Patient Experiences

Here is my experience with Dr. Rowles:

I had significant knee pain and instability in my right knee. I had been playing (almost certainly over-playing) pickleball daily for 3-5 hrs per day for several weeks. The knee got to a point where if I pushed off, I was not sure if my leg was going to come along with me. So I stopped playing for about three weeks (hated that).

The knee began to feel better with the rest (I could ride my bike, do elliptical and swim with no discomfort…but no pickleball or anything else that jars the knee). I definitely still felt something going on in there, but it was feeling much better….so I went back and started playing pb again. In just a couple days I was back where I started with major discomfort and instability.

Finally I went to my doctor. Had X-ray done and did not really show anything. So he had me get an MRI.

The MRI indicated a small tear in the medial meniscus and a small strain to the medial collateral ligament. The orthopedic doctor suggested I get a menisectomy to cut away the tear, and with a few months rest, I should be back playing pain free.

I scheduled surgery. During this time I was still playing pickleball, just not able to really play at full speed. This is when I met Carol Rowles at a NPL (National Pickleball League) event in Indianapolis. I told her my story, and she suggested I talk to her husband Dr. Doug Rowles. So I did.

Dr. Rowles is an orthopedic surgeon who had done surgical procedures for over two decades. He explained to me the concept of stem cell injections as a replacement for surgery. He patiently explained what stem cells are, how you extract them, where you put them, what they do.

The concept of regeneration of cartilage via stem cell injection seemed logical to me vs cutting away cartilage…I figured I can always do surgery later if need be. So, after doing more research, I canceled my surgery and made an appointment in Ok City to have the stem cell procedure.

I flew to OKC from ATL in the morning. After a short uber ride to the clinic, I was on the table very soon for the procedure. I had taken Dr. Rowles advice to significantly hydrate for the days leading up to the procedure to maximize stem cell extraction quantity (I literally drank about 240 oz of water per day for 4 days).

Time to begin. After an initial tap tap tap to set the needle into my pelvis bone, I was thinking wow that was easy. I was having some nitrous oxide (laughing gas like at the dentist)….maybe it took the anxiety down a bit, but I certainly still felt the needle injection process!

After the needle was deep into the pelvis, he began extracting the bone marrow. There was a mild sensation of a vacuum forming in my hip/pelvis area. Given my significant hydration leading up to it, he was able to pull out a large quantity of the stem cells.

He placed the stuff into a centrifuge and spun it for 19 minutes. Once done separating the juice in the centrifuge, he began to inject the stem cells into the meniscus of my right knee. Took just a few seconds and no significant discomfort.

He mentioned there was a lot of stem cells left over because he had extracted so much….and did I want to inject some into my other knee? My 62-year old knees definitely let me know they are there in the mornings and I figured why not see if we can stave off arthritis in the other knee too. So he injected stem cells into my left knee.

Even after doing my other knee, he still had stem cells left over. I had mentioned some occasional pain and stiffness in my right shoulder resulting from a dislocated shoulder years ago. He was able to use the remaining stem cells to inject into my rotator cuff.

He then told me I was done. The injection process took only 3 or 4 minutes. The whole thing was less than 30 minutes, with most of it just waiting on the centrifuge.

I walked out with a little tender spot to the touch on my pelvis. but I could not feel anything if I did not touch it. No pain at all. There was a sensation in my knees, but I was not uncomfortable in any way.

I flew home to Atlanta that afternoon. Over the next few days the sensation that I had been feeling for months that something was going on in my knee was disappearing. I did not play pickleball for about 3.5 weeks just to let it keep healing….it felt like I could have been out there playing within just a few days of having the procedure….I really felt great.

I have now started playing again and it is great to go out there and play at full speed having no discomfort or concerns at all. It has been 8 weeks, and I am back playing most days.

Dr. Rowles suggested (and I have been doing it) that I take a few supplements every day. I currently take collagen, curcumin and a multi-vitamin that he recommended for joint health. I don’t know if they are really helping, but everything feels great and I am very pleased I had this procedure instead of surgery.

