Coach Matt O'Brien

Easiest high protein, low carb, and moderate fiber meal… steak salad! (Or whatever protein option you prefer)

I’m always looking for evidence-based, non-surgical options that can help preserve joint function, maintain performance, and improve quality of life.

And in this case, the investigation is personal.

I’m in the early stages of osteoarthritis in both knees, confirmed by x-rays and MRIs.

So I’m actively researching what I can do now to protect them, stay highly active, and hopefully avoid knee replacement later in life.

At the same time, I’m vetting practitioners and treatment options that may ultimately be valuable for my clients and followers.

That’s what brought me to Dr. Ron Torrance at his St. Pete Regenexx office.

For nearly a decade, Dr. Torrance has focused on non-surgical orthopedic treatment of knees, shoulders, hips, backs, and other musculoskeletal conditions.

We spent considerable time reviewing his evaluation process, imaging, injection techniques, and the evidence behind the protocols he uses.

One of the most interesting concepts we discussed was WHERE regenerative treatments are delivered in an arthritic knee.

Osteoarthritis isn’t simply “worn-out cartilage.”

The underlying SUBCHONDRAL BONE, the bone immediately beneath the cartilage, can develop abnormal remodeling, bone-marrow lesions, cystic changes, and other pathology that may contribute to pain and progression of the disease.

That makes treatment location potentially very important.

A conventional knee injection typically places PRP or bone-marrow-derived cells into the intra-articular joint space.

Dr. Torrance uses real-time imaging to precisely guide treatment into the specific structures involved in the pathology, including, when appropriate, the subchondral bone itself.

I asked him to show me the evidence.

And there is some very interesting evidence.

A randomized controlled study published in International Orthopaedics followed 60 patients with osteoarthritis in both knees.

Researchers divided the same bone-marrow concentrate between the two knees:

• One knee received the cells directly into the subchondral bone of the femur and tibia.

• The other knee received the same treatment dose through a conventional intra-articular joint injection.

That study design is especially interesting because each patient essentially served as his or her own control.

At two years, the researchers reported greater clinical and MRI improvement in the knees treated through the subchondral bone.

Even more interesting was the long-term follow-up.

After an average of 15 years, only 12 of 60 knees (20%) treated through the subchondral bone had progressed to total knee replacement.

By comparison, 42 of 60 knees (70%) treated with the same cells through the joint space ultimately underwent knee replacement.

Put in my Made Simple way:

80% of the subchondral-treated knees avoided knee replacement versus only 30% of the joint space treated knees.

That does NOT mean every arthritic knee should receive this treatment, nor does one study establish that this approach is universally superior for every patient.

But it certainly got my attention.

This is exactly the type of research I want to continue investigating.

I’m interested in treatments that have:

• A plausible biological mechanism
• Objective imaging or outcome data
• Appropriate patient selection
• Precision-guided delivery
• Enough evidence to justify taking a serious look

Not simply the newest thing being marketed as “regenerative medicine.”

Dr. Torrance also walked me through how, in many cases, he recommends a lower-cost option because it will get the job done.

What’s best for the patient is what is best for him.

And that is refreshing!

The takeaway for me is that regenerative orthopedics is a viable option when the protocol and practitioner are both correct.

It’s not simply:

“Inject some stem cells into a knee.”

It’s identifying the actual pathology, determining which structures need treatment, and using image guidance to precisely place the therapeutic material where it may have the greatest biological effect.

And that distinction may matter considerably.

I’ll continue sharing what I learn as I investigate emerging strategies in health, longevity, human performance, and quality of life…

both for myself and for the people who trust me to help them make informed health decisions.

If you’re dealing with knee, shoulder, hip, or back problems and want to know more about what I learned from Dr. Torrance, feel free to reach out.

Strong is Young!

Coach Matt
TrYumph Functional Training
Regenexx

Don’t be skinny fat! Improve your mitochondrial function and burn fat with “Zone 2” cardio but don’t forget the strength training. 💪🏼

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CKW7NU41G/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Joe is already down 40lbs in his first 10 weeks! His doctor is happy and said: “Keep doing what you’re doing!”

More importantly, Joe is happy and feeling more confident about his health and his future.

It is my passion and purpose to help business owners and executives get healthy in 90 days.
.and stay that way!

Stay strong my friends,

Coach Matt
TrYumph Functional Training

🔥 THIS is what a gym should look like in 2026.

Training. Coaching. Education. Community.

🔥 We don’t just want you to WORK OUT at TrYumph. We want you to understand how to take control of your HEALTH.

What makes TrYumph different isn’t just the workout. It’s the education, coaching, community, and support that help people turn better health into a lifestyle.

A huge THANK YOU to our guest speaker Hope Brent Smith and everyone who gave up part of their Saturday to attend our Peptides Playbook Workshop.

We believe our health is our wealth and you chose to invest in yourself today!

Your health is too important to outsource to TikTok, Google, or the latest wellness trend.

We love seeing people show up with questions, take notes, learn, and become more informed advocates for their own health.

Peptides and GLP-1 medications are getting a tremendous amount of attention right now, but our goal is never hype.

It’s to provide practical, evidence-informed education so people can better understand the tools that may be available to them — and the foundational habits that still matter most.

That philosophy is at the heart of what we do at TrYumph.

We’re not simply a place where you come in, exercise for an hour, and leave.

We help busy working professionals and parents build a complete strategy for better health through educational workshops, health and nutrition coaching, personal training, and coached small-group functional training.

Because lasting health usually isn’t created by one supplement, one medication, one diet, or one workout program.

It’s created by learning how to train effectively, eat intelligently, build muscle, improve metabolic health, develop better habits, and have the coaching and accountability to keep doing it.

Our mission is simple:

Help people get healthy in 90 days — and stay that way.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us today, and a special thank you to our guest presenter for sharing her time and expertise with the TrYumph community.

The Y in TrYumph is YOU! 💪

Cheers,

Coach Matt O'Brien
Founder, TrYumph Companies
Board Certified Health Coach