Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Aufiero.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Although I was an open options major in college (that’s what we used to call it back then), i always gravitated toward science and psychology classes because that’s what interested me the most. So it was no surprise that I ultimately ended up majoring in Biology, with my goal at that time to go to med school and become a psychiatrist. However, due to an unfortunate life-changing car accident in college for which i had a head-on collision with a massive tree at 60 mph (black ice leading to skid and loss of control on the NJ turnpike), I sustained major head and neck/jaw injuries. From that point forward, my occasional (inherited) migraines became an everyday phenomenon. I struggled with chronic pain from a very young age. As a result, my focus shifted from psychiatry to pain management. Since the residency options for pain management was either anesthesiology or physical medicine (PM&R) and rehabilitation at that time, I decided on PM&R since this field was more intriguing to me, with emphasis on biomechanics, functionality and thorough assessment/investigation of getting to the root of pain versus the more procedural based anesthesiology option. I ultimately landed more in a sports medicine/pain management realm by the time I was done with medical school and completed my PM&R residency at Kessler Institute, part of the UMDNJ medical school (now grouped with Rutgers). Retrospectively, I was fortunate to end up at St. Georges Medical School in Grenada although I didn’t feel that way at the time. Medical school was very competitive during the mid-90’s and given my late decision to go to medical school in college, I was at a disadvantage to getting into a US medical school. The experiences I gained from completing my first 2 years of med school in a third world country was priceless for many reasons. Also, as part of that curriculum, i had the option of completing some of my required rotations in England which I took advantage of. My exposure to socialized medicine and seeing how medicine was done in this landscape was extremely valuable.
After residency, I moved to southern California because my husband’s (now my ex-husband) family was from Los Angeles and i was always fascinated with California for many reasons. It just so happened that his mother was a physiatrist (that’s what you call PM&R doctors) and his father a rheumatologist. I joined their practice but this was short-lived given the nature of working with your in-laws, regardless of how good your relationship is with them. My father-in-law at that time introduced me to Dr. Leon Robb, a pain management anesthesiologist who I consider my mentor now (although he has since passed). I completed an informal 3 year spine program, for which I learned so much about alternative spine procedures (x-ray guided prolotherapy), nerve blocks using musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS), and classic spine intervention/pain management procedures even including the head and neck which I was especially interested in given my history. We did cases together at Hollywood Presbyterian and Brotman Medical Center (now called the Southern California Hospital at Culver City) where I was on staff. Since this was an educational (and to a lesser extent earning) situation, I needed to supplement my income and worked where I could, I was invited to do pain management and sports medicine consults at clinics scattered throughout Los Angeles, through a family relative. These were mostly Spanish speaking patients and the clinics were in very sketchy areas (East LA, Panorama City, Inglewood, Hollywood). Interestingly I didn’t speak Spanish so that was a whole other hurdle to overcome. However, my prolotherapy skills strengthened tremendously as steroid only works so long for so many times, so I needed something to offer these patients and it was a nice cheap option that provided long-lasting results. I also worked short term in workers compensation where i was introduced to that world but it did not appeal to me. I did TONS of nerve studies and learned how to analyze and interpret them very well though as a result. I ultimately started a practice with Dr. Robb, but found myself limited and frustrated by the opioids these patients demanded, which many times goes hand in hand with traditional pain management practices. LA was super competitive and I felt like a tiny fish in an infinite ocean. I continued to battle chronic migraines despite Dr. Robb’s multiple failed attempts with both traditional and alternative injections. Thankfully, I discovered Imitrex, the classic migraine medication, which worked well for me and without side effects (other than rebound headaches when you start getting a headache if you take them too much). However, I still had to constantly manage them and deal with them on the occasion that Imitrex did not work.
