Longevity is something many wish to obtain, and this week’s Wednesday Wellness guest is taking on a different approach to doing so. This week, we spoke to Dr. Jeffrey Gross, a board-certified neurologist. As the owner of SPINE, and a regenerative medicine practice called ReCELLebrate, he speaks to us about what neurosurgery entails. As a leader in the field of neurosurgery and stem cell medicine, he speaks to us about the specialized precision and concierge treatments he offers.
Neurosurgery Explained
Explaining neurosurgery, he clarifies that most of what is done in the community is elective care, even if it stems from an injury or trauma that may not need acute attention. Examples of these include lingering neck or back problems. Dr. Gross explains how there is a genetic component in some of these cases.
Precision Medicine
The treatments offered are rooted in precision. With new advancements that allow for minimally invasive approaches, they are able to apply precision medicine to deal with the exact spot and cause of pain, as opposed to the entire body part (e.g. spine). He shares that biologics and biotechnology can help with this.
Biologics Explained
Dr. Gross explains biologics to us. This is essentially the use of regenerative medicine and growth factors. These growth factors include platelet-rich plasma (PRP), exosomes, and stem cells. He also speaks to us about bone morphogenetic protein, a growth factor that can stimulate bone growth where desired. Many things can now be done without surgery, merely requiring an injection. He explains how these methods are less invasive than minimally invasive surgery. While he hasn’t used these techniques for preventative reasons, he shares that he can envision soon doing so.
Our Body Structure in Achieving Longevity
In order to achieve longevity, many adopt healthy lifestyle habits, ranging from exercising to intermittent fasting. While these are able to ensure that our organs stay healthy, our structures are still being put under strain. Dr. Gross makes reference to osteoporosis, sharing that as we age, our own stem cells start to age too. This condition leads to bone density and muscle mass decline, factors that are associated with longevity. These are characteristics that we commonly see in the elderly. Dr. Gross gives us tips on how to maintain our bone density, bringing us one step closer to achieving longevity.
Prioritizing Joint Health
Dr. Gross also talks to us about joint health, sharing that he’s treating mostly knees and shoulders, which isn’t common for a neurosurgeon. There are a lot of people with degenerated joints, whether it be from a sports injury, chronic wear, and tear, or disuse over the years. He shares how regenerative techniques through biotechnology (including stem cells and exosomes) can help restore lost cartilage, ensuring the joint doesn’t wear down as much. In fact, reversal of damage is seen in a few cases, which he intends on including in his book, “Young Again”.
Young Again
He describes the book as an educational primer on why we age on a cellular level. He aims to structure it as a how-to guide for applying knowledge about slowing down cellular aging. If we can reverse cellular age, we can reverse biological age.
Stem Cells: The Key to Longevity?
Dr. Gross discusses the explosion in stem cell technology, what stem cells are, their safety, and how they’re collected. To hear more about this, and his views on Neurolink, listen to the full, in-depth interview below:
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