Shoulder Injury Treatment Success: Paula Acosta’s Stem Cell Therapy Experience in Santo Domingo, DR

“Hi, I’m Paula Acosta. I run a company that sells aromas for the food industry, and in my free time, I love going to the gym and playing sports—doing nothing just isn’t for me!”

“I really enjoy cooking, but something as simple as lifting a pan from my lower cabinet to place it on the stove became painful. My shoulder would get stuck, and the pain was horrible. I knew something wasn’t right.”

“I had suffered a shoulder injury before and received treatment in 2022 at another center. It worked for a while, but over time, the pain came back—especially during specific movements. When the discomfort returned, it took me about a month to find the Prolotherapy Center, and I’m so glad I did.”

“From the moment I walked in, I felt cared for. Maria at the front desk was incredibly kind, and when I met Dr. Susana—wow, I became a fan instantly. She’s wonderful! I’m extremely curious and like to understand every detail. She explained everything clearly: what prolotherapy is, how it works, and what was actually going on inside my shoulder.”

“It turns out I had multiple issues—swelling, near-tearing, bursitis, tendinosis. Together, we decided to proceed with plasma therapy. The entire process was smooth. They took my blood, processed it, and injected it back into my shoulder. I’m a bit of a science geek, so I wanted to see everything—and surprisingly, it didn’t hurt at all!”

“Just one session was enough. I noticed a big improvement after only eight days, and by the one-month follow-up, I had completely forgotten about the pain. I only remembered when they contacted me for the check-up!”

“Now, I have a fully functional shoulder again. I truly believe there’s no reason to live in pain—there is always a solution. Regenerative medicine might sound unfamiliar at first, and you might not fully understand it because, well, we’re not doctors. But if you trust their approach and open your mind to this new way of healing, it really works.”

“And as for Dr. Susana—she’s not just knowledgeable; you can see she puts her heart into everything she does. Her passion shines through. Her father gave her a gift, and now her mother, and she’s continuing it beautifully. I’ll always be her number one fan.”

• Everyday Tasks Affected: Simple actions like lifting a cooking pan became painful.
• Functional Limitation: Her shoulder would "get stuck," indicating potential impingement or rotator cuff issues.
• Recurring Problem: Despite previous treatment elsewhere, the pain returned, highlighting the need for a solution that addressed the root cause.

• Rest and Activity Modification: Avoiding aggravating movements.
• Physical Therapy: Strengthening exercises and stretching (as detailed in resources like the AAOS OrthoInfo link).
• Anti-inflammatory Medications: For temporary pain and swelling relief.
• Corticosteroid Injections: To reduce inflammation within the joint or bursa

• What it is: A concentration of platelets derived from the patient's own blood. Platelets are rich in growth factors that signal and orchestrate tissue repair.
• How it works: When injected into injured tendons, ligaments, or joints, PRP aims to reduce inflammation, accelerate healing, and potentially improve tissue quality.
• Paula's Choice: Based on her diagnosis and discussion with Dr. Susana, PRP was chosen as the appropriate Shoulder Injury Treatment for her specific combination of issues.

• What it is: Involves injecting a mild irritant solution (commonly dextrose) into weakened or injured ligament and tendon attachments.
• How it works: The solution triggers a localized healing response, causing the ligaments/tendons to tighten and strengthen over time. This improves joint stability and reduces pain originating from laxity or enthesopathy (issues at the tendon/ligament insertion point).
• Relevance: Often used alongside PRP or stem cells to address underlying instability that contributes to conditions like bursitis or tendinopathy. Dr. Susana explained this concept to Paula.

• What it is: Uses Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), typically from the patient's bone marrow or fat, or from donated umbilical cord tissue.
• How it works: MSCs offer potent anti-inflammatory effects, release a broad range of growth factors to signal repair, and may have some potential to differentiate into tissue-specific cells.
• Context: Often considered for more severe injuries (like larger partial tears or significant arthritis) or cases unresponsive to PRP/Prolotherapy. While Paula received PRP, Stem Cell Therapy for Shoulder Injury in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic represents another powerful tool in the regenerative medicine arsenal available at specialized clinics like the one she visited.

