Table of Contents
In this educational post, I explain how our multidisciplinary team at Injury Medical Clinic PA, also known as Mission Plaza Injury Medical Clinic, in El Paso, Texas, integrates chiropractic care, functional medicine, personal injury care, rehabilitation, regenerative procedures, interventional pain relief, and longevity-focused therapies into one patient-centered model. I work collaboratively with Dr. Maria Guadalupe Cardenas, MD, a Board-Certified Internal Medicine physician with more than 40 years of experience, who serves as our Medical Director and Collaborative Physician. Dr. Cardenas, NPI #1164426749 and Texas MD License #J2933, provides the medical oversight needed to safely combine advanced medical protocols with chiropractic and functional medicine care.
This post discusses three major clinical areas: regenerative medicine using PRP, PFP/PRF, and MFAT; advanced pain relief using epidural injections and non-opioid strategies; and longevity and cellular health using BHRT, peptides, metabolic therapies, sleep support, and nutritional optimization. I also explain how trust, informed consent, digital intake forms, compliance, and outcome tracking shape the patient journey. My goal is to help patients understand why we use each modality, how the physiology works, and how integrative chiropractic care contributes to overall healing, performance, and long-term health.
I am Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP, ATN, CCST, and throughout my years serving patients in El Paso, I have learned that true healing requires more than treating one painful body part. Pain, inflammation, poor sleep, metabolic dysfunction, hormonal decline, trauma, and poor movement patterns often travel together. If we only chase symptoms, we miss the deeper physiology driving the patient’s condition.
At Injury Medical Clinic PA, also known as Mission Plaza Injury Medical Clinic, we have built a multidisciplinary model that reflects what many modern integrative and injury care clinics are becoming: a place where chiropractic biomechanics, medical oversight, functional medicine, personal injury care, rehabilitation, diagnostics, nutrition, and advanced therapies work together.
A key part of this model is my collaboration with Dr. Maria Guadalupe Cardenas, MD, a Board-Certified Internal Medicine physician with over 40 years of clinical experience. Dr. Cardenas serves as our Medical Director and Collaborative Physician, providing medical direction, prescription oversight, safety review, and clinical guidance for the medical components of care. Her experience as an internist allows our team to evaluate systemic health concerns such as diabetes, cardiovascular risk, hormone imbalance, inflammation, medication interactions, and chronic disease patterns.
My role is to evaluate and treat the body through a chiropractic, functional medicine, rehabilitation, and structural lens. I focus on spinal alignment, joint mechanics, soft tissue function, nervous system balance, breathing mechanics, posture, movement, and the biochemical factors that influence healing.
In my clinical observations, shared through my practice website at dralexjimenez.com and my professional profile on LinkedIn, patients do best when we do not separate structure from physiology. The spine, joints, fascia, hormones, immune system, sleep cycle, metabolism, and nervous system are not isolated systems. They are one human system.
Regenerative medicine is one of the most exciting areas in modern musculoskeletal care because it shifts the goal from simply masking pain to supporting tissue repair. Many patients with chronic joint pain, tendon injuries, ligament strain, osteoarthritis, or lingering soft tissue injuries are not only dealing with inflammation. They are dealing with tissue that has lost its normal structure, vascular supply, collagen organization, and mechanical tolerance.
In our integrative model, regenerative therapies are not used as isolated procedures. They are used within a larger strategy that includes chiropractic alignment, rehabilitation, load management, nutrition, metabolic evaluation, and medical oversight from Dr. Cardenas.
Platelet-Rich Plasma, commonly known as PRP, uses the patient’s own blood. A blood sample is drawn and processed in a centrifuge to concentrate platelets. Platelets contain alpha granules filled with growth factors such as:
These growth factors help coordinate tissue repair by encouraging cell migration, angiogenesis, collagen production, and remodeling. Research has explored PRP for knee osteoarthritis, tendinopathies, ligament injuries, and soft tissue pain syndromes, with evidence suggesting that selected patients may experience improved pain and function when PRP is paired with proper rehabilitation (Bennell et al., 2021; Marx & Carlson, 2020).
Physiologically, chronic tendon and joint problems often persist because the tissue is stuck in a poor repair cycle. Collagen fibers become disorganized, local blood flow may be insufficient, inflammatory mediators continue to irritate nerve endings, and the tissue cannot tolerate normal loading. PRP is used to help restart a more organized healing response.
