Danielle R. Steilen-Matias, PA-C

Education: I earned my Masters of Medical Science degree in Physician Assistant studies at Midwestern University in Downer’s Grove, Illinois. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (magna cum laude). During my education there, I took a special interest in pediatric obesity and completed my thesis on the relationship between locomotor skills and physical activity in pre-school children.

As a student in PA school, I completed an internship in Prolotherapy with Ross Hauser, MD. One of the core concepts that struck me about Prolotherapy was its ability to correct the physiologic underlying cause of chronic pain. Something that most people do not realize is that clinical rotations can leave you feeling like patients only want to see you in order to obtain prescriptions. For instance, I would try to talk about diet and exercise with a patient, but they would tell me they really just wanted the prescription for a drug to help lower their cholesterol. When it comes to chronic pain, most traditional medicine approaches involve stronger and stronger medications, and counteracting their side effects with even more medications. It was a refreshing and enlightening experience to have a Prolotherapy rotation at Caring Medical. I observed patients getting better treatment after treatment, and stopping pain medications instead of needing more. This was just the opposite of most pain management and rheumatology rotations I had observed. It was the ideal match for the PA that I wanted to be!

After becoming a Board Certified practitioner, I furthered my education in Prolotherapy by attending Hackett-Hemwall Prolotherapy conferences and both Neurofascial and Neural Therapy training seminars. I have trained extensively with Dr. Hauser to learn Comprehensive dextrose Prolotherapy inside and out, as well as Cellular (PRP and Stem Cell) Prolotherapy. I’ve always been an eager student- what can I say?!

Comprehensive Prolotherapy practitioner: I treat patients with comprehensive Hackett-Hemwall dextrose Prolotherapy. This method involves comprehensively treating each joint to address and reverse the underlying joint instability. Dextrose Prolotherapy can be combined with autologous cellular therapy for more severe pain cases, which may include Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and/or Stem Cell Prolotherapy. PRP and Stem cell therapies involve extracting cells from the blood, adipose tissue, or bone marrow and using them as a proliferant to heal musculoskeletal tissue.

Specialties: In my practice, I see patients of all ages with many different conditions from all over the world. I have taken a special interest in shoulder pathology. Though, my practice is certainly open to all musculoskeletal conditions.

I am certified in musculoskeletal ultrasound, which is a wonderful tool to assist with diagnosing musculoskeletal injuries, performing injections with direct visualization, and for cases that require Nerve Release Injection Therapy. While not all patients require ultrasound guidance for treatments, it can be helpful in many cases. This is part of an individualized approach. With this, I have seen amazing results in my patients with both acute injuries and chronic pain conditions!

Writer: I have articles published on chronic neck pain and joint instability as a cause for osteoarthritis, such as Barré-Liéou syndrome and upper cervical instability with real patient data.

I am listed in PUBMED for my research on neck pain:
Steilen D, Hauser R, Woldin B, Sawyer S. Chronic neck pain: making the connection between capsular ligament laxity and cervical instability. Open Orthop J. 2014 Oct 1;8:326-45. doi: 10.2174/1874325001408010326. eCollection 2014.

I also regularly write articles for our daily e-newsletter and blogs.

Some of my writings include:
A discussion on how Pain Killers can increase chronic pain. I describe the concerns of painkiller abuse in patients and the detrimental effects for their healing.

In my article Epidural Steroid Injections for back pain, we compare back pain treated with epidural steroid injections and Prolotherapy and answer many common questions about each treatment.

For patients with knee pain, my article on researchers who say NO to Arthroscopy for middle-aged or older patients explains the diagnosis and treatment options for loose bodies in the knee that may cause pain and other symptoms.

Obesity is a problem affecting many patients with chronic joint pain. In my article Obesity and Back Pain, we look at the research that shows how complex the problems of accumulated fat can bee in our bodies, how it delays healing, and what we can do about it.

For patients with foot problems and a desire to avoid traditional surgery, we explore Alternative treatments for foot pain in which we discuss Comprehensive Prolotherapy and the research behind the treatments for foot pain.

The problems of the knee centering in the knee cap region. If you have been diagnosed with Patellofemoral Instability or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome you may have been told that the cartilage under your kneecap has been damaged by wear and tear . We talk about comprehensive Prolotherapy to fix that damage Patellofemoral Instability treatments.

In one of my articles on hip pain I discusses various methods of acetabulum hip labrum repair including regenerative and biomaterials such as Torn Hip Labrum Repair with Prolotherapy

New research explored the surgical options in the treatment of SLAP lesions. There are a lot of options but and unfortunately, the success rates are not that favorable Slap lesions of the shoulder.

Spinal instability can be at the root of many back pain conditions but the cause of the instability can be confusing and complex. The connection of ligament laxity and spinal instability is discussed and treatment options presented.

If you have a topic that you would like to hear more about, please let me know. I’m happy to share my knowledge and hopefully help you understand more about your own health. I also invite you to check out our videos where I discuss some of the most common conditions we treat, as well as some treatment demonstrations.

On a more personal note, Prolotherapy has helped me to bounce back after many injuries, such as those that I’ve acquired running and after the birth of my children. I have been successfully treated for injuries to my hip, wrist, elbow, ankle, shoulder, and low back which has enabled me to stay active both with exercise and as a mom. I feel this makes me more compassionate as a practitioner as I understand what my patients are feeling before, during, and after Prolotherapy.

Life at Home: When I am not at work, I am home with my husband and four young children. It is a lot of fun watching my children discover the world together (during which they always keep us on our toes!) We also have two aging dogs who put up with a lot from the kids! If I need a break, I like to curl up with a good murder mystery book (when I can!) or bake! Baking is a big stress-reliever for me, and the office staff (AKA my taste-testers) get to reap in the benefits!

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me. I hope to learn more about you now!

Have a question for Danielle?
Email her at pamatias@caringmedical.com.

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