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This
is my account of how Dr. Ongley helped me with his proliferant injections.
It's long, but I'm getting lots of requests from people for this
information, so here goes! To jump directly to specific topics on this page, click one of the following:
Overview Dr. Ongley is a British physician who trained in England under Dr. James Cyriax, the father of Orthopedic Medicine. He practices in Ensenada, Mexico, 1-1/2 hours south of San Diego, treating orthopedic problems using non-surgical techniques. One of the techniques Dr. Ongley uses is to reconstruct damaged soft tissue structures by injecting a biologic reconstructive solution called a proliferant. A proliferant is a substance which stimulates the body to regenerate its own tissues (of any type) by the reproduction of similar cells. Proliferant injections date back around 100 years, but have been considerably improved upon by Dr. Ongley with his own research. Dr. Ben Benjamin referred me to Dr. Ongley when I asked him to evaluate me for a set of symptoms that no one was putting together (frequent headaches, increasing loss of short term memory, visual disturbances, a sinus infection that had not healed for 2 years, and culminating in sudden total deafness in 1 ear and wild disruptive movements of my cranial bones). Acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy and massage were helping, but I had reached a plateau in my healing. Ben suggested, and Dr. Ongley concurred that my symptoms were 100% consistent with a lack of blood flow to the brain. Over 6 weeks in early 1999 I received the standard set of 7 injections for the neck. My first indication that the treatments would help came the morning following my first treatment. I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. For the first time in years I had roses in my cheeks! ("Yes, lovely," smiled Dr. Ongley when I pointed them out. He'd seen it all before.) Before the treatments were half over, I found I had a normal cervical curve … something I'd lost so long ago I couldn't remember. Since my treatments, and with the continuing help of my wonderful acupuncturist, I continue to improve. Though tests show my hearing has not improved since before my treatments, I believe it continues to improve in ways they are not testing. The roses have stayed, the visual disturbances continue to lessen, my sinuses are almost clear, and my cranial bones no longer feel like they are having an earthquake. I can also find the words I need when I need them, and can remember where I put the car keys. I have more energy than I can remember having for 10 years. A year ago, I could barely make it through a step aerobics class and my heart rate was always off the charts. My first class back after my treatments (and after not really exercising for 6 months!) … I breezed through the class with my heartrate well on the chart for the first time! What's more, I've suffered from hip displaysia for over 10 years. I had been told by my doctor that I would need a hip replacement for the painful wearing away of cartilage in my joint. I'd resigned myself to thinking that my walking days were over. After Dr. Ongley's hip injections I have continued to improve. In May I walked tirelessly over cobblestone streets throughout a 2 week trip to Italy with my Mother and sister! Though Dr. Ongley focuses on orthopedic problems, you'd be surprised what this covers! I'm a massage therapist, but I certainly never guessed my bag of symptoms could be caused by that pesky neck that was always going out! Dr. Ongley helps people with an incredible range of problems, including some we consider systemic such as multiple sclerosis. If you're thinking of going to Dr. Ongley, read on for more detail of what my experience was like. For more technical information about the work, check out his website… Dr. Milne Ongley's website. I called Dr. Ongley's clinic in Mexico (from the U.S. 011-52-61-74-5516; from another country, you'll need to replace the 011 with another code to initiate an international call). Dr. Ongley works Wednesday afternoon through Saturday morning, but the clinic is staffed Monday morning through Saturday noon to take your calls. They answer in Spanish, but just dive in in English … all the staff speak it quite well. Of course you'll want to make an appointment for an assessment. But be aware that if Dr. Ongley thinks he can help you he will be willing to start treatment immediately! If you can clear your schedule to stay, you can save yourself a trip later (and start your healing right away!!). What to bring to your appointment If you have relevant x-rays or other medical reports that you think would help Dr. Ongley, it is a good idea to bring them. If you don't, don't worry. Dr. Ongley told me in most cases, the history and manual exam tells him what he needs to know. If you need other tests, he will send you to have the work done in Ensenada where it's speedy and inexpensive. I wrote up a lengthy description of my symptoms and the treatment I'd been receiving, and I brought along a report on an ultrasound on my neck. Dr. Ongley did read the report, but only after he had listened to my story and done the manual exam. In case you stay for treatment, you might want to bring a swim suit and towel (for the hot tub), and