In the transcript, we discussed PFP, also described in regenerative contexts as platelet-fibrin or platelet-fascia-plasma-type products. These biologic preparations build on the PRP concept by using a fibrin-rich matrix. Fibrin acts like a natural scaffold. It can hold platelets and growth factors in place longer, allowing a slower release of signaling molecules into the local tissue environment.
Platelet-rich fibrin products have been studied for their ability to create a three-dimensional healing matrix, supporting gradual growth factor release and tissue remodeling (Dohan Ehrenfest et al., 2009; Miron & Fujioka-Kobayashi, 2017). In clinical terms, this scaffold concept matters because damaged ligaments, tendons, fascia, and joint capsules need both biology and structure to heal.
Microfragmented Adipose Tissue, or MFAT, uses a small sample of a patient’s own adipose tissue. Fat is not simply stored energy. It contains stromal vascular fraction elements, pericytes, mesenchymal signaling cells, extracellular matrix components, and paracrine factors that may help modulate inflammation and support tissue repair (Hanson et al., 2020; Koh & Dupont, 2015).
MFAT may be considered in patients with more advanced degenerative joint conditions or broader soft tissue deficits. The goal is not to promise a miracle cure. The goal is to improve the local biologic environment, reduce inflammatory signaling, and support tissue resilience.
Regenerative injections work best when the mechanical environment is corrected. If I inject a biologic into a knee, shoulder, hip, tendon, or spinal-related soft tissue region, but the joint continues to move poorly, the tissue remains under abnormal stress.
That is where integrative chiropractic care becomes essential. I evaluate:
After regenerative procedures, rehabilitation is staged. We may begin with protected movement and isometrics, progress to eccentric loading, and then advance to functional movement and return-to-activity training. This sequence provides the correct mechanical input for growth factor-driven tissue repair.
Many patients come to us with severe spinal pain, sciatica, disc injury, stenosis, or radiculopathy. In these cases, pain can become so intense that the patient cannot sleep, walk, bend, work, or tolerate rehabilitation. When the nervous system is highly inflamed, even gentle movement can feel threatening.
Historically, many pain patients were offered oral opioids, sedatives, or addictive sleep medications. I have always been cautious with that approach. Oral narcotics and sedatives may temporarily reduce suffering, but they can also alter neurochemistry, impair cognition, increase dependence risk, disrupt sleep architecture, and create a cycle in which the patient trades physical pain for chemical dependency.
Our preference is to use targeted, non-opioid, medically supervised pain relief when clinically appropriate.
Epidural steroid injections are used when inflammation around spinal nerve roots is a major pain generator. Conditions such as disc herniation, foraminal stenosis, spinal stenosis, or chemical radiculitis can irritate nerve roots and dorsal root ganglia. This irritation can produce radiating pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, burning, and severe guarding.
The epidural space surrounds the spinal cord and nerve roots. When a corticosteroid is delivered into this region under appropriate medical guidance, it can reduce inflammatory signaling, decrease vascular permeability, and calm irritated neural tissues. Research has shown that epidural steroid injections may provide short- to medium-term improvement for selected patients with radiculopathy, especially when used to enable active rehabilitation (Abram & Weinstein, 2020; Friedly et al., 2014).
The purpose is not to “cover up” the problem forever. The purpose is to break the pain cycle.
When pain drops, the patient can move again. When the patient moves again, we can begin correcting the biomechanics that contributed to the condition. Chiropractic care then focuses on:
In my clinical experience, this combination is powerful. The injection reduces the fire. Chiropractic and rehabilitation address why the fire started.
We also discussed advanced topical pain-relief options. These may include compounded creams designed to act locally on nociceptors and inflamed tissues without significantly crossing the blood-brain barrier. The clinical reasoning is straightforward: when possible, reduce pain locally without exposing the whole body to addictive central nervous system medications.
This supports our philosophy: pain relief should create function, not dependence.
Our work is not limited to pain. I want my patients to move better, breathe better, sleep deeper, lose inflammatory weight, regain strength, improve sexual health, sharpen cognition, and age with dignity. That is why our clinic is expanding into longevity and cellular health as part of a medically guided integrative model.
