Skip to content
Vita Nova clinicians Dr. Hemal Mehta and Kate Sherman, PA-C

Vita Nova · Joint & spine care

Better questions.
Clearer options.

Exploring stem cell treatments for joint or spine concerns? Start with the benefits, limitations, and questions to ask.

Explore at your own pace

What would you like to understand?

Choose an area to read common questions. No contact details needed.

Knee Hip Shoulder Neck Back Compare options

General education. Your history and an examination guide individual care.

01 / Start with the area

Same symptom. Different questions.

A painful joint, an irritated tendon, and a nerve problem can need different conversations.

Understanding knee concerns

Is all knee pain arthritis?

Knee pain can involve cartilage, the meniscus, tendons, or the joint lining. The location of symptoms, swelling, prior injuries, and an examination help a clinician understand what needs attention.

An arthritis diagnosis is only part of the picture. How much the joint has changed and how it affects daily activities both matter when comparing care options.

A question to bring to your visit

Which structure seems to be causing my symptoms, and how does that affect my options?

Ask our team about knee concerns

Understanding hip concerns

Does hip pain always come from the hip joint?

Pain around the hip can come from the joint itself, surrounding tendons or bursae, or the lower back. Similar symptoms can have different explanations.

Where pain occurs and which movements bring it on help guide the exam. Your clinician may use imaging to explore a specific question about the joint or nearby tissues.

A question to bring to your visit

Is this pain coming from the joint, the surrounding tissues, or somewhere else?

Ask our team about hip concerns

Understanding shoulder concerns

Is it the shoulder joint or the rotator cuff?

The shoulder relies on both a joint and a group of muscles and tendons called the rotator cuff. Tendon irritation, a tear, stiffness, and joint arthritis are different problems.

Strength, range of motion, prior injury, and the pattern of symptoms help shape a care plan. A treatment studied for one shoulder condition may not apply to another.

A question to bring to your visit

What does my exam tell us about the tendon, the joint, and my range of motion?

Ask our team about shoulder concerns

Understanding neck concerns

Why does neck pain need its own evaluation?

Neck symptoms may involve muscles, discs, small facet joints, or nerves. Pain in the neck alone and symptoms traveling into the arm can point to different issues.

Tell your clinician about numbness, weakness, or balance changes as well as pain. These details help determine the examination and any further evaluation needed.

A question to bring to your visit

Do my symptoms suggest a joint, disc, muscle, or nerve problem?

Ask our team about neck concerns

Understanding back concerns

What can a back-pain diagnosis actually tell me?

The lower back includes discs, joints, nerves, and muscles. Pain may also involve the sacroiliac joints, where the spine meets the pelvis. More than one structure can contribute.

Imaging findings need to be considered alongside symptoms and an examination. A scan alone does not identify the best treatment for every person.

A question to bring to your visit

How do the findings on my scan relate to what I feel and what I can do?

Ask our team about back concerns

02 / Understand the findings

What should happen before choosing a treatment?

The starting point is a clearer understanding of your symptoms, your daily life, and the care you have already tried.

A scan is one piece of that conversation. The findings need to make sense alongside your examination and history.

  1. 01

    Talk through your story

    When did symptoms begin? Which movements are difficult? What has helped, and what has changed?

  2. 02

    Connect the exam and imaging

    X-rays can show bone and joint-space changes. MRI can provide detail about soft tissues. Your clinician decides whether imaging would answer a useful question.

  3. 03

    Discuss the tradeoffs

    Ask about evidence, potential benefits, risks, recovery, cost, and alternatives—including whether more evaluation or another specialist is appropriate.

03 / Read the options

What is each approach trying to do?

Different approaches have different purposes and levels of evidence. This comparison is a starting point for questions.

Swipe across the table to compare the questions.