I recommend a heating pad which feels good if you are a little sore. My first appointment Dr Ongley's clinic is in a small bungalow that overlooks the Pacific, and is easy to find. (See Getting There" below.) When you walk into Dr. Ongley's waiting room, you know immediately that this is a different kind of place. Everyone is talking, laughing, doing their "Ongley exercises" and most of all sharing their stories. It felt more like a gathering of friends than a Dr.'s waiting room. The staff were friendly and caring, and asked me to fill out a short form on why I was there. I had to wait about an hour. I understand sometimes the wait can be much longer, but no one seems to mind. You learn so much in the waiting room, and make friends, too. My feeling was, I was completely away from the demands of my business and home … what else did I have to do? The assessment When I was taken back to Dr. Ongley's office, I was greeted enthusiastically like I was an old friend! Dr. Ongley asked me to describe my situation, stopping me occasionally to ask questions. I changed into a hospital gown for the physical exam, which consisted of a lot of range of motion tests, with and without resistance. If you are a massage therapist and have taken Ben Benjamin's classes, many of the tests will be familiar. Dr. Ongley told me that my symptoms were 100% consistent with lack of blood flow to the brain. He indicated that my neck was misaligned in such a way that in some positions I could be cutting off blood flow completely. He also said that my sacrum was torqued, and that my hip joint was in bad shape (well, he actually said "bloody awful" … but he said it in a nice way). Dr. Ongley then sat me down and told me he could help me with all three problems. What did I want him to do? Recommended treatment, cost, time commitment For most problems, Dr. Ongley has a standard number of injections for a fixed cost which takes care of most cases. If you need more, there will be an additional charge. For me, if I decided to address all three areas, the treatments would be:
My thought process was: a) Because my neck is sitting right on top of my hip and low back, b) because my hip had been causing me pain for the last 10-15 years, c) because it's only money, right? and d) if it works, it will be worth every penny … I decided to get all three areas treated. The good news was that the treatments could proceed concurrently, and after the first 2 they could take place overnight. If I wanted, I could commute rather than stay in Ensenada. I worked out the costs, and it was only marginally more expensive to commute, so I opted to spend most of my week engaged in my normal life. Some people preferred to stay down there, and treated their time like a vacation. I hear there's a great restaurant right outside of the RV park where you get a HUGE platter of delicious ribs and beans for $3.00! My first treatments happened Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I stayed over in Ensenada and got my second treatment on Wednesday and Thursday. After that I traveled down weekly on a Thursday. I had a treatment Thursday afternoon, stayed overnight, got a treatment Friday morning, and returned to my home in Olympia, Washington in time to watch a video and crawl into my own bed. I thought: many people accept a travel schedule like this as a normal part of their business. There were patients there who were doing a weekly commute from South Carolina! Truly it was not that big a deal! It was no problem for me to drive directly after receiving the hip injections. If you are receiving a more complicated set of injections, Dr. Ongley might recommend a longer wait. But when I asked Dr. Ongley about driving back the same day I got my injections, he emphatically stated that unlike many other more invasive treatments, it was possible -- and advisable -- after the injections to return to normal activities. Then he repeated what I heard many times from him … "and as much exercise as you can get, all the better!" I began treatments right then and there. I hopped up on the treatment table and Dr. Ongley gave me a valium injection. He always offers valium, and he may require it on that first treatment. I stopped using it after 3 treatments. Others opt to continue using it. The first treatment is always an anti-inflammatory injection, followed by a few anti-inflammatory pills over the next 24 hours. I laid on my stomach and Dr Ongley inserted needles in only a couple of places on my neck. From there he moved the needle around to reach all the ligaments on the sides and back of my neck. He also did a chiropractic style adjustment -- as I understand it to free up any restrictions that may be holding my joints out of alignment. There are no more adjustments after that first treatment. I have to admit the tears came pouring out … not because it hurt. It was uncomfortable, but really didn't hurt very much. It just felt so emotional! Apparently it's not uncommon to cry at first … some people say it is the valium, others say it is because there can be a lot of emotion held in an area of chronic pain and disability. Actually, Dr. Ongley says the valium makes women cry and men feel all warm and fuzzy. Who knows. But for me, the tears did not feel bad and I really did not feel upset. I felt hopeful and was actually