Chronic pain often persists because the body lacks the internal resources to heal. A patient may have a disc problem, tendon injury, or arthritic knee, but also have poor sleep, high insulin, low testosterone, estrogen decline, vitamin deficiency, obesity, chronic stress, and systemic inflammation. If we only adjust the spine but ignore these systemic bottlenecks, results may be incomplete.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, or BHRT, involves the use of hormones that are structurally similar to hormones naturally produced by the body. Hormone levels may decline with age, chronic stress, poor sleep, metabolic disease, menopause, and andropause.
For women, declining estrogen and progesterone can influence:
For men, declining testosterone can influence:
Modern hormone research has become more nuanced since early concerns raised by the Women’s Health Initiative. Hormone therapy must be individualized, risk-stratified, monitored, and prescribed appropriately (Rossouw et al., 2002; Santoro et al., 2021). In men with true hypogonadism, testosterone therapy has been studied for its effects on body composition, sexual function, and quality of life (Hackett, 2016).
In our clinic, BHRT is not approached casually. It requires history, labs, risk screening, informed consent, and ongoing monitoring under medical direction. Dr. Cardenas helps guide safety, contraindications, medication interactions, and appropriate medical review.
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as signaling molecules. They can influence highly specific biological pathways. Depending on the patient’s needs and medical eligibility, peptides may be considered for recovery, sleep, metabolic regulation, immune signaling, body composition, and tissue repair.
Some peptide-related protocols are designed to influence the growth hormone and IGF-1 axis. Growth hormone physiology is pulsatile, meaning the body naturally releases it in waves. This matters because physiology is not about forcing the body into extreme levels. It is about restoring healthy signaling patterns when appropriate (Moller et al., 2003).
Potential goals may include:
One of the most important developments in modern metabolic medicine is the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists and related incretin-based therapies, including semaglutide and tirzepatide. These medications mimic or enhance gut-derived hormonal signaling that influences satiety, insulin response, gastric emptying, and appetite regulation.
For a patient with obesity and sciatica, this is not just about weight. Excess adipose tissue is metabolically active. It can produce inflammatory cytokines that raise systemic inflammation and worsen pain sensitivity. Patients with high inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, may experience amplified pain because their nervous system is already in a heightened inflammatory state.
Weight reduction can reduce mechanical load on the spine, hips, knees, and feet. It can also reduce systemic inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, lower cardiometabolic risk, and improve rehabilitation tolerance. Research on semaglutide and tirzepatide has demonstrated significant effects on weight reduction and metabolic outcomes in selected patients (Jastreboff et al., 2022; Rubino et al., 2022).
Sleep is not optional. It is when the body repairs, regulates hormones, consolidates memory, clears neuroinflammatory byproducts through glymphatic activity, and restores nervous system balance. Poor sleep increases pain sensitivity, blood pressure variability, insulin resistance, cravings, fatigue, and inflammatory tone.
In my chiropractic evaluations, I also consider:
We also discussed intravenous nutritional infusions. IV therapy can deliver vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants directly into the bloodstream, bypassing limitations of digestive absorption. These protocols may be considered for selected patients to support hydration, oxidative stress reduction, nutrient repletion, and recovery. As with all interventions, patient selection and medical oversight are essential.
The foundation of our model is trust. Chiropractic care is deeply personal. Patients allow me to examine and treat the spine, ribcage, pelvis, muscles, fascia, and nervous system. No patient allows that unless trust exists. Over years of care, I have learned that the doctor-patient relationship is one of the most important therapeutic tools we have.
However, trust must never replace consent. It must strengthen it.
Informed consent is not simply a signature. It is a process of understanding. Patients deserve to know:
Our clinic uses structured digital intake forms and secure patient pathways to clarify each patient’s goals. Some patients want weight loss. Others want pain relief, better sleep, improved libido, hair restoration, skin health, cognition, or energy. We do not assume. We ask.
The wellness and telehealth fields have changed significantly. Regulatory bodies, medical boards, the FDA, and the DEA have placed more emphasis on appropriate oversight, documentation, controlled substance rules, telemedicine standards, and patient safety. This is one reason our collaboration with Dr. Cardenas is so important.
Dr. Cardenas provides internal medicine oversight for medical protocols, prescription review, risk screening, and interventional decisions. Some therapies may be reviewed asynchronously when legally and clinically appropriate. Other therapies, such as controlled substances or higher-risk interventions, may require synchronous live evaluation or in-person medical assessment.
We screen for:
This protects the patient and the clinic.
Our team integrates:
This is the difference between fragmented care and integrated care.
