Hip Bursitis Alternative Treatment: Claudina Marra's Journey with Stem Cell Therapy in Dominican Republic

“My name is Claudina Marra. I’m a health coach, model, actress, and stuntwoman. Among my hobbies are being adventurous, spending time at the beach or rivers, and being around my friends—I don’t enjoy staying still.”

“Before coming to the center, I was slowly eliminating exercises from my daily routine because of constant pain. Eventually, I found myself unable to do anything. I arrived at the clinic for the first time feeling desperate. I had already gone through various therapies, but I was still struggling with bursitis in both hips, cervical issues, and a disc protrusion between my fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae. The pain made everyday activities unbearable—squats, hip thrusts, walking, running, even using a computer or holding a phone. Sleeping on my side or lying down was painful. Anything that required opening my legs caused discomfort.”

“Out of hope, I came to the clinic, not expecting much. I originally planned to do a DEXA scan as part of my interest in nutrition and fitness. But while I was there, I noticed a small flyer about pain management. I hadn’t even paid attention to the clinic’s full offerings. During my evaluation, I started reading about prolotherapy and asked Dr. Susana about it. She explained everything clearly, and the very next day I had a full-body check-up. That’s when they discovered all of my injuries.”

“It took time—about six months and six sessions—with a lot of discipline. It's not just about getting the injections; you have to actively follow through with therapy. After the treatment, everything changed. I’ve never felt the pain I used to have again.”

“Recently, I came back with a new injury in my shoulder and toe. After two sessions, and learning from my earlier experience, I stayed more disciplined. In the first session, I wasn’t very committed due to work, and I couldn’t even lift my arm. Just a month later, I can now raise it, wash my hair, and go about daily tasks—what a difference!”

“From day one, I felt like part of a family. At reception, Maria and I became friends—she followed up with me daily. I even found out that Dr. Susana studied with my brother-in-law, which made our connection more personal. She supported me both emotionally and physically. Doña Patricia, Taís, and everyone there treated me like a daughter. You feel peace the moment you walk in—something I never expected.”

“The first time I came in, I nearly cried. I’m very spiritual and pray often. At one point, I found myself in a vulnerable situation, and Dr. Susana stopped everything and asked me to pray. I had never experienced a doctor doing that—it touched me deeply. I still get emotional remembering that moment.”

“I recommend this center with all my heart—500%! Go with your eyes closed, no matter your problem. It is truly excellent. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.” - Claudina Marra

• Exercise Intolerance: "Before coming to the center, I was slowly eliminating exercises from my daily routine because of constant pain. Eventually, I found myself unable to do anything." Specific movements like squats and hip thrusts became impossible.
• Daily Activity Limitation: Pain impacted "walking, running, even using a computer or holding a phone."
• Sleep Disturbance: "Sleeping on my side or lying down was painful."
• Movement Restriction: "Anything that required opening my legs caused discomfort."

• Addressing the Root Cause of Bursitis: Chronic hip bursitis is often not just inflammation of the bursa in isolation. It's frequently linked to underlying problems like:
• Gluteal Tendinopathy: Degeneration or micro-tears in the tendons attaching the gluteal muscles to the hip bone (greater trochanter).
• Hip Instability: Weakness or injury to the ligaments supporting the hip joint or pelvis, leading to abnormal movement patterns that irritate the bursa and tendons.

• Reduces Inflammation: Directly combats the inflammation within the bursa and associated tendons.
• Signals Repair: Releases growth factors that encourage the body's cells to repair damaged tendon tissue (tendinopathy) and potentially the bursa lining.

• Strengthens Ligaments & Tendons: Injections of a mild irritant solution (like dextrose) into weakened ligament and tendon attachments around the hip, pelvis, lower back (L4-L5 area), and neck stimulate localized healing and tissue tightening. This restores stability.
• Reduces Abnormal Stress: By stabilizing the joints, prolotherapy decreases the friction and abnormal forces that lead to bursitis and tendinopathy.
• Comprehensive Treatment: The beauty of this approach, as applied in Claudina's case, is its ability to address multiple problem areas simultaneously. The same principles of reducing inflammation (stem cells) and restoring stability (prolotherapy) can be applied to her cervical spine issues, lumbar disc protrusion (by treating supporting ligaments), and later her shoulder and toe injuries.

• Treatment Plan: Involved approximately six sessions over six months, suggesting a structured protocol combining stem cells and/or PRP with comprehensive Prolotherapy to address all diagnosed areas of injury (hips, neck, back).
• Patient Participation: Claudina insightfully notes the importance of her own role: "It took time... with a lot of discipline. It's not just about getting the injections; you have to actively follow through with therapy." This highlights that regenerative treatments work best when paired with appropriate rehabilitation and patient commitment.
• Procedure Focus: Utilized regenerative injections, likely including Stem Cell Therapy for Hip Bursitis in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, alongside Prolotherapy.

