How to Prepare for Your Regenerative Medicine Consultation
A simple checklist of records, questions, and goals that helps you get a clear answer from your first regenerative medicine consultation.
A little preparation helps your clinician give you a clear, honest answer about whether regenerative medicine is appropriate for you. Use this checklist before your visit, whether it is by video or in person.
1. Gather Your Medical Information
•Imaging reports: X-ray, MRI, or ultrasound results for the area of concern (the written report is usually enough)
•Recent labs , if you have them
•Medication and supplement list, including blood thinners, anti-inflammatories, and steroids, since some may need to be adjusted before certain procedures
•Allergies and past reactions to medications or injections
•Prior surgeries and treatments, such as physical therapy, cortisone or hyaluronic acid injections, and PRP
2. Write Down Your Symptoms
Note where it hurts, when it started, what makes it better or worse, how it affects sleep and daily activities, and how pain changes across the day. A simple 0 to 10 pain score recorded for a week gives your clinician a useful baseline.
3. Define Your Goals
"Less pain" is a start; specific goals are better. Examples: walking 30 minutes without stopping, climbing stairs normally, or returning to golf or pickleball. Specific goals make it easier to judge later whether a plan is working.
4. Prepare Questions
•Am I a candidate, and what would make me not a candidate?
•What are the evidence, risks, and alternatives for each option?
•Which parts of this plan are FDA-approved, and which are investigational?
•What is the realistic timeline, and how will we measure progress?
•What does it cost in total, including follow-up?
•Whom do I contact if something doesn't feel right?
5. Know What Honest Answers Sound Like
Regenerative therapies are generally investigational for joint conditions, and the FDA has not approved stem cell or exosome products to treat arthritis. A trustworthy clinician will say so, explain what is and isn't known, and avoid guarantees. See the FDA's consumer guidance on stem cell therapies for independent background.
6. Logistics
•For video visits, test your device and connection, and pick a quiet, well-lit space
•Wear clothing that lets you show or expose the affected joint
•Consider having a family member join to help you remember what was said
