Regenerative medicine treatments are growing in popularity, particularly to treat musculoskeletal injuries, because they’re a proven method of natural recovery. Platelet-rich plasma, stem cells, and other regenerative medicine treatments offer hope for chronic pain because they actually heal the source of your pain. At Tarpon Interventional Pain & Spine Care, experienced regenerative medicine specialist Lewis Frazier, Jr., MD, uses the most advanced methods of tissue regeneration to end your chronic pain. Call the Plano, Texas, office to make an appointment today.
Regenerative Medicine Q & A
What is regenerative medicine?
Regenerative medicine refers to a group of innovative high-tech treatments that help your body heal from within. All regenerative medicine treatments use the human body’s strongest natural healing substances to start tissue repair and regrowth in areas where you have serious damage and pain.
Dr. Frazier, Jr. injects these substances directly into the area where you need repair and pain relief, using ultrasound guidance for optimal positioning.
What are the different regenerative medicine treatment options?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
For PRP, Dr. Frazier, Jr. collects a sample of your blood. He uses a centrifuge to spin the blood rapidly, isolating and concentrating the white blood cells and platelets. Your platelets improve blood clotting and also release growth factors. These growth factors encourage tissue repair and regrowth where you need it.
PRP can help with pain caused by tendinitis, partial rotator cuff tears, sprains, strains, and arthritis, among other conditions. If you have back pain, neck pain, joint pain, or other areas of chronic pain, PRP may help.
Stem cells
Stem cells are powerful cells that can repair any type of tissue. Although you have stem cells naturally, the amount decreases over time. Stem cell therapy adds a large infusion of stem cells in an area where you need tissue repair or regeneration.
Dr. Frazier, Jr. harvests stem cells from your own bone marrow, blood, and fat to create bone marrow aspirate concentrate. He injects this concentrate into the area of chronic pain to stimulate impressive renewal and pain relief. If you have chronic pain, stem cell therapy may help. This treatment is most commonly used for the knees, hips, shoulders, and tendons.
Amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid is rich in growth factors that encourage new cell growth and tissue repair. All donated amniotic fluid comes from full-term, scheduled cesarean section births. The amniotic fluid is carefully screened to ensure that it’s sterile and safe for use.
Amniotic fluid injections can help with chronic pain, including joint injuries, meniscal damage, and cartilage damage.
All regenerative medicine treatments offer excellent pain relief and tissue regeneration, but each treatment has its own specific optimal uses. Dr. Frazier, Jr. explains all your options and helps you make the right decision for your needs.
How long does regenerative medicine pain relief last?
Regenerative medicine uses all-natural substances, so it takes some time for your body to repair and rebuild. Usually, you’ll start noticing results after a couple of weeks, with steady improvement for up to three months until you get the full effects.
The exact longevity depends on your injury and degree of inflammation. In general, regenerative medicine treatments can give you relief for at least a few months, and a single treatment could potentially give you long-term relief if you don’t have underlying joint or disc issues.
To learn more about how regenerative medicine treatments like PRP can help you, call Tarpon Interventional Pain & Spine Care today.