Overview
San Diego has emerged as one of California’s most active hubs for regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy. The region benefits from a concentration of world-class research institutions — including UC San Diego’s Sanford Stem Cell Institute — alongside a growing ecosystem of private clinics staffed by fellowship-trained physicians who specialize in non-surgical, cell-based treatment options. Patients traveling from across Southern California and beyond come to San Diego seeking alternatives to joint replacement surgery, long-term pain medication dependence, and the prolonged recovery timelines that accompany traditional orthopedic procedures.
The conditions addressed by stem cell therapy in the San Diego area span a wide clinical range. Orthopedic applications dominate the landscape: degenerative disc disease, lumbar and cervical facet joint arthritis, osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, rotator cuff injuries, and soft tissue damage to ligaments and tendons are among the most commonly treated presentations. Beyond orthopedics, regenerative clinics in the region also offer cell-based protocols for autoimmune conditions, inflammatory disorders, neurological diagnoses, and select aesthetic applications. Most clinics use autologous therapies — meaning cells harvested from the patient’s own bone marrow or adipose tissue — which reduces the risk of rejection and aligns with FDA guidance on cell-based treatments.
What to expect at a San Diego stem cell clinic begins with an initial consultation that includes a detailed review of your medical history, imaging results, and current symptom profile. Physicians use this assessment to determine whether you are an appropriate candidate for treatment and which specific protocol fits your condition. The procedure itself is typically outpatient: cells are aspirated from a donor site (commonly the posterior iliac crest of the hip for bone marrow), processed on-site using centrifuge concentration, and injected into the treatment area under ultrasound or fluoroscopic image guidance. Most procedures take between one and three hours. Recovery varies by condition and patient, but the absence of surgical incisions generally means shorter downtime compared to operative alternatives.
Choosing the right provider in San Diego requires scrutiny beyond marketing language. Board certification in a relevant specialty — Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine, or Internal Medicine — is a baseline credential worth verifying. Fellowship training in regenerative medicine or orthobiologics adds further weight to a physician’s qualifications. Transparency matters: legitimate clinics will explain their cell sourcing, processing protocols, and realistic outcome expectations during the consultation, not after payment. It also pays to ask whether the clinic participates in clinical outcome registries or publishes data on patient results. San Diego’s competitive market means you have strong options — and enough supply to walk away from any provider who cannot answer direct questions about their methodology.
Top Stem Cell Therapy Clinics in San Diego, CA
1. Scott P. Leary, MD, FCNS — Neurosurgery & Regenerative Spine Care
Address: 7625 Mesa College Drive, Suite 305A, San Diego, CA 92111
Phone: (858) 223-2100
Website: https://scottlearymd.com
Physician: Dr. Scott P. Leary, MD, FCNS — Neurosurgeon, fellowship-trained in Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Complex Spine Surgery
Services:
- Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) stem cell therapy
- Fluoroscopy-guided stem cell injections into disc spaces and spinal joints
- Comprehensive spine surgery consultation
- Minimally invasive spine procedures
Conditions Treated:
- Chronic low back pain (non-surgical candidates)
- Lumbar degenerative disc disease
- Lumbar disc annular tears and bulges
- Lumbar facet joint arthritis
- Cervical facet joint arthritis
- Previous lumbar disc injuries with residual pain
About: Dr. Scott Leary is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon and complex spine specialist who has been recognized by San Diego Magazine as a Top Neurosurgeon every year from 2017 through 2025. He introduced BMAC stem cell therapy into his spine practice as a non-surgical option for patients who are poor operative candidates or who wish to avoid surgery. The protocol uses only the patient’s own freshly harvested cells — no frozen or donor material — processed on-site and reinjected during the same visit under fluoroscopic guidance for precision placement. His practice is located on Mesa College Drive in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego, with Monday through Friday availability.
2. San Diego Orthobiologics Medical Group (SDOMG)
Address: 6125 Paseo del Norte, Suite 100, Carlsbad, CA 92011
Phone: (760) 909-2355
Website: https://sdomg.com
Physician: Dr. Christopher J. Rogers, MD, RMSK — Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Board Certified in Regenerative Medicine; Dr. Mary Ambach, MD — Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine
Services:
- Bone marrow-derived stem cell therapy (BMAC)
- Adipose-derived cell therapy
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections
- Prolotherapy and orthobiologic injections
- Musculoskeletal ultrasound and digital X-ray guided procedures
- FDA-approved clinical trial participation
Conditions Treated:
- Knee, hip, and shoulder osteoarthritis
- Tendon tears and tendinopathy
- Intervertebral disc degeneration
- Low back and neck pain
- Sports injuries and soft tissue damage
- Spine conditions requiring non-surgical management
About: Founded by Dr. Christopher Rogers in 2016, San Diego Orthobiologics Medical Group is widely regarded as one of the leading orthopedic regenerative medicine practices in the country. Dr. Rogers sits on the Board of Directors of the American College of Regenerative Medicine and is co-founder of DataBiologics, a registry tracking clinical outcomes from regenerative procedures. Dr. Mary Ambach brings more than a decade of experience treating professional and Olympic athletes using non-surgical regenerative protocols. The group participates in FDA-approved clinical trials and offers both bone marrow and adipose-derived cell therapies, tailoring the approach to each patient’s anatomy and condition. While located in Carlsbad — approximately 35 miles north of downtown San Diego — SDOMG draws patients from throughout the greater San Diego region and beyond.
