Growing incidence of autoimmune diseases in our societies demands better understanding and treatment. Is there a role for regenerative therapies and if so, how do we discern and define this? What is safe? What is not safe? What brought me to my opinions and thus my approach to healing? My own story of evolution and growth, my own suffering with severe CNS Lyme Disease colored my reality with my patients. How can I then educate and heal more effectively? Dr. Shapiro received her undergraduate degree from George Washington University in 1981 and her Osteopathic Medical degree from Southeastern College of Medicine in 1987. She went on to complete an Internship at Brookdale Hospital in New York in June 1987. She completed a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in June 1992 also in New York. She completed an additional year as a Fellow in Pediatric Rehabilitation in 1993 at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. For the next two years she served as Associate Director of the Myofascial Pain Program and Director of Pediatric Rehabilitation at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut, an affiliate of Yale University Medical Center. During this time, she became Assistant Clinical Professor in the Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pediatrics at Albert Einstein. She is currently Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia University Medical Center in the Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicines.. Dr. Shapiro was Chair of the Myofascial Special Interest Group for the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and has remained active in creating legislation regarding proper treatment and billing regulations for this entity. In January 1996, Dr. Shapiro opened a private practice in New York City. She has lectured widely on Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes as well as autoimmune diseases associated with inflammatory conditions both nationally and internationally. Her greatest passion is problem solving in the field of chronic conditions and the application of regenerative therapies for such. She has appeared on FOX Cable network and Lifetime. Dr. Shapiro is also one of six contributors to the revision of Volume I of Travell & Simons’ text on Myofascial Pain & Dysfunction, published in 1999. She has worked on an independent workshop series on Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes and remains an active participant in the international field of regenerative medicine, stem cell therapies and the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx