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Pain management in professional sports has long been a topic of controversy and complexity, but few understand its intricacies better than Dr. Tommy Rhee. As a former team chiropractor for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and UCLA Athletics, Dr. Rhee has witnessed firsthand the delicate balance between keeping elite athletes on the field and ensuring their long-term health. In a recent conversation on the Entertainment & Sports Spotlight Podcast, he shared insights that could change how we think about sports injuries, recovery, and the future of regenerative medicine.

The Reality of Pain Management in the NFL

One of the most eye-opening discussions in the episode centers on how in-season NFL pain management actually works.

While regenerative treatments like stem cell injections can be effective, they often come with downtime — something professional athletes simply don’t have during the season. Injections create a secondary injury site, forcing recovery periods that can cost players weeks of play and millions in contract incentives.

As a result, many athletes rely on pain-masking solutions during the season, planning to address underlying injuries later in the off-season.

This reality sparked a critical question for Dr. Rhee:

How can we support healing without creating downtime?

Greatness Is In The Family

Dr. Rhee’s journey into sports medicine was almost inevitable. Coming from a family of doctors—his father was a surgeon, and numerous aunts and uncles worked in the medical field—he inherited a passion for helping people heal. But what set him apart was his love for sports. Standing at just five-foot-seven, he knew his athletic dreams wouldn’t take him to the professional level as a player, so he found another way to stay connected to the game: becoming the doctor who keeps elite athletes performing at their peak. “I still wanted to be in the sports world,” Dr. Rhee explained. “So the combination just kind of blended well—I could help athletes get the best out of themselves.”

His path led him to study under Dr. Santos in Los Angeles, an elite chiropractor who worked with Olympians and world-class athletes. This mentorship shaped Dr. Rhee’s approach to understanding not just anatomy, but the nuances of how different tissues feel, how various sports create specific injury patterns, and how each position within a sport carries its own unique risks. “You really have to specialize and go further than what school teaches,” he emphasized. “You’ve got to understand the feel of normal tissue versus abnormal. When a strain shows up, you know immediately—I know there’s a tear there, I know something’s different.”

A Career Saving Treatment Program

One of the most compelling stories from Dr. Rhee’s time with the Buccaneers involves a player who had undergone back surgery for a disc issue but continued experiencing numbness and weakness in his foot. The nerve conduction tests showed persistent problems, and the medical staff feared his career was over—especially problematic since he had just signed a major contract. When Dr. Rhee assessed the player, he discovered the real culprit wasn’t the lumbar area that had been operated on, but rather the piriformis muscle in the buttock region, which was compressing the sciatic nerve. Through daily treatments involving class four laser therapy and a specialized technique called flossing—which helps muscles contract and relax under conscious command rather than subconscious tension—Dr. Rhee worked with the player for two months. The result? Complete recovery. The nerve conduction tests returned to normal, and the athlete not only avoided a career-ending injury but returned to full performance on the field.

Medical Breakthrough By Dr. Tommy Rhee That Saved Pro Careers

This success story highlights a crucial distinction Dr. Rhee makes between in-season and off-season treatment approaches. During the NFL season, when games happen once a week and contracts depend on performance bonuses, traditional regenerative medicine like stem cell injections aren’t practical. “When you do an injectable like stem cell therapy, you have downtime,” Dr. Rhee explained. “You may lose two to three weeks because you have a primary injury site, and then the needle creates a secondary injury site. So now you’re dealing with two sites.” Instead, many NFL players resort to pain management—masking the injury with numbing agents to get through the season, then addressing the root cause during the off-season.

This gap in treatment options inspired Dr. Rhee’s groundbreaking innovation: a topical stem cell therapy that delivers regenerative benefits without the downtime of injections. The development came from years of working with various regenerative treatments, from prolotherapy (injecting sugar water to trigger inflammatory responses) to PRP (platelet-rich plasma) to traditional stem cell therapy using adipose tissue or umbilical cord-derived Wharton’s jelly. “I saw the deficiency during the season with stem cell therapy,” he recalled. “We had to do something to deliver this without the downtime from injection.” The breakthrough came when a starting quarterback with a significant injury needed to continue playing. He helped Dr. Rhee complete the final testing phase of the topical application, played the entire season without reporting his injury, and secured an even better contract the following year.