• The Process: "The entire process was smooth. They took my blood, processed it, and injected it back into my shoulder." This involves a standard blood draw, centrifuging the blood to concentrate the platelets into plasma, and then injecting this PRP solution into the diagnosed problem areas in her shoulder.
• Precision: While not explicitly stated by Paula, such injections are typically performed under ultrasound guidance by skilled practitioners like those at the implied center, ensuring the PRP is delivered precisely to the targeted tendons, bursa, or joint space.
• Painless Experience: Paula, who enjoys understanding the science ("I’m a bit of a science geek, so I wanted to see everything"), remarkably reports: "...surprisingly, it didn’t hurt at all!" Effective local anesthesia makes the procedure comfortable.

• Swift Improvement: "I noticed a big improvement after only eight days..."
• Complete Pain Resolution: "...and by the one-month follow-up, I had completely forgotten about the pain. I only remembered when they contacted me for the check-up!"
• Full Function Regained: "Now, I have a fully functional shoulder again." This allowed her to return to her active life, including cooking and likely gym/sports, without the previous limitations.
• Empowering Message: "I truly believe there’s no reason to live in pain—there is always a solution."

• Welcoming Atmosphere: Kindness felt from the moment she walked in (receptionist Maria).
• Team Approach: Feeling cared for by everyone involved ("Doña Patricia, Taís, and everyone there treated me like a daughter").
• Holistic Care: The poignant moment where Dr. Susana paused to pray with her during a vulnerable time highlights a level of compassionate care that deeply resonated with Paula. "I had never experienced a doctor doing that—it touched me deeply."

• Chronic shoulder pain unresponsive to conventional treatments
• Diagnosed conditions like rotator cuff tendinopathy, partial tears, bursitis, labral issues, or mild-to-moderate arthritis.
• A desire to avoid or delay shoulder surgery.
• Realistic expectations and commitment to follow-up and rehabilitation.

• Specialized Centers: Look for clinics with physicians specifically trained and experienced in regenerative injection therapies (PRP, Prolotherapy, Stem Cells) and musculoskeletal ultrasound.
• Potential Packages: Clinics catering to international patients may offer treatment packages, simplifying logistics and potentially offering cost predictability.
• Cost-Effectiveness: While not inexpensive, regenerative treatments like PRP and especially Stem Cells Dominican Republic therapies are generally significantly more affordable in Santo Domingo compared to the high costs often encountered for similar procedures (which are frequently not covered by insurance) in the US or Canada.

Q: What's the main difference between PRP and Stem Cell Therapy for a shoulder injury?

A: PRP uses concentrated growth factors from your own blood platelets to stimulate healing. Stem Cell Therapy uses actual Mesenchymal Stem Cells (from bone marrow, fat, or cord tissue) which, in addition to releasing growth factors, have potent anti-inflammatory effects and the potential capacity to differentiate into needed tissue cells. Stem cells are often considered for more severe injuries or significant arthritis. Paula's case highlights that PRP can be very effective for certain conditions.

Q: How painful is the PRP injection in the shoulder? Paula said it wasn't painful.

A: With proper local anesthetic application by an experienced physician, the injection procedure itself can be made quite comfortable, as Paula experienced. Some post-injection soreness for a few days is normal as the healing process activates.

Q: Paula got results after one PRP session. Is that typical?

A: Achieving complete pain relief after just one PRP session is a fantastic outcome but may not be typical for everyone or every condition. Many shoulder protocols involve a series of 1-3 PRP injections, or potentially more sessions if Prolotherapy or Stem Cells are used, spaced several weeks apart. Response varies based on the injury severity and individual healing capacity.

Q: Can these treatments fix a complete rotator cuff tear?

A: Generally, regenerative injections like PRP and stem cells are most effective for partial-thickness rotator cuff tears and tendinosis (degeneration). Large, full-thickness, retracted tears usually still require surgical repair for optimal function.

Q: Is this type of Shoulder Injury Treatment covered by my insurance?

A: PRP and Stem Cell therapies for most orthopedic conditions are typically not covered by standard health insurance plans in the US, Canada, or Europe, as they are often still considered investigational. Expect these treatments to be an out-of-pocket expense.