laughing along with the tears. After several treatments, as I began to get stronger, the tears stopped, but the laughing continued. After the injections, the assistant helped me off the table and across the hall into the small recovery room. I laid down to rest and let the valium wear off and the assistant brought a heat pack for my neck. My neck didn't hurt, but it felt weird … as if there was a fat bandage under my skin at the base of my skull. The heat felt great. After a while, the assistant came in to explain the exercises I was to repeat 3 times a day for 6 months. For the neck, I was to lie down on my back with a small pillow under my head and slowly, gently move my head back and forth 50 times. (The exercises for the low back are four variations on forward bending; for the hip, just walking and/or bicycling.) Apparently, it is absolutely imperative that you do the exercises consistently for the ligament tissue to lay down correctly. The idea is "healing though range of motion." If you don't do the exercises, the tissue lays down in a random fashion more like scar tissue that can restrict movement and is prone to injury. If you consistently move through the range of motion (without straining!) while your ligaments are building up, the tissue will grow to be strong, flexible and supportive. And Dr. Ongley never tires of saying, "Plus as much exercise as you can possibly manage!!" If you like, you can then go sit in the outdoor hot tub in a beautiful garden enclosure at the hotel next to the clinic … a ritual I enjoyed many times. I also took a heating pad to use at night if I was at all tender. The electric outlets and voltage are the same as in the U.S. A note: I'm still doing my exercises as of July 1999. I started to get bored after a couple of months, so I bought an Italian Language program on CD and a portable CD player with ear-phones. (My mother was taking my sister and me to Italy in May.) I actually learned enough Italian to handle almost any situation (except philosophy, I suppose). What a bonus! While in Italy, I had a stopwatch feature on my watch so I could time my exercises and chat with my mom and sister while I did them. The mid-day exercises took place almost anywhere … in the Puccini museum to strains of his operas, on concrete stairs while waiting for Roberto to show up on his moped to lead us to our accommodation, in the exercise area (how appropriate) in the ruins of old Rome! And by the way, I can really recommend the handicapped restroom stalls in airports for doing exercises. A sweater does nicely for the pillow under your head. The Following treatments The day after my first inflammatory injection in the neck, I received the anti-inflammatory injections for my low back. He inserted the needle near one sacral-iliac joint and from there injected both sides. On Saturday, I received the first proliferant injection on both the neck and low back. They were exactly like the anti-inflammatories procedurally … just a different solution. I took several days off and took in the sights around Ensenada. The second set of injections included the second neck and hip treatment and my first hip treatment. After that, I returned home and began commuting every week. I caught a 7:30 a.m. flight to San Diego, drove a rental car directly to Dr. Ongley's clinic where I received my neck and low back treatments. I spent the night, and on my way out of town I returned to the clinic for my hip treatment. Then I did my hip exercises, hopped in my car, drove to the airport and was home by around 6:30. I was usually able to make a 12:00 flight, but if their had been a later one I would have taken it. It was stressful sometimes worrying about whether I would make it or not. The injections do hurt a little on tissue that's been traumatized for years … but not seriously. It's more discomfort. And if you're like me, it's more the IDEA of injections, than the actual injections. (Helpful hint: Don't look at the needles - ever!) Afterward, I was a little tender for a few days … more like sore muscles after exercising than anything. The Ongley exercises helped. Heat helped. Rarely, I took aspirin too. Taking time for the hot tub made a big difference in how stiff I did or didn't feel after treatments. Sometimes the sensation lasted a few days, sometimes almost a week … but it was never really troublesome. It almost felt like a "good hurt." As my tissue got healthier, the injections were less uncomfortable and and I was less sore afterward. Also, just in general sometimes the injections seemed to have more aftereffect than others. As I said before, after about 3 injections I stopped having the valium. As a massage therapist, I should not be surprised at this, but I was: what was much more helpful for me than valium was to have the assistant hold my hand. She was busy, and needed to use her hands to help Dr. Ongley … but she was always willing to take my hand during the injections. There was never a more striking affirmation for me of the power of touch. How am I now? I've already given you my health report … but basically I'm doing GREAT! I'm not completely cured, and don't have all my hearing back … but I'm no longer worried I might go deaf in both ears, or possibly go blind. I feel healthier than I have in years. I feel blessed! Only you can