This episode — originally released as "A Conversation with Dr. Scott Pearlman" — is a plain-language walkthrough of two therapies at the center of Dr. Scott Pearlman's chiropractic practice: SoftWave TRT, a shockwave-based technology, and spinal decompression therapy. Speaking with host Mark Anthony, Pearlman spent most of the conversation on a specific, practical question: what these tools actually do, and how he applies them to patients dealing with chronic pain and diabetic neuropathy who want to avoid surgery or long-term medication.
Pearlman was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and got into chiropractic care after his own back injury. He moved to Georgia in 1993 and has practiced there ever since — by his account, 23 years and counting — building out his approach over time with nutrition and functional medicine work, far-infrared sauna, red-light therapy, and spinal decompression. About three years before this conversation, he added SoftWave TRT, which he now uses alongside decompression as the core of his current practice. As Mark Anthony noted in introducing him, Pearlman is known for turning off his phone and watch during patient visits, saying his focus is on finding "the root" of a problem before treating it.
Key Takeaways
- Dr. Pearlman has practiced chiropractic care in Marietta, Georgia since 1993, and added SoftWave TRT — a shockwave-based Tissue Regenerative Technology — to his practice about three years before this conversation.
- He described SoftWave TRT as non-invasive: no needles, prescriptions, or surgery, working by activating the body's own stem cells at the site of an injury.
- For diabetic neuropathy, he said most patients start around twice a week, tapering over time, paired with a personalized nutrition and supplementation protocol.
- He shared a patient case of a former football player with severe neuropathy who went from using a walker, to a cane, to no mobility aid at all within a handful of visits.
- Spinal decompression — which he distinguished from traction — is used alongside SoftWave to relieve nerve pressure and support disc health; he said the therapies are largely self-pay, with financing options offered.
What Is SoftWave TRT?
SoftWave TRT stands for Tissue Regenerative Technology, made by the SoftWave company. Pearlman described the device as a handheld unit connected to a computer system — ultrasound gel is used to make contact with the skin — that delivers a shockwave into the body. According to Pearlman, that shockwave activates exosomes, which act as a kind of signal that wakes up dormant stem cells and directs them to the site of injury to help it heal, rather than simply numbing pain.
He drew a sharp contrast with drugs and injections. He told Mark he advises patients never to get more than one cortisone shot in the same joint over a lifetime, saying repeated cortisone use can erode the joint, and he described medications like gabapentin as managing symptoms without addressing the underlying problem. In his framing, SoftWave TRT is meant to work on the injury itself.
"With SoftWave, you get none of that — no downtime from work, no side effects, no surgery, no needles, no prescriptions, no creams and gels. The only gel that gets put on is ultrasound gel, to make the communication happen."
— Dr. Scott PearlmanApplying It to Diabetic Neuropathy
Much of the conversation focused on how Pearlman uses SoftWave TRT with diabetic neuropathy patients. He said his protocol typically treats the spine, the limb, and the foot itself to support circulation, usually starting around twice a week and tapering — for example, twice weekly for two weeks, then once a week for several more — depending on the severity of the case. He pairs the treatment with a nutrition and supplementation plan customized to each patient, which he said supports digestion, the liver, the nervous system, and the joints.
He described one specific case in detail: a former football player who first came into his office using a walker for severe neuropathy, then arrived with a cane after his second visit, and eventually was driving himself in with no mobility aid at all. Pearlman said the patient's feet visibly changed color within the first couple of visits, which he attributed to improved circulation, and that the plan going forward was to extend treatment to the patient's hands and neck as well. Pearlman also said he brings neuropathy patients back for maintenance visits roughly every two to three months, describing the underlying nerve condition as something that doesn't fully disappear but whose symptoms — burning, numbness, and tingling — can, in his experience, be significantly reduced.
Spinal Decompression, and Why He Pairs It With SoftWave
Pearlman was specific about a distinction he says patients often miss: spinal decompression is not the same as traction. Traction, he explained, is a one-way pull, while decompression uses a pull-release, pull-release motion that he said allows nutrients to move from the vertebrae into the disc. He uses decompression for patients with disc degeneration, herniations, or protrusions visible on an MRI, with the goal of relieving pressure on a nerve exiting the spinal column.
He described walking patients through their own MRI results on a screen in his office, explaining what the images show about ligaments, discs, and vertebrae, and then building a written plan — nutrition, supplements, adjustments, and treatment frequency — that he puts on a whiteboard for the patient to see. He follows decompression sessions with SoftWave TRT applied to the same area, which he said is intended to address inflammation and support healing in the surrounding ligaments and muscle at the same time the mechanical pressure on the nerve is being relieved.
Cost, Access, and Who This Conversation Is For
Pearlman said these therapies are largely self-pay rather than covered by insurance, and that his office works with patients on payment arrangements, including financing through CareCredit, to spread the cost over several months. If you're dealing with chronic joint or spine pain, or diabetic neuropathy, and have been told your only options are ongoing medication or surgery, this episode is a plain-language look at two non-surgical alternatives from a practitioner who has spent three decades in chiropractic practice.
