Regenerative medicine marketing
Regenerative medicine podiatry marketing: reach the patients who are looking for it.
Shockwave, laser, PRP and other advanced treatments are a different marketing problem. Patients pay out of pocket, they research before they call, and the advertising rules are stricter. I’m Jim McDannald, DPM. I practiced podiatry for seven years, and I help private practices market these services plainly and within the rules.
- Patient
- Pays out of pocket and researches before calling
- Search
- Starts with the problem, then finds the treatment
- Ads
- Google does not allow ads for some of these treatments
- Claims
- Need evidence behind them
- Website
- Has to answer cost, visits and what to expect
01Why it is different
Why is marketing regenerative podiatry different?
With insurance-based care, the patient mostly needs to find you. With cash pay care, they also need a reason to choose it.
That changes what your website, your ads and your local listings have to do. It also raises the bar on what you can say.
The patient decides, not the plan
When a treatment is fee-for-service, patients want to know what it is, how many visits it takes and what it costs before they pick up the phone.
They search for the problem first
People search for heel pain that will not go away long before they search for ESWT. Your pages have to meet them at the condition and lead them to the treatment.
The rules are stricter
Google restricts ads for some regenerative treatments, and health claims in any ad need evidence behind them.
Many practices barely mention it
A practice can own the equipment and still have no clear page for the service. That page is often the first thing to build.
02Treatment by treatment
How do you market shockwave, laser, PRP and peptides?
Each one has its own search behavior and its own rules. Here is how I approach them.
Shockwave therapy (ESWT)
Usually the simplest place to start. Patients are searching for the conditions you treat with it.
- A page built around the conditions you use it for
- What a visit involves and how many visits to expect
- Describe the device by the uses it is cleared for
Google Ads: Not named in Google’s restricted list. I build campaigns around the condition.
Laser therapy
Similar to shockwave. The page should explain who it is for in plain words.
- A page for the treatment, linked from each condition page
- Photos of your own room and device
- Describe the device by the uses it is cleared for
Google Ads: Not named in Google’s restricted list. Wording still matters.
PRP
Google lists platelet rich plasma among treatments that cannot be promoted in its ads. Patients can still find it on your site and in local search.
- A careful, factual page on your website
- Local search for patients looking nearby
- Email to your current patients
Google Ads: Not allowed under Google’s policy.
Amniotic and other tissue products
The FDA says products such as amniotic fluid need its approval before they are marketed to consumers. Check your specific product before you market it at all.
- Ask your supplier for the product’s regulatory status in writing
- Have your attorney review the page before it goes up
- Leave out claims about what it treats
Google Ads: Google’s policy covers cell therapies and similar regenerative medicine.
Peptides (BPC-157, TB-500)
Neither is an FDA-approved drug. An FDA advisory committee reviewed them for compounding in July 2026, and the rules were still unsettled when this page was written.
- Check the current status with your pharmacy
- Ask your attorney before you publish anything
- Do not describe them as FDA approved
Google Ads: Check before running any ad.
What applies to all of them
Say what you do, who it is for and what to expect. Then stop.
- No words like cure, permanent or painless
- No promise of a result
- Patient stories with written permission, and not as proof
Google Ads: Call tracking on every campaign, so you know what the ads bring in.
03The rules
What do the advertising rules say about regenerative medicine?
Three sets of rules matter most: Google’s ad policy, the FDA and the FTC.
This is general marketing information, not legal advice. The rules change, and the peptide rules were changing when I wrote this in November 2026. Check the sources and ask your attorney.
Google Ads
Google’s policy lists stem cell therapy, platelet rich plasma and similar regenerative medicine as treatments that cannot be promoted in ads. There is a narrow exception in the United States for FDA licensed or approved therapies advertised by the company that holds the approval. Read Google’s policy.
FDA on regenerative products
The FDA says unapproved products such as amniotic fluid and exosomes require its approval to be marketed to consumers, and that none are approved for orthopedic conditions. Read the FDA’s notice.
FDA on peptides
BPC-157 is not an FDA-approved drug, and the FDA has listed safety concerns about compounding it. An advisory committee reviewed BPC-157 and TB-500 in July 2026. See the FDA’s safety list and the committee meeting page.
FTC on health claims
Advertising has to be truthful, and you need solid evidence for a health claim before you run it. Do not overstate what the FDA has reviewed or approved. Read the FTC’s guidance.
04What I do
How I market regenerative services for a podiatry practice
The plan depends on which treatments you offer. It usually has four parts.
A page for each treatment
The page a patient reads before deciding to call.
- Who it is for, in plain words
- What a visit involves and how many to expect
- How pricing works, if you choose to share it
Local search for treatment searches
Showing up when someone nearby searches for the treatment by name.
- Searches such as shockwave therapy near me
- Services listed on your Google Business Profile
- Pages for the towns you want patients from
Google Ads where they are allowed
Campaigns built around the condition the patient is searching for.
- Shockwave and laser campaigns
- Careful wording that fits Google’s policy
- Call tracking, so you see what the ads bring in
Your current patients
The people most likely to ask about a new service already know you.
- A newsletter that introduces the service
- Reviews requested when a patient has a great result
- No patient details shared without permission
05Results from podiatry practices
What results have podiatry practices seen with Jim?
These results come from general podiatry marketing, not from regenerative services alone. The methods are the same.
more new patient visits at Wisconsin Foot Center, after work on local SEO, Google Ads and patient reviews.
Read the Wisconsin Foot Center case studyless wasted ad spend at Wisconsin Foot Center, after the campaigns were rebuilt around patients ready to book.
Read the Wisconsin Foot Center case studyResults differ from practice to practice and from town to town.
“With the agency I used before, I could never understand what they were doing and why. Jim is different. Rather than throwing money to see what worked, he understands how patients are searching for us online.”
Wisconsin Foot Center, Hales Corners, WI
06Questions
Questions about marketing regenerative medicine in podiatry
- Written by
- Jim McDannald, DPM
- Background
- Seven years in podiatry practice, now marketing full time
- Rules checked
- November 2026
- First step
- Free Practice Visibility Scan
How do you market shockwave therapy for a podiatry practice?
Start with a clear page for the treatment and the conditions it is used for. Add local search work so the practice shows up for nearby searches, then Google Ads built around those conditions, with call tracking.
Can a podiatrist run Google Ads for PRP?
Google’s advertising policy lists platelet rich plasma among treatments that cannot be promoted in ads. PRP can still be described on the practice website and found through local search. Google’s policy has the details.
How do I get patients for regenerative foot treatments?
Most patients search for their problem before they search for a treatment. Pages that connect the condition to the treatment, strong local search visibility and an email to current patients are the usual starting points.
Can I advertise BPC-157 or other peptides?
BPC-157 and TB-500 are not FDA-approved drugs, and the rules on compounding them were under review in late 2026. A practice should check the current status with its pharmacy and attorney before marketing them.
How do you market cash pay podiatry procedures?
Patients paying out of pocket want clear information before they call: what the treatment is, who it is for, how many visits and how pricing works. The website has to answer those questions, and the ads and local listings have to bring the right patients to it.
Should I list prices for regenerative treatments?
That is the practice’s decision. Patients paying out of pocket usually want to understand cost early, so the page should at least explain how pricing works.
Does Jim give legal or regulatory advice?
No. Jim McDannald, DPM, plans and carries out the marketing. Questions about what a practice may offer or claim belong with its attorney and its state board.
07Related services
The services behind this work
Running a direct care or fee-for-service practice? See marketing for direct care podiatry.
From the blog: how a niche helps you become a local leader.
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