decide, of course. I only hope my experience can make it easier for you to consider whether it might be for you. Dr. Ongley is helping countless people get better from an assortment of very serious and painful conditions. He's helped a lot of people avoid surgery. He's given a lot of people their life back! Dr. Ongley's the genuine article and one of a kind! Whatever you decide, I wish you the very very best in your journey to healing. Don't give up. There is help for you somewhere! I never really asked Dr. Ongley why he practiced in Mexico. But, he is not a native of the United States, and does not necessarily have the ties to the country or our health care system that someone might that was born and trained here. It's convenient for Dr. Ongley to practice there, and it's easy to get to. For those of us who've always gotten our health care in the States, it can seem intimidating crossing a border for treatment, but it's really quite simple. Though you can tell you're not in the states, it's a pleasant, manageable and modern enough place to visit. Once you've gotten down there, you'll wonder what the big deal was. I can recommend the Baja Handbook: Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas by Joe Cummings for a lot of practical information about getting to Ensenada, finding your accommodations, and getting around while you are there. It had the largest section on Ensenada of all the guidebooks I looked at and is widely available. I recommend flying to San Diego, renting a car, and driving to Ensenada. People do get to Ensenada without a car, but I would recommend it only if you are staying for a while. You take a bus from the airport, a connecting bus to the border, walk across the border, get another bus to Ensenada. Once you're in Ensenada there are busses around town and to the clinic. It is easy to get a rental car at the San Diego airport. You are required to get Mexican insurance which, for me, cost more than the car!!! ($19/day for the car, $20/day for the insurance). Don't skip it! The drivers are very considerate in Ensenada, but even so I got side-swiped by a hit and run car with no license plates. I was glad I had the insurance. The Baja Handbook has a good description of driving in Ensenada. From your car rental place, it's easy to hop onto the freeway and head straight for the border. I arrived a day ahead to get my bearings, but if I had it to do over again I would follow the advice given to me which is to go to the clinic first, then go to my hotel.I understand Mexico has started charging $15 for cars entering the country, so things could be backed up there now. Allow time. Once across the border into Tijuana, it can be a little confusing. Follow the signs to Scenic Route 1D to Ensenada and/or Rosarito. When you hit the first toll booth, you're home free! There are 3 toll booths, about $2.00 each. It's smooth sailing all the way to Ensenada, with a view of the Pacific almost the whole way. (Note: You don't really need to get pesos. The exchange rate is very close to 10 pesos to the dollar, and dollars are accepted everywhere.) When you get into the outskirts of Ensenada, keep your eye out for a fork … both forks going into Ensenada. The 5-story Hotel Coral (deep coral colored) will be on your right. Take the right fork, You're almost there. Turn right about 1/4 mile later into the Hotel Quintas Papagayo. Follow the drive to the right and you will see little signs to the Ongley Clinic. Park out front and walk in! It should be about 1-1/2 to 2 hours since you left the car rental, assuming you got straight through the border. To return, retrace your steps. Once you get into Tijuana, watch the signs carefully. You are going to San Diego. You DO NOT want the Otay border crossing. Allow plenty of time for the border crossing if you have a plane to catch!!! I've heard horror stories of waiting over an hour. Ensenada, Accommodations Ensenada has about 600,000 people, but I don't know where they are! It must be very spread out. The downtown area is small and manageable. There is a 2-street tourist area with good restaurants and lots of shops. It's easy to get out of the tourist area as well. There are plenty of hotels in town. Ensenada is a big magnet for Mexican tourists (North Americans tend to travel further south to the Cabo area.) Check the Baja Handbook and ask for a special medical rate. Many people stay at the Hotel Coral, a 5 star hotel with 2 pools, hot tubs, a nice restaurant and friendly staff. It is right next door to the clinic and you can walk easily between them. They have a special rate for Ongley patients. The Hotel Cortez in town also gets good reviews and is more moderately priced. Once you are there, you can find out where other Ongley patients are staying and see if you find somewhere you like better. Staying in touch from Ensenada There is an internet café listed in the Baja handbook which is pretty easy to get to and reasonably priced. Just sign up for a free web-based e-mail account (check out hotmail.com) and you can communicate with your loved ones electronically from Ensenada. Also, you can call home easily and relatively inexpensively using phone cards purchased down there. You need to use them at certain phones. Ask at a pharmacy or your hotel. |
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