Radio Host, TV Commentator and Columnist
Age: 47
“I’ve had three major knee surgeries. I was told I’d need a knee replacement. But the PRP and advanced cellular treatments I received at Reflex ended up being the greatest single move I could have made.
My left knee is a miracle – it’s now pain free and functional. That hasn’t been the case for more than five years.”
If you’re a fan of sports in Oregon, you probably know John Canzano: he hosts “The Bald Faced Truth” sports radio show statewide in Oregon, is an award-winning columnist, and serves as a sports commentator on television. But while John is most importantly a family man with a wife and three daughters.
Unfortunately, John’s years-long battle with knee pain kept him from fully enjoying his daily life, including his active work schedule and time with his close-knit family. Reflex helped John overcome his discomfort and get back to his priorities through non-surgical procedures.
A Constant Struggle
John’s activities stared to revolve around what he could or couldn’t do because of his knee pain. He started to worry about how this would affect his day-to-day future with his family.
“I have young children” John said. “It made me wonder a lot about whether I’m going to be able to run and play with them as they grew up.”
Pain also began to take a heavy toll on one of his greatest passions: running.
“I had to account for my knee pain. I thought about it with every step,” John said. “I had to think about the ice bags and pain relievers. I had to think about what kind of shoes I was going to wear and how far I’d be walking because I knew there would come a point where I wouldn’t be able to run. It became a part of me.”
Time to Try Something New
John knew that the only way to escape from his pain was to take action – but his initial steps to treat his knees only resulted in frustration.
Before coming to Reflex, John underwent three major surgeries that didn’t yield the results he wanted. On top of these failed attempts at improvement, doctors told John his next step would be an eventual total knee replacement.
Still in pain and faced with the possibility of quitting running altogether, John was ready to try something new.
“Reflex talked from the start about a multi-pronged approach involving science, medicine, physical therapy, and nutrition – it was the first time anyone had suggested options other than surgery,” he said. “It made me feel like I played an active role in my recovery. I was blown away by their advanced technology.”
A Much-Needed Solution
Three years ago John started Joint Fluid Therapy, followed by a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection a month later. Only a month after receiving his PRP injection, John started to notice a difference in his knees. Three months into treatment he was able to run a 5K, pushing his youngest daughter’s stroller the whole way.
“It was really encouraging given that my expectations had diminished to the point where I was losing hope,” said John. “I ran without pain and swelling for the first time in years, and it was the gateway to my eventual total recovery.”
In late 2016, John elected for advanced cell therapy (ACT) at the Reflex clinic.
“I did a massive amount of research and was encouraged by the fact that the team at Reflex was on the cutting edge of treatment modalities,” John said. “I had friends out of state who were exploring cell treatment at other clinics and they weren’t getting good answers. It was evident immediately that I was at the right clinic with the right physicians.”
By March of 2017, Canzano’s knee discomfort on both sides had significantly diminished. By June, the cartilage in both knees had markedly improved. And in the winter of 2017, Canzano reported that he dashed across a wet and cold parking lot leaving church while holding their youngest daughter in his arms. It was something he couldn’t have done a year earlier.
“My wife turned to me one day at home and said, ‘You haven’t mentioned your knees hurting in a long time, everything OK?’ and it dawned on me that I wasn’t in any pain and hadn’t noticed for some time. I used to be miserable just sitting on the couch, aching. Now, I’m running and jumping, and feel like I’ve reversed the aging process in my joint. The thing about stem cell treatment is that the joint just feels like it gets better and better.
“This has been a game changer for me.”
Canzano says he’s running regularly in the gym, pain free. The chronic knee pain that hampered him and had him headed for a knee replacement has disappeared.
“Reflex did that for me,” he said.
Looking Toward the Future
We look forward to continuing our work with John and keeping him out of pain. With Reflex, John has stayed off the surgery table, and instead, on the track running and in the park playing with his daughters.
Don’t let knee pain compromise your daily life. Call Reflex today for an evaluation at 503-719-6783.