This video features a conversation between Dr. Don Buford and a patient detailing her experience investigating local stem cell seminars before visiting his clinic. It serves as an advisory on how to avoid questionable practices in the ortho-biologic field.
Key Highlights:
- The Background: Seeking treatment for both of her knees, the patient attended two separate stem cell seminars in Dallas, both hosted by chiropractors.
- Misleading Claims: The clinics claimed to use umbilical cord or placental products, boasting a "100% success rate" with zero complaints or risks. One clinic even recommended a $6,500 package that included an intravenous (IV) injection so the tissue could "go anywhere in the body it was needed," plus mandatory weekly massages and supplements.
- Red Flags: The patient noticed several warning signs:
- Lack of Initial Medical Evaluation: The clinic refused to perform an orthopedic physical exam or take X-rays until after she paid up front.
- Inexperienced Practitioners: When asked, the chiropractor performing the procedures admitted he had only been doing them for three months.
- Misinformation Regarding Bone Marrow: To steer her toward their expensive birth-tissue products, the clinic falsely claimed that people over the age of 30 do not have viable bone marrow stem cells and scared her by saying a bone marrow harvest required a complex hospital-based surgical procedure (whereas legitimate orthopedic clinics regularly perform it as a tolerable, in-office procedure).
The patient ultimately trusted her instincts, declined their services, and visited Dr. Buford to receive a qualified orthopedic evaluation.
