Minnesota Man Stops Chronic Pain with Regenerative Medicine

“I haven’t been happier, healthier and more dialed in in my entire life.”
– JR Burgess

For decades, sports were an outlet for JR Burgess. He grew up playing baseball, basketball, football and rugby – and pushed himself to the limit.

And he had the injuries to show for it. Before the age of 40, he had endured more than a dozen surgeries on his knees, shoulders and Achilles.

Despite the surgeries, he was in constant pain, leading to unhealthy behaviors like drug and alcohol addiction.

Finally… Pain Relief from Injuries

Beyond surgery, JR turned to physical therapy, cortisone shots, bracing and pain relievers. But none touched his pain.

Given his background, JR had become a personal trainer to help others reach their peak form. When one of his training clients showed zeros signs of injury after regenerative medicine treatments, JR was intrigued. He reached out to the doctor who had helped, Joel Baumgartner, M.D., a family practice and sports medicine physician.

Dr. Baumgartner practiced regenerative medicine, with significant success. He offered injections into pain sites using prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem-cell therapy. Prolotherapy involves injecting a solution typically containing dextrose and local anesthetic, which then stimulates the body’s natural ability to heal.

PRP works similarly. Again, the injections stimulate repair and regrowth.

With stem-cell therapy, a doctor injects stem cells into an injury site, which then triggers damaged tissue to repair itself. The cells are sourced from your own body or from umbilical cords or placentas. The controversy around stem cells is typically related to embryonic stem cells, which are not legal in the U.S.

While the FDA considers stem-cell therapy experimental, many people have found it effective, including JR. Over time, he went through 11 stem-cell therapies. And with each, he noticed less pain and faster healing.

After he injured his Achilles tendon, JR turned to Dr. Baumgartner for stem-cell injections in conjunction with surgery. Within six months, the injury had healed. Comparatively, a previous Achilles surgery had required 18 months to heal.

In some cases, PRP worked, while in others stem-cell therapy proved more impactful.

The injections have been so powerful, that JR recommends them first – before surgery – for anyone he encounters with pain or an injury.

“I’ve seen nearly everything regenerate with STEM cells or PRP,” he says.

Releasing Childhood Trauma

Inspired by the powerful transformations of “The Biggest Loser” TV show, JR set out to change lives. Thus, he and Dr. Baumgartner teamed up to deliver a combination of regenerative medicine and lifestyle support for optimal health.

Meanwhile, JR knew he needed to clean up his own lifestyle. While he exercised and ate well, he was still drinking heavily, which impacted every aspect of his life.

“I wasn’t changing or shifting my behavior,” he says. “I was still acting under subconscious patterns. I was probably going to die sooner or burn out or have a heart attack.”

Childhood trauma factored heavily. As a fifth-grader, he had been humiliated by a teacher in front of the whole class for the appearance of his ears, leading him to have plastic surgery at that age. He knew he needed to address lingering emotional pain from that incident and other childhood events.

He began a number of therapies to release the trauma: therapy, EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and acupuncture.

For next-level breakthroughs, JR turned to plant medicine, including ketamine infusions, psilocybin and Washuma (a South American cactus), guided by a therapist. They not only helped him heal from past trauma, but also to break long-standing patterns of anger and addiction.

“The psilocybin was the biggest needle mover as my warrior-mind and subconscious had powerful holds on my thoughts and behaviors,” he says. “They allowed me to see my real and future self in a loving way.”

Now, he’s using hypnosis and meditation to continue the healing without the need for substances, to access the same changes and rewiring he desires.

A Lifestyle Overhaul

JR gave up alcohol and drugs, eliminated gluten and dairy from his diet, and eats organic foods. He fasts every day until noon. And once a month, he’ll extend his fast for three to five days.

When he travels or eats out, he’ll break from his restricted diet, however, he admits he doesn’t feel as well the next day.

These days, his exercise looks markedly more gentle than before, with yoga, tai chi, breathing and stretching.

He prioritizes sleep and works hard to maintain a work-life balance. To that end, he now sets aside time each day for his family and self-care.

After 10 years of helping build Rejuv Medical with Baumgartner, and licensing their MedFit healthcare model around the world, JR sold his shares and created HealthOvators, which helps healthcare practitioners create sustainable, profitable businesses. He now has the flexibility to travel with his family, while using his gifts to help practitioners who have the power to restore and regenerate health worldwide.

A Lyme Disease Setback

As JR felt healthier than he had in years, he encountered a setback. He noticed his memory failing to the point where he couldn’t remember words during conversations.

“I thought I was having a stroke,” he recalls.

Testing soon turned up Lyme disease. He reached out to Lyme specialists, including Dr. Tom Moorcroft, to help him heal with a natural and integrative approach. He treated it with IV therapy, antibiotics, intranasal stem cells and intravenous exosomes for immune health. Exosomes are small bubbles, released from cells, that facilitate cell-to-cell communication and healing.

For detox from Lyme, he sweated in an infrared sauna and used castor oil packs.

His healthy lifestyle helped too: a gluten-free diet, yoga, and minding his sleep and stress.

For every health challenge, JR has found that combining conventional, natural and regenerative medicine moved him forward the most. He stresses that the emotional work is just as essential as the physical for healing, and that healing takes a team.

“If somebody has got challenges, it’s very rarely going to be helped by one person,” he says. “It takes a collaborative approach.”

“If you want ultimate health, you’ve got to look in the mirror,” he says. “How we are eating, sleeping, smoking, stressing and forgiving. I haven’t been happier, healthier and more dialed in in my entire life.”

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