Stem cell therapy with Dr. Banman. Personally. In Colombia.
Roughly 50 million Americans live with chronic pain right now, and the standard medical answers (cortisone injections, opioids, arthroscopic clean-outs, joint replacement) were never designed to rebuild tissue. They were designed to manage the symptom. Regenerative medicine is the alternative most patients are never offered: a class of therapies that recruit the body's own repair signaling to support the healing of joints, discs, tendons, and soft tissue. Dr. Banman has worked in this space since 2013, before most of the field caught up, and personally performs advanced protocols at our partner clinic in Colombia where the regulatory pathway allows tools that are not yet broadly available in Florida. Initial consultation is in Lakewood Ranch. Treatment is in Colombia. Follow-up is back home, with the same doctor, start to finish.
- Since 2013.Dr. Banman has worked with regenerative protocols longer than most clinics in this state have offered them.
- Bilingual care.Dr. Banman speaks Spanish. The Colombia clinic operates in Spanish. Families navigate the program in either language.
- Same doctor, start to finish.No third-party brokers, no hand-offs, no anonymous "network surgeon." Dr. Banman runs your case from consult through recovery.
Six regenerative modalities. One program.
Drag the cube. Each face is a different therapy in the regenerative toolkit, what we use, why, and when.
Stem Cells
Mesenchymal stem cells are the program's foundation. They differentiate into the tissue types that need rebuilding, cartilage, tendon, ligament, disc, and signal surrounding cells to repair instead of scar.
Four phases. Same doctor. Continuity of care.
No middlemen. No surprise hand-offs. Dr. Banman guides every phase personally.
Initial consultation & evaluation.
Dr. Banman meets with you here, reviews your case, your imaging, your prior care. He's honest about whether the regenerative program is the right path for you. No pressure, no hard sell.
Your treatment plan, mapped end-to-end.
We map out the procedure, timeline, what to expect during travel, and what recovery looks like. Pricing and logistics are transparent before you commit to anything.
Treatment in a state-of-the-art partner clinic.
You travel to Colombia. Dr. Banman performs the regenerative procedure himself, in a state-of-the-art partner facility. You're under his direct care from intake to recovery suite.
Follow-up & recovery support.
Back at our Lakewood Ranch office for follow-up checks, recovery support, and progress evaluations. Same doctor, same team, start to finish.
Conditions regenerative medicine can support.
Regenerative medicine can be a path forward when conservative care has been tried and not delivered the lasting result you need.
Knee pain & osteoarthritis
When PT and injections haven't held, and surgery feels too aggressive too soon.
Hip joint pain
For OA and labral wear when conservative measures have plateaued.
Disc issues & chronic back pain
For patients who have tried decompression, PT, or injections without lasting relief.
Shoulder & rotator cuff
For partial tears and chronic tendinopathy that haven't healed with other care.
Tendon & soft tissue
Stubborn tendon injuries (Achilles, patellar, elbow) that haven't responded to standard care.
Chronic systemic conditions
Some patients pursue systemic regenerative therapy as part of an overall wellness strategy.
Is regenerative medicine right for you?
It's not the right path for everyone. Here's how Dr. Banman thinks about it.
Often a good fit if…
- You've tried PT, decompression, injections, and the result didn't hold.
- You want to avoid or delay an invasive surgical option.
- The injury is well-defined: a specific joint, tendon, or disc.
- You're in reasonable overall health and motivated to participate in recovery.
- You've done your research and are looking for advanced care, not a miracle.
Probably not the right path if…
- You haven't tried any conservative care yet, start there first.
- The condition is acute or post-trauma, let the body settle first.
- You're hoping it will work without supporting it (rest, rehab, lifestyle).
- You're medically unable to travel or undergo elective treatment.
- You're looking for a guaranteed cure, no honest doctor offers one.
Quick answers.
Why is the procedure performed in Colombia?
Some advanced regenerative therapies, particularly with stem cells, have a different regulatory landscape outside the U.S. Our partner clinic in Colombia is state-of-the-art, and Dr. Banman performs the procedure himself in that facility. Patients get advanced care, performed personally by their doctor, in a setting where the right protocols are available.
How long is the trip?
It varies, usually a few days to a week depending on the procedure. We map the timeline out fully during the consultation, so you know what to plan for before you commit.
What does it cost?
Cost depends on the specific procedure, condition, and travel logistics. Pricing is transparent and discussed in detail during your consultation. Many patients use CareCredit for financing.
Is it covered by insurance?
Regenerative medicine is generally not covered by insurance. We are upfront about that. CareCredit is available for financing.
How long does recovery take?
Recovery is typically progressive, many patients are walking and traveling shortly after the procedure, with results developing over weeks and months. Dr. Banman manages your recovery directly back at the LWR office.
Do you guarantee results?
No honest doctor will. Regenerative medicine has shown strong outcomes for many patients, but every body responds differently. Dr. Banman is candid about expectations during consultation, and only recommends the program if he believes you're a strong candidate.
Why injections, opioids, and joint replacement are not always the right first answer.
The standard pathway for a worn-out knee, a torn rotator cuff, or a degenerating disc has not changed much in a generation. The first prescription is usually anti-inflammatories. The second is physical therapy. If those do not hold, the next step is a cortisone injection. After that, the conversation turns to surgery or, for joints, a replacement. We are not against any of these tools when the clinical picture truly calls for them. We are against using them by default before the underlying tissue has ever been given a real chance to heal.