ApproachWhat to understandA useful question
Activity & rehabilitationExercise, physical therapy, and activity changes can support strength and function. Plans are adapted to the condition.What can I work on now, and how should progress be assessed?
Medication & injectionsSome options aim to manage symptoms. Their duration of benefit, risks, and suitability differ.What is this intended to relieve, and for how long?
Platelet-rich plasma PRPA preparation from a person's blood that concentrates platelets. Evidence varies by condition and preparation; results are not assured. [1]What evidence applies to this preparation and my diagnosis?
Alpha-2-macroglobulin A2MA naturally occurring blood protein being studied in joint care. Research is still developing; a biological mechanism is not proof of clinical benefit. [2]What do human studies show, and what remains uncertain?
Cell-based productsProducts differ in source, processing, and use. Stem cell products are not FDA-approved to treat orthopedic conditions. [3]What is the exact product, its regulatory status, and the evidence for this use?
Surgical evaluationSurgery may address structural problems through repair or replacement, depending on the diagnosis and circumstances.When would a surgical opinion help me compare my options?

What does “regenerative” actually tell you?
The term covers different approaches. It does not establish that a treatment repairs cartilage, is FDA-approved, or can replace surgery. Ask about the specific treatment and its evidence.

A conversation with your care team

Who helps make sense of the options?

Meet the clinicians behind Vita Nova in Franklin, Tennessee.

Hemal V. Mehta, MD

Hemal V. Mehta, MD

Founder & Medical Director

Board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, with fellowship training in interventional spine and pain medicine.

Kate Sherman, PA-C

Kate Sherman, PA-C

Clinical Director & Co-Founder

A physician assistant with more than 18 years of experience in orthopedics and over 20 years in clinical practice.

Keep asking questions

What else should I know before a visit?

I have already tried physical therapy and injections. What should I ask next?

Ask whether the diagnosis still explains your symptoms, what the previous treatments were intended to address, and whether further evaluation would change the plan. A review can include continued rehabilitation, other options, or a surgical opinion. Prior treatment alone does not establish whether a procedure is appropriate.

Will stem cells regrow my cartilage or help me avoid surgery?

Cartilage regrowth and avoidance of surgery are not outcomes that can be promised. Stem cell products are not FDA-approved to treat orthopedic conditions. Ask about the evidence for the specific product and condition, its regulatory status, risks, costs, and established alternatives.

Are my own cells safer or more effective than donor cells?

The source alone does not establish safety or effectiveness. How a product is collected, processed, and used matters. Ask for evidence about the exact product and proposed use, including FDA oversight. Using your own cells does not automatically make a treatment approved or appropriate.

Are PRP, A2M, and cell-based treatments the same thing?

No. PRP concentrates platelets from blood. A2M is a blood protein being studied in joint care. Cell-based products involve a different category of biological material. Findings about one preparation or condition do not establish that another treatment will work.

Does an inquiry mean I am a candidate for treatment?

No. This page and its inquiry form are educational and do not determine eligibility. A clinical evaluation is needed before discussing an individual care plan. A visit may lead to more evaluation, rehabilitation, another specialist, or no procedure.

What should I bring to a first visit?

Bring existing imaging and reports if available, your medication list, a summary of prior care, and your questions. Think about activities you want to discuss, such as walking, reaching, working, or sleeping. Ask about expected benefits, risks, recovery, costs, and alternatives before making a decision.

Your next conversation

Bring your history.
Bring your questions.

Ready to talk through what you have read? Ask the Vita Nova team about a clinical review. An inquiry is a starting point for a conversation.

Request a conversation

Visit our Franklin clinic

4601 Carothers Parkway, Suite 325
Franklin, TN 37067
(615) 801-8005
Get directions

Serving Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, Spring Hill, and Murfreesboro.

Keep learning

Read the source material and bring questions about how it applies to your situation.

  1. AAOS OrthoInfo: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
  2. A2M for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial (2024)
  3. FDA: Patient information about regenerative medicine therapies
Ask our team