3. Del Mar Integrative Medicine (R3 Stem Cell Center of Excellence)
Address: 1349 Camino Del Mar, Suite B, Del Mar, CA 92014
Phone: (858) 925-8233
Website: https://www.delmarintegrativemedicine.com
Physician: Dr. Arnold S. Kremer, DO — Board Certified in Emergency Medicine; over 20 years of regenerative and integrative medicine experience
Services:
- Stem cell therapy (autologous and allogeneic protocols)
- Exosome and secretome therapy
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections
- Intravenous (IV) stem cell therapy
- Nebulized Wharton’s Jelly (WJ) therapy
- 15 individualized regenerative therapy protocols
- Medical spa and aesthetic regenerative treatments
Conditions Treated:
- Spinal stenosis and degenerative spine conditions
- Joint pain (knee, hip, shoulder, ankle)
- Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions
- Neurological conditions
- Chronic pain syndromes
- Hair restoration
- Aesthetic rejuvenation
About: Dr. Arnold Kremer is an osteopathic physician with four decades of clinical experience, including 41 years of emergency medicine practice before founding Del Mar Integrative Medicine in 2014. His clinic operates as a designated R3 Stem Cell Center of Excellence and offers one of the broadest regenerative protocol menus in the San Diego area — 15 distinct treatment pathways, each tailored to the individual patient’s diagnosis and health history. All IRB-reviewed protocols are designed to pair regenerative agents with the body’s own repair mechanisms. Located in Del Mar, roughly 20 miles north of downtown San Diego, the clinic draws patients from across the San Diego metro area and serves as a primary destination for those seeking integrative approaches that combine stem cell therapy with complementary regenerative modalities.
What to Know Before Choosing a Stem Cell Clinic in San Diego
Before committing to any stem cell clinic in San Diego, prepare a list of specific questions for your initial consultation. Ask the physician which cell source they use and why — bone marrow concentrate, adipose-derived cells, and umbilical cord-derived products each carry different evidence profiles, regulatory statuses, and procedural requirements. Ask whether cells are autologous (from your own body) or allogeneic (from a donor), and request an explanation of the FDA regulatory framework that applies to what they are proposing. A well-qualified physician will answer these questions without hesitation and will not pressure you to book a procedure before you understand what it entails. Ask specifically about outcome data: does the clinic track results, and can they share aggregate patient outcome metrics or published studies relevant to your condition?
Red flags in this space are worth naming directly. Be cautious of clinics that claim stem cell therapy can definitively cure conditions for which no regulatory-approved protocol yet exists. Marketing language such as “guaranteed results,” “revolutionary breakthrough,” or “FDA-approved stem cell therapy” (stem cell therapies themselves are not broadly FDA-approved, though specific components and devices used in the procedures may be) should prompt deeper questioning. Avoid any provider unwilling to disclose the physician’s credentials, cell sourcing, or processing method. Similarly, clinics that require large up-front payments before a full medical evaluation, or that discourage you from seeking a second opinion, are operating outside the standard of care you should expect. Legitimate regenerative medicine practices welcome scrutiny because the science supports their methods.
On the question of cost and insurance: stem cell therapy remains largely outside the scope of standard health insurance coverage in the United States, which means out-of-pocket expenses are the norm. In the San Diego market, orthopedic stem cell procedures typically range from several thousand dollars to over ten thousand dollars depending on the treatment area, number of injection sites, and whether imaging guidance is included. Some practices offer financing plans. The absence of insurance coverage is not a red flag in itself — it reflects the current regulatory and reimbursement landscape — but it does mean you should understand the full cost structure before agreeing to treatment. Ask whether follow-up visits, imaging, or additional injections are included in the quoted price or billed separately.
The next step after identifying a candidate clinic is to request a formal consultation rather than a sales call. Bring your most recent MRI or imaging studies, a written summary of your symptom history, and a list of current medications. During that visit, assess whether the physician spends meaningful time reviewing your records, explains their specific protocol for your condition, and sets honest expectations about what improvement typically looks like and over what timeframe. The best regenerative medicine physicians in San Diego treat the consultation as a clinical evaluation, not a conversion event. If the encounter feels transactional rather than diagnostic, seek a second opinion before proceeding.
This directory is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Stem cell therapies are not universally FDA-approved. Consult a licensed physician to determine whether any regenerative treatment is appropriate for your specific medical condition.