• Inflamed hip bursae (trochanteric).
• Damaged gluteal tendon insertions.
• Lax hip joint ligaments.
• Specific ligaments and potentially facet joints in the cervical and L4-L5 lumbar spine regions.
• Later, injured structures within her shoulder and toe.

• Complete Resolution of Original Pain: "After the treatment, everything changed. I’ve never felt the pain I used to have again." This suggests the comprehensive approach successfully addressed the root causes of her bilateral hip bursitis, cervical issues, and lumbar disc-related pain.
• Restored Function: Implicitly, the elimination of "unbearable" pain allowed her to resume walking, sitting, using devices, and sleeping comfortably.
• Faster Results with Experience: When facing a later shoulder/toe injury, she noted faster recovery ("Just a month later, I can now raise it, wash my hair, and go about daily tasks") potentially due to earlier intervention and her learned commitment to the process ("I stayed more disciplined").

• Family Atmosphere: "From day one, I felt like part of a family."
• Attentive Staff: Specific mention of Maria at reception providing daily follow-up and friendship.
• Personal Doctor Connection: Feeling emotionally and physically supported by "Dr. Susana," enhanced by discovering a personal link (knowing her brother-in-law).
• Team Care: Feeling cared for by everyone ("Doña Patricia, Taís, and everyone there treated me like a daughter").
• Peaceful Environment: "You feel peace the moment you walk in—something I never expected."
• Compassionate Care: A deeply moving moment where "Dr. Susana stopped everything and asked me to pray" during a vulnerable time, showcasing care that transcended the clinical.

• Chronic hip bursitis (often diagnosed as greater trochanteric pain syndrome).
• Associated gluteal tendinopathy or tendon tears (often seen on ultrasound or MRI).
• Suspected hip or pelvic instability contributing to pain.
• Pain unresponsive to rest, prolonged physical therapy, or multiple cortisone injections.
• A desire to avoid hip surgery (like bursectomy or tendon repair).

• Safety: Autologous stem cell therapy and dextrose prolotherapy have excellent safety records when performed by trained physicians using sterile techniques.
• Patient Commitment: As Claudina emphasized, achieving the best results requires discipline and active participation in recommended rehabilitation alongside the injection therapy. It's a partnership between patient and provider.

• Specialized Centers: Look for clinics dedicated exclusively or primarily to regenerative injection therapies for musculoskeletal pain.
• Treatment Packages: Clinics catering to international patients may offer packages that bundle consultations, diagnostic ultrasounds, a series of injection sessions (stem cells/PRP/prolotherapy), and potentially local support services.
• Cost-Effectiveness: The cost of Stem Cells Dominican Republic treatments, combined with prolotherapy sessions, is generally significantly more affordable than pursuing similar comprehensive regenerative protocols in the United States, making extended treatment plans like Claudina's (6 sessions) more feasible. Always obtain a personalized quote based on a thorough evaluation.

Q: What exactly is injected during this type of treatment for hip bursitis?

A: It's typically a combination. Prolotherapy involves injecting a dextrose solution into ligaments and tendon attachments around the hip to trigger strengthening. Stem Cell Therapy involves injecting concentrated Mesenchymal Stem Cells (from your own bone marrow or fat) near the inflamed bursa and damaged tendons to reduce inflammation and signal repair. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) might also be used. The exact mix depends on the clinical findings.

Q: How is this different from just getting a cortisone shot for bursitis?

A: Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory that provides temporary symptom relief but doesn't heal tissue and can weaken tendons over time. Regenerative injections (stem cells, prolotherapy) aim to stimulate the body's own healing mechanisms to repair damaged tendons and ligaments and reduce inflammation naturally for potentially long-term resolution.

Q: How many sessions are typically needed? Claudina had six!

A: Chronic conditions, especially involving multiple areas like Claudina's (hips, back, neck), often require a series of treatments to achieve full stability and healing. For significant hip bursitis with underlying tendinopathy/instability, 3-6 sessions spaced several weeks apart is common for comprehensive Prolotherapy, potentially incorporating stem cells/PRP in one or more sessions.

Q: Is the treatment painful?

A: The injections involve needles, and local anesthetic is used to minimize discomfort. Prolotherapy injections intentionally cause mild, temporary inflammation to stimulate healing, so some post-injection soreness for a few days is expected and normal. Stem cell harvesting also involves local anesthesia.

Q: Can this approach really help complex cases with multiple pain areas like Claudina's?

A: Yes, a key advantage of comprehensive regenerative medicine practitioners is their ability to assess and treat the musculoskeletal system holistically. By identifying and treating interconnected areas of ligament laxity and tissue damage (e.g., in the pelvis, lumbar spine, hip, and neck), they can often resolve chronic pain patterns that haven't responded to treatments focusing on just one isolated area.