CrossFit Regional Champ’s Comeback Story

Stine first qualified for the CrossFit Regionals in 2017, quickly climbing from 41st in her division in the state of Colorado in 2015 all the way up to an inspiring 2nd in 2017. Shoulder pain, however, threatened to derail her goal of qualifying a second time, at the 2018 CrossFit Regionals. When an MRI revealed a rotator cuff injury and conservative treatments weren’t helping, Stine knew the long recovery after shoulder surgery would stop her in her CrossFit-training tracks. So surgery simply wasn’t an option.

Stine made her way to Dr. Schultz in late October of 2017, who found that she not only had injuries to three of the major tendons of the rotator cuff, but she also had an issue in her cervical spine that had never been diagnosed. This was an important discovery as nerves that branch off of the cervical spine supply the shoulder, so when there is a problem in the cervical spine, it can create dysfunction and pain in the shoulder.

Stine had a big goal—to qualify for regionals at the CrossFit Open in February of 2018. Dr. Schultz’s treatment plan consisted of precise ultrasound-guided injections of a high dose of Stine’s own platelets (which would facilitate her own healing aka high-dose PRP or platelet-rich plasma) into the rotator cuff. Dr. Schultz also used the growth factors extracted from her platelets (platelet lysate) to inject around her irritated neck nerves that were wreaking havoc with her rotator cuff.

Stine had her platelet treatments in November and January. While she would normally be in a huge sling and shoulder pillow, recovering from invasive rotator cuff surgery, she was training. The result? She qualified, once again, for the CrossFit Regionals on February 22, 2018. Way to go, Stine!

Interventional orthopedics is a game-changer for athletes. No longer are they at the mercy of invasive surgeries that can take them out for an entire season. Now, about 70% of the time, they can bypass orthopedic surgery altogether and opt for less invasive interventional orthopedics with a much quicker recovery. Many can train through treatments and lose little if any progress. Stine is a great example of what’s possible when you avoid the surgeon!