Because your structure depends on your physiology. A spine under mechanical stress will not recover well if the body is inflamed, sleep-deprived, insulin resistant, hormonally depleted, or nutritionally deficient. Chiropractic care improves biomechanics, but the body still needs the right internal environment to heal.
No. PRP, PFP/PRF, and MFAT require proper diagnosis and patient selection. We evaluate imaging, history, medications, metabolic health, infection risk, anticoagulant use, and expectations. Healing takes time, often weeks to months, and rehabilitation is essential.
An epidural injection may reduce nerve inflammation and pain, but it does not automatically correct the mechanics that caused the problem. That is why we combine epidurals with chiropractic care, core stabilization, posture training, and rehabilitation.
Hormones and peptides influence sleep, protein synthesis, collagen turnover, mitochondrial function, body composition, libido, energy, and inflammatory balance. When medically appropriate and carefully monitored, they may support the systemic environment required for tissue recovery.
Yes. Sexual health can reflect vascular, neurological, hormonal, and metabolic function. Lumbar nerve compression, diabetes, low testosterone, menopause, vascular disease, medication effects, and stress can all contribute. We provide a respectful, medically guided environment to discuss these concerns.
Online services may provide convenience, but they often lack hands-on examination, chiropractic integration, rehabilitation, local accountability, and long-term relationship-based care. Our model combines modern digital access with in-person clinical understanding.
At Injury Medical Clinic PA, also known as Mission Plaza Injury Medical Clinic, we are moving into a new healthcare era. We are not abandoning chiropractic care. We are expanding its power by integrating it with medical oversight, regenerative science, functional medicine, rehabilitation, pain procedures, metabolic care, and longevity strategies.
My clinical belief is simple: the body heals best when structure and physiology work together. When alignment improves, inflammation decreases, sleep deepens, hormones stabilize, metabolic health improves, and tissue repair is supported, patients can experience a different kind of recovery.
Our mission in El Paso is to help patients move freer, breathe better, sleep deeper, reduce pain, restore confidence, and live with greater strength and resilience.
Abram, S. E., & Weinstein, S. M. (2020). Clinical updates in epidural steroid injections. Pain Medicine and Interventional Care.
Bennell, K. L., et al. (2021). Effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma for knee osteoarthritis: Randomized trials and meta-analyses. JAMA Internal Medicine.
Dohan Ehrenfest, D. M., et al. (2009). Classification of platelet concentrates and insights into fibrin matrices. Oral Diseases.
Friedly, J. L., et al. (2014). Systematic review of epidural steroid injections for radiculopathy. Annals of Internal Medicine.
Hackett, G. (2016). Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: Clinical outcomes. Andrology.
Hanson, S., et al. (2020). Microfragmented adipose tissue for musculoskeletal applications. Cartilage.
Jastreboff, A. M., et al. (2022). Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine.
Koh, Y. G., & Dupont, K. (2015). Adipose-derived stem cells and cartilage repair. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy.
Marx, R. E., & Carlson, E. R. (2020). Platelet-rich plasma in musculoskeletal and oral-maxillofacial applications. British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Miron, R. J., & Fujioka-Kobayashi, M. (2017). Platelet-rich fibrin biology and clinical advances. Clinical Oral Implants Research.
Moller, N., et al. (2003). Growth hormone physiology and pulsatility. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Nauck, M. A., & Meier, J. J. (2018). Incretin hormones: Their role in health and disease. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 20(Suppl 1), 5-21.
Rossouw, J. E., et al. (2002). Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: Principal results from the Women’s Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 288(3), 321-333.
Rubino, D. M., et al. (2022). Semaglutide for weight management: STEP program insights. The New England Journal of Medicine.
Santoro, N., et al. (2021). Menopause, hormones, and cardiometabolic health. Circulation Research.
Wilhelmsen, M. (2022). Melatonin, oxidative stress, and sleep in chronic disease. Sleep Medicine Reviews.
General Disclaimer, Licenses and Board Certifications *
Professional Scope of Practice *
The information herein on "A New Paradigm in Integrative Chiropractic Approaches" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
Blog Information & Scope Discussions
Welcome to El Paso's Premier Wellness and Injury Care Clinic & Wellness Blog, where Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, FNP-C, a Multi-State board-certified Family Practice Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) and Chiropractor (DC), presents insights on how our multidisciplinary team is dedicated to holistic healing and personalized care. Our practice aligns with evidence-based treatment protocols inspired by integrative medicine principles, similar to those on this site and on our family practice-based chiromed.com site, focusing on naturally restoring health for patients of all ages.