Cortisone calms inflammation around a joint. It does not rebuild cartilage. The long-running concern in orthopedic literature is that repeated cortisone may further degrade the tissue it is being injected into. Opioids dull the brain's read of the pain signal. They do not repair the structure. Arthroscopic clean-outs remove damaged tissue. They do not regrow what was lost. Joint replacements are a real and sometimes appropriate tool, but a prosthetic joint has a lifespan, revisions are harder than the first surgery, and that clock starts the day the implant goes in.
Regenerative medicine works further upstream. It is designed to recruit the body's own repair signaling so that local tissue is given the support it needs to heal, not just the inflammation suppressed around it. For the right candidate, it may be a chance to delay or avoid the irreversible step. For the wrong candidate, it is not, and Dr. Banman will tell you that on the consult.
How regenerative medicine actually works.
Conventional medicine treats damaged tissue by removing it, masking it, or replacing it. Regenerative medicine takes a different angle: give the body the cellular signals it needs to repair the tissue itself. The toolkit is not one thing. It is a layered set of interventions, sequenced for the case.
Mesenchymal stem cells sit at the foundation. These are unspecialized cells that, given the right environment, are designed to differentiate into the tissue type the body is asking for: cartilage, tendon, ligament, disc, or soft tissue. Stem cells are also paracrine, meaning they release signaling molecules that tell the cells around them to repair instead of scar.
PRP, platelet-rich plasma, is the most established autologous tool in the category: your own blood, concentrated, re-injected. Platelets carry growth factors. Delivered directly to a target tendon, ligament, or joint, they may support the local repair process. The peer-reviewed musculoskeletal literature documents PRP and related regenerative approaches across multiple soft-tissue indications.
None of these is a guarantee. None of them is a cure. They are tools designed to support the body's own healing where the conventional pathway would have moved straight to suppression or replacement. The combination, the sequencing, and the candidacy call are where the clinical judgment lives. That is the part Dr. Banman owns personally.
Why Dr. Banman. And why Colombia.
Dr. Banman has been working with regenerative protocols since 2013. He was reading the science, training in the protocols, and applying them clinically before most of the field caught up. The credential is not a marketing claim. It is a timeline.
He also speaks Spanish. That is not a footnote. Dr. Banman has spent years on medical missions in South America, providing care in Spanish-speaking communities and building relationships with clinicians there. The bilingual capacity is not a feature we bolted on. It is the reason the Colombia partnership exists.
The reason advanced protocols are performed in Colombia rather than Lakewood Ranch is regulatory. The U.S. and Florida regulatory framework for cell-based regenerative medicine is, by design, conservative. Several of the tools and cell concentrations that the international clinical literature supports are not available inside that framework. They are available, in properly accredited clinics, in Colombia. Treatment is performed by Dr. Banman personally, in a state-of-the-art partner clinic, in a controlled medical environment, in a Spanish-speaking country where he is professionally and culturally fluent.
- Same doctor, start to finish. The consult, the procedure, and the follow-up are all Dr. Banman. No anonymous network surgeon. No third-party broker.
- Vetted personally. The clinic and protocol are vetted by a chiropractor with 23 plus years of clinical practice and over a decade specifically inside regenerative medicine.
- Bilingual care. Spanish-language explanation of every step if your family needs that.
- Continuity at home. You come back to the Lakewood Ranch office for recovery, follow-up imaging, and chiropractic co-management of the tissue you just invested in.
Day 1 is a candidacy conversation. Not a sales pitch.
Day 1, the consult. You meet Dr. Banman in our Lakewood Ranch office. He reviews your case, your prior care, your imaging, and your goals. The first question on the table is not "which procedure" but "are you a candidate." Regenerative medicine is not the right path for everyone, and he will tell you that directly if your case is better served by another tool.
Day 2, the plan. If regenerative care is a fit, we map out the workup, the procedure, the travel logistics, and what recovery looks like. Required imaging, labs, and medical clearance happen here in the U.S. before any travel is booked. Investment is presented on Day 2 after the exam, before you commit to anything. You take the plan home.
Colombia. You travel to Colombia. Dr. Banman performs the regenerative procedure himself, in a state-of-the-art partner clinic, in a controlled medical environment. Bilingual care from intake to recovery suite. You are under his direct supervision the entire visit.
Back home. Lakewood Ranch follow-up checks, progress imaging if indicated, and recovery support. Chiropractic adjustments, Class IV laser, decompression, or hyperbaric oxygen are paired in as the case calls for, so the tissue you just invested in is given the best environment to heal and hold.
Sources
- Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in musculoskeletal disorders (PMC, peer-reviewed review).
- Photobiomodulation, Underlying Mechanism and Clinical Applications (PMC).
- Indications for oxygen therapy and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (PMC).
Regenerative medicine is an evolving field. We will tell you, on the consult, where the evidence is strong, where it is emerging, and where it is preliminary for your specific indication.
Talk to Dr. Banman first.
Regenerative medicine is the most consequential modality we offer, and we treat the conversation accordingly. The fastest path is a discovery call: we listen to your case, ask about your imaging and prior care, quote the consult fee on the spot, and get you scheduled with Dr. Banman if it is a fit. The investment for the procedure and trip is presented after the in-person consult, when we know enough to give you a real answer. Bilingual support available on every call.