The procedure was not covered by my health insurance, but honestly the cost was quite comparable to my deductible that I would have had to pay if I had the surgery.

So, while I am only two months into this, I could not be happier with the results, and I have actually had conversations with two different people with current meniscus issues. I encouraged them to definitely look into this procedure as an alternative to surgery.

Thank you Dr. Rowles….everything you told me upfront has been exactly what has happened.

I want to take a minute to share with everyone my incredible experience with Dr Rowles. On August 10th, while playing in an NPL event in Austin, I tore my knee up to the point where I could not continue playing. I was having trouble even walking, and my knee had swelled up to twice its normal size. When I went home I scheduled a visit with a surgeon who explained to me that the only way he could help me was to replace my knee because of how bad it was. I had torn my ACL playing baseball in the early 90's and had countless other injuries to my knees over the years. The surgeon said I was bone on bone with severe arthritis in places, and there was basically nothing he could do but replace them. Not great news!

After the surgeon visit I decided to call Dr Rowles to see his thoughts on what using my own stem cells could do. He took the time to talk with me over the phone and really helped me understand the process and results he had seen over the years. I explained to him that I had the NPL finals in 6 weeks and had to be ready to play. He said get up here ASAP and you'll be ready. I jumped on a plane and met him there on 2 days notice. I've never met a Doctor more accommodating, or one that has been so helpful and caring. Following the procedure, Dr Rowles reached out, checking on me even while he was on vacation.

I am now one month post stem cell procedure, and I am happy to say I am back to playing and will be ready for the finals. The work that this man did is truly incredible, and I would highly recommend that anyone experiencing similar circumstances reach out and give Dr Rowles a call. He's an absolute miracle worker. Thank you Dr Rowles.

My name is Mark M. and I play Sr Pro pickleball and coach pickleball for a living. Needless to say, my health is crucial to me. In late 2023, I started to have knee pain. Previous to that, I had some Meniscus tears. I was encouraged by others to look at Stem Cell injections instead of conventional surgery. I made a trip out to Oklahoma and had Dr Doug Rowles administer a Stem Cell injection. I could not believe the results. Literally in a few days, I was back at playing competitive pickleball and have been pain free since then. In May of this year, I injured my shoulder and made another trip to Oklahoma. Dr. Rowles took the time to share with me his thoughts on how stem cell injections can help revive joints and bring healing without surgery. I can assure anyone that this is true. Thank you, Dr. Rowles for your professionalism and quality of care. The treatment was easy, and the results are staggering.

I’m pretty familiar with stem cells because I’ve used them on my husband several times. So when I broke my shoulder, I really didn’t want to go through surgery. I talked with Dr. Rowles, and he suggested stem cell injections right in the joint and the fracture itself. I made sure to hydrate and get as many stem cells as we could, and we injected several areas in my body. Honestly, it was miraculous. Within just 10 days, the break had pretty much healed. You could actually see on the scan that the bone had reconnected in the center, and new growth had already started at the top. By week four, I was already doing physical therapy and relearning how to use my arm! I’d had a scooter accident that not only broke my shoulder but also damaged the muscles and ligaments all down my arm. And honestly, healing those soft tissues was tougher than the bone itself. But here’s the amazing thing: God designed your body to heal. And your stem cells were created for exactly that purpose. If there’s anything in your body that needs healing, I can’t recommend Dr. Doug Rowles and his team highly enough.

Before my injections 3 months ago, I was struggling with chronic knee weakness and pain. The procedure performed by Dr. Douglas Rowles at his clinic was a great success. The entire staff treated me with compassion and professionalism, and I am so grateful for their expertise. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone seeking joint care.

Yesterday after 2 hours of pickleball, I had several players comment on the improvement of my game, getting to shots that I had to pass on in the past…Thanks Dr. Rowles!

Sincerely,