The science behind this approach involves what Dr. Rhee calls “cell-free” regenerative medicine—using the signaling properties of stem cells without the DNA component that could create unwanted cellular differentiation. “These stem cells are signaling,” he explained. “You don’t want live DNA replicating and potentially turning into the wrong type of tissue.” This innovation has applications far beyond professional sports. Weekend warriors, pickleball enthusiasts, and anyone dealing with chronic injuries can benefit from regenerative therapy that doesn’t require them to stop their active lifestyles for weeks of recovery.

Perhaps the most valuable advice Dr. Rhee offers to athletes at any level centers on understanding recovery. “The biggest mistake I see is overtraining,” he said. “People get a grade one tear but keep pushing through it. It becomes a grade two, then grade three, and eventually you’re looking at a rupture requiring surgery. If you just took the time to recover correctly and get back to one hundred percent, then applied that pressure, you’d be fine.” Recovery isn’t just about time—it’s about understanding what your body needs, whether that’s specialized therapy, proper modalities, or regenerative treatments that accelerate healing.

What It Takes to Work With Pro Athletes

According to Dr. Rhee, working at the professional level requires far more than textbook knowledge.

True expertise comes from:

• Deep understanding of biomechanics
• Thousands of hours of hands-on tissue assessment
• The ability to distinguish normal tissue from abnormal instantly
• Continuous learning beyond formal education

Dr. Rhee emphasizes that performance outcomes quickly reveal whether a practitioner truly understands the body. Starting with high-level collegiate athletes at UCLA allowed him to develop the precision and confidence required to eventually work with professional teams.

The Challenge Of Being A Pioneer In Any Industry

Dr. Rhee’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. Bringing a patent-pending innovation to market means educating people about stem cell therapy while also defending against copycats and dealing with the competitive pressures of the medical industry. “It’s a blessing and a curse,” he admitted. “The blessing is there’s no competition—I’m first. The curse is I have to educate everyone about what stem cells really do, and once the trend starts, people will copy me.” His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs echoes hard-won experience: trust yourself first, don’t take shortcuts, and be wary even of those closest to you when money and opportunity enter the picture. “The person you trust the most is yourself,” he cautioned, referencing how greed can reveal people’s true character.

For athletes just starting out or those looking to extend their careers, Dr. Rhee’s guidance is both practical and profound. Start by understanding your sport’s specific injury patterns and what position-related risks you face. Invest in hands-on learning about biomechanics and how your body actually functions under stress. Most importantly, prioritize recovery as much as training. “Find something that speeds up healing—whether it’s a therapist, specialized equipment, or regenerative treatments,” he advises. “Get back to one hundred percent before you push again.”

Dr. Rhee’s work represents a shift in how we approach sports medicine—from merely managing pain to actively regenerating tissue, from masking symptoms to addressing root causes, and from accepting career-ending injuries to finding innovative solutions that keep athletes in the game. His topical stem cell therapy, available through his company RHEEGEN, offers hope not just for professional athletes but for anyone seeking to maintain an active lifestyle without the lengthy downtime traditional treatments require.

The Future of Regenerative Medicine

For those interested in learning more, Dr. Rhee has written a book titled “The Future of Regenerative Medicine,” available on Amazon, which addresses the most common questions he receives about stem cell therapy and recovery protocols. He continues his practice in Tampa, Florida, and welcomes inquiries through his website at RHEEGEN.com. As regenerative medicine continues to evolve, Dr. Rhee’s pioneering work stands as testament to what’s possible when medical expertise meets innovation—and when a doctor’s commitment to healing extends beyond conventional limitations to find solutions that truly change lives.

How to Learn More About RheeGen

Dr. Tommy Rhee practices in Tampa, Florida, and his regenerative technology is available through RheeGen.

• 🌐 Website: http://www.rheegen.com
• 📘 Book: The Future of Regenerative Medicine (available on Amazon)

The book answers many of the most common questions patients and athletes ask, making advanced regenerative concepts accessible to everyone.

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