Get back to the activities you love, without surgery.

My Background

In 2012, at 32 years old, I broke my back from a 30-foot fall while ironworking in New York City. What followed was seven years of endless physical therapy, narcotic pain management, and countless failed treatments that left me depressed and feeling completely lost.

By spring of 2019, I was walking around like a 90-year-old man. I had recently met the woman who would become my wife, and all I could think was: this healthy woman is going to leave me — because who would sign up for a lifetime of pain and misery? That fear was real, and it pushed me to make a decision. Having been five years off all narcotic pain management, I committed to seeking out more advanced treatments for chronic pain.

Finding Dr. Shah

Through what I can only describe as divine intervention, a Google search led me to Dr. Shah at Regenexx — two hours from my home. I sent in an inquiry, scheduled a consultation, and that appointment quietly changed my life.

I will never forget the moment I returned to Dr. Shah’s office for the MRI reading. Before anything else, he looked at me and said:

“David, are you ready to feel better?”

After years of hearing “We’ll see if this works” and “If not, we’ll try something else” — those words hit like concrete. For the first time in a very long road of surgeries and failed treatments, a doctor spoke with conviction and belief. Dr. Shah explained the PRP process and told me honestly that he believed I could see real results without immediately jumping to stem cell treatment. I respected that more than he knows — because at that point, I would have tried anything at any cost.

The Treatment & Catherine

I underwent two-day procedures every four to six months for five years. Day one was the blood draw with his nurse, Catherine — and I’ll be honest, I was a habitual semi-fainter from needles. That first draw was rough given the volume needed to treat half my spine.

But Catherine is simply the best at what she does. Over the years, our blood draw appointments became easy conversations about each other’s lives. She has educated me on countless ways to minimize the complications of blood draws, and more often than not, the hardest part of the whole process became the two-hour drive to the office. Catherine didn’t just become skilled at helping me — she became a friend.

Dr. Shah: The Man

Dr. Shah is the real deal. He is one of the nicest men I have ever met — no games, no manipulation, just honest, science-based medicine that he believes in and administers to perfection. His staff at every surgical center has been equally kind and professional. In five years, I never had a single bad experience.

His PRP treatments to my lumbar and thoracic spine gave me my body back. I was able to get back into the gym, rebuild my strength, and slowly reclaim the life I thought I had permanently lost.

Where I Am Today

As of writing this, I have not needed any spine treatment since December 2024 — over 16 months with no intervention. Let me tell you what my life looks like now:

• I play golf once or twice a week
• I go to the gym 5 days a week and walk 4–6 miles daily
• I’ve recently incorporated weights back into my routine
• I started a business
• I travel across the country — and this past year, out of the country for the first time in my life — hunting like a madman
• I am an active stepfather and husband who has not missed a single family event due to back pain
• I live a genuinely happy life

In spring of 2019, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to keep living in the condition I was in — or whether anyone would want to live with me in that condition. Today, I cannot imagine a single day not worth living.

Thank you, Regenexx. Thank you, Catherine. And most importantly — thank you, Dr. Shah, for believing in me when I no longer believed in myself. For treating me back to life and back to the man I used to resemble. I am forever grateful, and I know exactly where I’m going if I ever need treatment again.

— David Andersen