Our member of the week blog introduces you to our fellow level members, showcasing their unique work and commitment to IOF. We feature different fellows who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of Interventional Orthopedics.
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Get to know Dr. Otoño Silva
Practice Website: https://iowmed.com
Connect with Dr. Silva:
It’s time for our next Member of the Week feature and today, we’re excited to introduce you to one of IOF’s incredible instructors, Dr. Otoño Silva! Fun fact: Dr. Silva hosted and instructed our first course outside of our Colorado headquarters, hosting attendees at his Bellevue, Washington clinic in September 2019.
Dr. Silva has a passion for developing a partnership with his patients to work towards their optimal health with an integrative approach. He was inspired to pursue regenerative medicine as a field of practice after receiving a prolotherapy treatment during medical school which resolved his pain problem permanently.
He went on to complete a residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, followed by a fellowship in Interventional Orthopedics at the Centeno-Schultz Clinic, and now serves his community at his independent clinic in Greater-Seattle, Interventional Orthopedics of Washington. where he continues to expand his knowledge in the field.
Q&A with Dr. Silva
IOF: What is your best advice for others wanting to get into regenerative medicine?
Dr. Silva: It requires many, many hours of practice under the supervision of an expert in the field to be able to offer advanced regenerative injection therapies utilizing orthobiologics safely and effectively.
Find a fellowship in the new specialty of Interventional Orthopedics, or seek out a consistent long-term training program by a reputable organization, such as those offered by IOF to become a true expert in the field.
IOF: Where do you see the field of regenerative medicine going in the next 5 years?
Dr. Silva: I see regenerative medicine becoming more mainstream, more accessible, better understood, and perhaps even more affordable in the not-too-distant future.
As time goes on, more data and studies will become available in support of regenerative therapies, making it easier for patients to understand their options, and gain easy access to trusted information that they will use to make important informed medical decisions.
IOF: What do you treat most frequently with regenerative medicine?
Dr. Silva: It’s almost a tie between neck and low back in my practice. I enjoy treating these two body regions the most because of the consistently incredible outcomes patients tend to have from just one comprehensive treatment.
I think the traditional methods of treating back pain with nerve ablations, cortisone injections, and surgery do not make sense for many, and unfortunately, these options are often presented to patients as the only ones available.
You’d be shocked to know how many people are told that they absolutely need a life-changing surgery such as a fusion or discectomy when a far more conservative treatment option such as advanced regenerative injection therapy exists as an option to try first. As experts in the new field of Interventional Orthopedics, we must continue to educate patients and physicians alike about the possibilities that can come from properly administered injection therapies utilizing orthobiologics.