REGENERATIVE JOINT TREATMENT · CARLSBAD AND LAGUNA HILLS

Long-Lasting Knee Pain Relief Without Surgery. Find Out If You’re a Candidate.

You finished the physical therapy and it came back. The shots buy less time each round. Dr. Derrington treats the joint itself, with your own cells placed under ultrasound, so you can get back to what you’ve quietly stopped doing.

Answer a few questions to see if you’re a candidate.

A one-on-one exam with Dr. Derrington, with ultrasound, while you move the knee

Your injection is placed by the physician who teaches the technique to other doctors

More of these procedures than any clinic in California

Google Review

I’ve taken long car rides and just got back from Seattle. I can’t remember the last time I felt this normal.

WHERE MOST PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN

Two places you’ve already looked. This is the third.

You started with physical therapy and cortisone.

Both help. Neither changes what’s happening inside the joint. Each shot buys less time than the last, until somebody mentions you only get so many.

Then you asked a surgeon.

And you got a surgeon’s answer. Replace the knee, or come back in five years when it’s bad enough to justify the operation.

Regenerative medicine is the third option.

We use your body’s own cells to restore your natural healing capacity, so you get less pain and more function without surgery.

Find Out If
You're a Candidate

The call is free, it runs about fifteen minutes, and you get a straight answer either way.

Meet Dr. Steve
Derrington

At Macalester he played baseball and football and made all-conference. He spent his spare hours in the athletic training room, working on other people’s injuries so they could get back on the field. That’s still the job.

After medical school he did his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, then a fellowship in interventional spine and sports medicine in Napa, which is where he learned to place treatments under ultrasound and live x-ray. He teaches those techniques to other physicians now, through the Interventional Orthobiologics Foundation.

He performs every procedure himself and the cells are processed in his own lab, on site, the same day. He still does CrossFit, so he knows what it costs somebody to give a thing up.

Board-Certified Physician · Regenexx Since 2016 · Veterans In Pain Volunteer

Dr. Steve Derrington

How it works

Four Simple Steps.

Relief is Closer Than You Think.

ACROSS NEARLY 100 GOOGLE REVIEWS

What patients love about Dr. Derrington

He examines your joint properly.

A full history, hands on the knee, ultrasound while you move it, and your images up on a screen until you understand what you’re looking at.

He doesn’t rush you.

One patient counted two hours at a first visit and wrote that no physician had ever given him that long. Several others say the same thing.

He talks people out of the bigger procedure.

More than one review describes asking him for the advanced option and being told a simpler one would get them there.

“He thoroughly exams your areas of pain. He’s very precise with his needle placements with the use of ultrasound. And lastly, he doesn’t try to up sell you.” Ken c.

REVIEWS

What Patients Mention Most is the Time He Spends.

Knee — both knees

"Each time I went to the orthopedist I was told I was too young for surgery but they could shoot some Cortisone in there. I had it done in both knees. I hiked the Trans-Catalina trail with my daughter, something I couldn't have done before." — April T.

Hip — one hip already replaced

"I already had one hip replacement and wanted to go the natural route this time. I'm 68 years old and am pleased to say I have completely recovered, without pain, and am back to cross fit." — Google review

Spine — herniated disc

"Severe chronic pain in my low back and down my left leg caused by a herniated disc. Epidural steroid injections didn't work. By the third or fourth month I was practically pain free. It's now been almost two years." — Michael Z.

Shoulder— told he’d need a replacement

"The only thing traditional doctors said was that eventually I would need my shoulder replaced. I went to several other offices on both sides of the border. This team wanted to look at all the medical records before they told me I was a candidate." — Google review

The first visit — facet joints

“Dr. Derrington spent over two hours during my initial consult, to listen to my history and he conducted an extremely comprehensive physical assessment. I have NEVER had a physician take this much time.” — Jeremy C

The Examination — Knee, first visit

"A thorough MRI review and examined me under ultrasound before coming up with a really solid treatment plan. Far less painful than I expected." — Vik S.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it cost, and will insurance cover any of it?

Treatment is self-pay and insurance doesn’t cover it. There isn’t one number, because it depends on the joint and on what your imaging shows. You’ll get your figure on the free call, and payment plans exist.

What actually happens on the day, and does it hurt?

You come in the morning and you’re awake the whole time. The area is numbed first and everything is placed under imaging. Most people describe pressure rather than sharp pain. You get to pick the music.

How long before I feel better, and would I need more than one treatment?

It varies more than anyone would like. Some people notice a change in a few weeks and others take a few months. Dr. Derrington tells you what’s reasonable for your joint before you commit to anything.

What if I'm too far gone for this?

Then you’ll be told, and that’s most of what the first call is for. Some joints are past the point where this helps, and some people are better served by a surgeon. He’ll say so and point you at one.

I had an injection like this somewhere else and nothing happened.

Common enough to be worth a conversation. When one of these fails it’s usually the wrong structure, a needle placed by feel instead of under imaging, or a preparation too dilute to do anything. None of that is a verdict on your body.

Do I need imaging, and who am I actually speaking to?

No imaging needed to start. If you have an MRI or x-ray, send it and Dr. Derrington reads it himself first. Our team runs the fifteen-minute call and walks you through what he found. He does the reading; we do the talking.