How Stem Cell Therapy helped Astrid get back to being Active

The original back injury remains a mystery, but add a torn hamstring and any active mom would have to slow down any active mom – especially when the back injury resulted in two degenerative discs. For Astrid Corretjer, that meant the end of tennis, rollerblading, paddle boarding, and especially mountain biking.

The hamstring was recent, thanks to spinning, and the discs a few years ago. “It was horrible,” Corretjer said. “I went in for physical therapy and had so much tightness. All of the symptoms were on the left side, but I tore my right hamstring.” The tightness on the left side could have been caused by mountain biking, too. That and tennis.

Corretjer, of Scottsdale, sought conventional medical help and just dealt with the discomfort, trying “physical therapy, needles, everything you can possibly imagine,” she said. “I learned to stretch. I had to stretch big-time every day.” But her back wouldn’t allow the same activities she enjoyed before her injuries. “My physical and rehab doctor told me, ‘I don’t know what to do with you,’” Corretjer explained. “Let me send you to someone who can help.”

The trip to see someone who could help brought Corretjer to Dr. Michael Wolff, MD at Southwest Spine & Sports last spring. Corretjer had a thorough evaluation and her discs were identified as the major cause of her low back pain. She was treated with stem cell injections into each painful degenerative disc in late June. “There isn’t an on/off switch, but I started to see improvement after the third or fourth month.

While there was pain before the injections, the biggest issue Corretjer faced was the tightness. After the June stem cell treatment, she’s been working with a physical therapist and is almost back to her old line-up of activities. Corretjer describes herself as a “young 48” and can play tennis again without pain. “I can rollerblade and paddle board again, too,” she said.