleep, regular movement, good nutrition, and metabolic health all contribute to the environment in which your body

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Regen Experts | Dallas and Plano Short answer: Focusing only on cartilage may overlook other contributors to knee arthritis pain. The bone beneath cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, and joint lining can also affect symptoms and function. At Regen Experts in Dallas and Plano, Dr. Deborah Westergaard uses examination and imaging review to assess the whole joint before discussing appropriate treatment options. What If We Have Been Treating the Wrong Par

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Regen Experts powered by Pain Experts Deborah Westergaard, MD is a double board-certified physician in practice since 1989, with advanced experience in minimally invasive, image-guided spine and musculoskeletal procedures. She specializes in precision-guided orthobiologic and regenerative medicine approaches designed to help selected patients pursue non-operative options for joint and spine conditions. Orthobiologic Joint Maintenance There is a m

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Regen Experts | Dallas and Plano Short answer: Earlier evaluation may identify nonsurgical options for selected patients, but avoiding joint surgery cannot be guaranteed. Progressive joint damage and instability can narrow the available treatment choices. At Regen Experts in Dallas and Plano, Dr. Deborah Westergaard examines joint mechanics and stability to assess whether orthobiologic treatment may be appropriate. There Are Biological Points of N

Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Pain Relief Is Not the Same as Avoiding Back Surgery in Dallas For many patients in Dallas, the path toward back surgery begins quietly. It often starts with procedures that calm pain signals—nerve blocks, ablations, injections that temporarily reduce symptoms. And for a long time, that approach represented the best medicine available. I trained in that era. I practiced in that era. And those treatments helped many people

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Regen Experts | Dallas and Plano Short answer: Treating only a disc may leave other sources of back pain unaddressed. Facet joints, ligaments, and stabilizing muscles share the work of supporting the spine and can also contribute to symptoms. At Regen Experts in Dallas and Plano, Dr. Deborah Westergaard uses targeted examination, functional assessment, and image-guided diagnostic confirmation when appropriate to evaluate potential contributors. Ex

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Myth #11: Going Along to Get Along — Why Playing It Safe with Steroid Shots and Surgery Can Cost You Your Joints There’s an old Southern phrase, "Go along to get along.”I t means you keep doing what everyone else does… not because it’s working, but because that’s what’s familiar. But when it comes to your health and mobility, “going along to get along” can cost you something you can’t get back: your joints. For decades

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Pain Experts | Dallas–Plano Muscle Mass Longevity is Important and Why Muscle Mass Declines With Age In sedentary adults, muscle mass typically falls about 1–2% per year starting in midlife, and this loss may accelerate after age 60. Resistance training can substantially slow this decline. Why it matters: less muscle means poorer joint stability, lower metabolism, and higher risks of imbalance, falls, and fractures. Add to that the stress of overu

By Deborah Westergaard, MD | Board-Certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology | Regenexx Affiliate | Regen Experts | Dallas and Plano Short answer: The best nonsurgical back pain treatment depends on the structures contributing to symptoms. Discs, joints, ligaments, and stabilizing muscles may all need consideration when planning care. At Regen Experts in Dallas and Plano, Dr. Deborah Westergaard uses imaging and an evaluation of the spinal motion segment to assess treatme