In 2009, I reconnected with Dr. Steve Sampson, who I met while he was a rotating medical student when I was doing my residency at Kessler. He had started doing Platelet Rich Plasma at SMOG at that time, and was publishing research; we started cross referring. He then started his own practice, Orthohealing Center, at that time in Santa Monica–it had gotten very busy and he needed a partner. I joined him and we’ve been partners ever since. Orthohealing Center is my current practice and we’ve expanded the “menu” not only to PRP, but also many orthobiologics and natural alternative therapies over the years. I was one of the first doctors in Los Angeles to do spine orthobiologics (PRP and other natural treatments using the body’s own ingredients to heal). I also published research, became a clinical professor at Touro University and Western University of Health Sciences (medical schools), and lectured throughout the country. It’s been an epic journey to say the least.
My most recent exploration has been with women’s health, musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause, and treating women’s pelvic pain at a deeper level. I’ve also gotten more into prevention and created what’s called Physical Longevity consults, where I predict injuries and vulnerable areas based on a thorough physical exam, comprehensive questionnaires, and diagnostic/dynamic musculoskeletal ultrasound. My partner and I also work with a Swedish stem cell company called Cello, as invesigators for the orthopedic limb of a messenchymal stemcell study taking place in the Bahamas, which has been very exciting. Since orthobiologics, alternative pain management procedures, and MSC treatments are very costly and not typically covered by insurance, these treatments are not accessible to many people. Hence, I started a passion project which is going on year 5. I’m creating an educational platform/website, free to all, focusing on patient education and guidance in the pain/sports medicine arena. I provide easy tools and strategies to manage orthopedic and pain issues that everyone can do. It’s a very unorthodox way of approaching this topic, for which I focus on 4 main aspects: conscious movement, body attunement, impactful mind, and self-care–with any pearls of wisdom from my 20 years of practice being infused into the content. There’s also an Anatomy Hub where i get deeper into diagnoses and treatments and provide guidelines on how to navigate. I’m hoping for an early 2026 launch!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In addition to migraines, I also developed a chronic nerve condition in my left thumb, i’m extremely thankful that it’s not my dominant hand. But this has added another level of pain to my chronic pain that i’ve had to deal with. There was also a period of time I was experiencing cluster headaches (AKA suicide headaches), which thank GOD was only for several months and resolved after sinus surgery. i was scared i would never work again.
i also went through a divorce and my son being diagnosed with Tourettes for which each was their own journey. thankfully both situations worked out but there were years of uncertainty. My son is fine now and my ex-husband and I are friends.
this is in addition to the some of the hard times i described in my long story in the last question
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I consider myself an artist in a lab coat. I am a creative person naturally, and wanted to be an artist or a violinist when i was younger. I pour this creative energy into my work and medical practice, specializing in non-surgical orthopedics and sports medicine. I am known for customizing treatment plans in a very unique holistic way, I address all aspects of pain including biomechanical dysfunction, nerves, fascia and our central nervous system in addition to the obvious structural issues seen on imaging or ultrasound. I rely on orthobiologic procedures, alternative injections, and modalities, as well as integrating concepts of my website like moving consciously, tuning into the body, and physical longevity.
I am a detective doctor. I get many referrals to figure out what’s going on with a particular patient’s pain when no one else can figure it out. I don’t give up easily. I approach pain in a very strategic way, teasing out the symptoms and imaging results and determining what the true root of pain and dysfunction are. The patient and I become a team, making joint decisions together with a lot of education along the way. I take patient’s symptoms and history very seriously, and feel like there are a lot of “hidden clues” that go unnoticed if you’re not paying attention. Patients appreciate my process, determination and empathy based on their words of gratitude.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I absolutely am fascinated with jazz. I bought an electric violin trying to expand my classical repertoire but learning jazz at 50 years old was so hard! but that’s ok, i continue to try. The math infused in jazz is mind-boggling to me. Listening to jazz keeps me very present. If I could accomplish one thing in this life, it would be to foster “being present” for myself and others.
Pricing:
- I am out of network
Contact Info:
- Website: www.orthohealing.com