Our areas of multidisciplinary practice include Wellness & Nutrition, Chronic Pain, Personal Injury, Auto Accident Care, Work Injuries, Back Injury, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, Migraine Headaches, Sports Injuries, Severe Sciatica, Scoliosis, Complex Herniated Discs, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Complex Injuries, Stress Management, Functional Medicine Treatments, and in-scope care protocols.
Our information scope is multidisciplinary, focusing on musculoskeletal and physical medicine; wellness; contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations; associated somato-visceral reflex clinical dynamics; subluxation complexes; sensitive health issues; and functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and licensure jurisdiction. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for musculoskeletal injuries or disorders.
Our videos, posts, topics, and insights address clinical matters and issues that directly or indirectly relate to our clinical scope of practice.
Our office has made a reasonable effort to provide supportive citations and has identified relevant research studies that support our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies upon request to regulatory boards and the public.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how they may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to discuss the subject matter above further, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.
We are here to help you and your family.
Blessings
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, APRN, FNP-BC*, CCST, IFMCP, CFMP, ATN
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Multidisciplinary Licensing & Board Certifications:
Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License #: TX5807, Verified: TX5807
New Mexico DC License #: NM-DC2182, Verified: NM-DC2182
Multi-State Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN*) in Texas & Multi-States
Multi-state Compact APRN License by Endorsement (42 States)
Texas APRN License #: 1191402, Verified: 1191402 *
New Mexico CNP License#: 90560, Verified
Florida APRN License #: 11043890, Verified: APRN11043890 *
Colorado License #: C-APN.0105610-C-NP, Verified: C-APN.0105610-C-NP
New York License #: N25929, Verified N25929
License Verification Link: Nursys License Verifier
* Prescriptive Authority Authorized
ANCC FNP-BC: Board Certified Nurse Practitioner*
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Graduate with Honors: ICHS: MSN-FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)
Degree Granted. Master's in Family Practice MSN Diploma (Cum Laude)
Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC*, CFMP, IFMCP, ATN, CCST
(Board Certified: Family Practice Nurse Practitioner—Multistate)*
(Licensed Nurse Practitioner & Chiropractor - Multistate)*
Clinical Director
Digital Business Card
Dr. Maria Cardenas, MD
(Board Certified: Internal Medicine)
(Licensed Medical Doctor)
Medical Director, Clinical Director & Collaborative Physician
NPI # 1164426749
MD License #: J2933
Licenses and Board Certifications:
MD: Medical Doctor
DC: Doctor of Chiropractic
APRNP: Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
FNP-BC: Family Practice Specialization (Multi-State Board Certified)
RN: Registered Nurse (Multi-State Compact License)
CFMP: Certified Functional Medicine Provider
MSN-FNP: Master of Science in Family Practice Medicine
MSACP: Master of Science in Advanced Clinical Practice
IFMCP: Institute of Functional Medicine
CCST: Certified Chiropractic Spinal Trauma
ATN: Advanced Translational Neutrogenomics
Memberships & Associations:
TCA: Texas Chiropractic Association: Member ID: 104311
AANP: American Association of Nurse Practitioners: Member ID: 2198960
ANA: American Nurse Association: Member ID: 06458222 (District TX01)
TNA: Texas Nurse Association: Member ID: 06458222
NPI: 1205907805
| Primary Taxonomy | Selected Taxonomy | State | License Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | 111N00000X - Chiropractor | NM | DC2182 |
| Yes | 111N00000X - Chiropractor | TX | DC5807 |
| Yes | 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family | TX | 1191402 |
| Yes | 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family | FL | 11043890 |
| Yes | 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family | CO | C-APN.0105610-C-NP |
| Yes | 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family | NY | N25929 |
| Yes | 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family | NM | 90560 |
Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC*, CFMP, IFMCP, ATN, CCST
(Board Certified: Family Practice Nurse Practitioner—Multistate)*
(Licensed Nurse Practitioner & Chiropractor - Multistate)*
Clinical Director
Digital Business Card
Dr. Maria Cardenas, MD
(Board Certified: Internal Medicine)*
(Licensed Medical Doctor)*
Medical Director, Clinical Director & Collaborative Physician
NPI # 1164426749
MD License #: J2933
📆 Schedule Appointment: Schedule 24/7 (Click Here)