Rejuvenation means boosting the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Regenerative medicine holds the promise of definitive, affordable health care solutions that heal the body from within. At the Barr Center we believe that under the right set of conditions the body has the capacity to heal itself. regenerative therapies are a set of tools that we can use to reduce inflammation and facilitate healing in injured and degenerated joints, tendons and ligaments.  

Treatment and Diagnosis

Regenerative Medicine treatments involve injecting mostly autologous growth factors that signal certain healing cellular processes in the tissues. In 90 + % of our patients we support the use of  PRP (platelet rich plasma) and BMAC ( Bone marrow aspirate concentrate) over the use of commercially available amniotic stem cell like products as the studies and our many years of experience have demonstrated great effectiveness in many conditions. We believe that in most cases when considering Regenerative Medicine options using your own blood products are safer and more cost effective. There are some exceptions to this and we will certainly be happy to help you explore the best options for your unique set of conditions.  

So what is all of the fuss about?  According to the Mayo Clinic- “Regenerative medicine is a game-changing area of medicine with the potential to fully heal damaged tissues and organs, offering solutions and hope for people who have conditions that today are beyond repair.”

While regenerative medicine itself isn’t new, the applications of these therapies in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders is evolving quickly. The central idea behind regenerative medicine is to use your own cells and growth factors to amplify your healing response.  Bone marrow and solid-organ transplants were done decades ago and now advances in cell biology and immunology are unlocking new opportunities in the field of regenerative medicine.

Regenerative Medicine is a Non-Surgical Treatment

There are few effective non-surgical ways to treat the root causes of many degenerative conditions and injuries. In many cases, clinicians can only manage patients’ symptoms using medications, surgery or devices. Regenerative therapies target signaling proteins in your blood and tissues that reduce inflammation and pain thereby allowing you to then enter a therapy program to optimize function.

Regenerative Medicine Pioneer – Lisa Barr, MD

Dr. Barr and her staff have been at the forefront of regenerative medicine. She was the first physician to implement PRP, bone marrow derived stem cells and fat grafting into practice in Hampton Roads over 20 years ago. She has successfully  treated many patients including professional golfers with a variety of regenerative therapies for spinal, joint and tendon issues. Dr. Barr monitors the latest advances in regenerative medicine by regularly attending international conferences on Regenerative Medicine and she enjoys bringing back to our area the newest proven technologies. To complement her experience in regenerative medicine she has advanced training in musculoskeletal ultrasound and interventional spinal injections. This is a key component to our success since these are mostly non-surgical treatments and the key to maximize treatment outcomes for any regenerative therapy is optimal needle placement.

Regenerative Medicine is ever expanding.  New concepts of managing inflammation and promoting tissue healing are being developed. Once we determine the best treatment option for you, be it’s PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma), Prolotherapy, Bone marrow concentrate, fat grafting, amniotic stem cells or a combination of modalities we can perform the procedure in our office in the same day. The injections are performed using a small needle, cold spray and local anesthesia. To insure optimal needle placement and maximize treatment outcomes all regenerative therapies performed at the Barr Center under image guidance using either ultrasound or x-ray. The entire process can take as little as 60 minutes.  Within several days of undergoing most regenerative therapies, you can return to normal activities within 4-7 days.

Current Regenerative Medicine Options include:

• PRFM (Platelet-Rich Fibrin Matrix)
• PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma)
• Prolotherapy
• Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC)
• Fat Grafting
• Amniotic Stem cells
• Neural Therapy (Scar Injections)

Conditions We Treat:

• Arthritis (hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, wrist)
• Tendonitis (gluteal, hamstring and iliopsoas tendonitis of the hip, Patellar and quadriceps tendonitis of the knee, achilles tendonitis and tendonitis of the ankle, rotator cuff and biceps tendonitis of the shoulder, tennis and golfer’s elbow)
• Bursitis ( hip, knee, shoulder, elbow)
• Sacroiliitis
• Neck and lower back pain
• Whiplash injuries
• Hypermobility syndromes
• Sports injuries
• TMJ issues

Can the Barr Center Help You with Pain Relief?

Call us at 757-578-2260 or email us at [email protected] to get started on  therapies that relieve your pain.

Learn More

Conditions we treat: Neck Pain, Shoulder Pain, Back Pain, Hip Pain and Knee Pain.  We sometimes combine Physical Therapy in our treatments.

Health Care Affiliations

Thrive Proactive Health
Innovative Physical Therapy
Restorative Physical Therapy
Virginia Beach Physical Therapy and Wellness
Reboot – Virginia Beach
Waring’s Gym
Stability Crossfit Gym
Sentara – Norfolk General Hospital