Regenerative medicine is an approach that uses the healing qualities of certain cells in your body to help repair damaged or diseased tissues. These cells are capable of replacing lost tissue, providing pain relief, and accelerating repair and recovery.
There are several types of regenerative medicine that are useful for treating musculoskeletal disorders, including:
PRP contains two of the substances that make up your blood – platelets, which clot your blood if you have an injury, and liquid plasma. Platelets have growth factors in them that repair cells and promote strong new tissue growth.
Stem cells also help with healing. They have the ability to change themselves into whatever cells you need for a repair, so for instance, they could become bone or cartilage if you damage a joint.
Regenerative medicine can be useful in the treatment of bone, tendon, muscle, cartilage, and nerve damage, including conditions such as:
Dr. Singla is certified by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians in regenerative medicine. She specializes in performing PRP treatments for musculoskeletal issues.
Regenerative medicine treatments are in-office injectables. The first stage of your treatment is harvesting the cells from your body.
To obtain PRP, Dr. Singla takes some of your blood and spins it in a centrifuge, which extracts the red and white blood cells. The remaining plasma contains a high concentration of platelets.
When the PRP injection is ready, Dr. Singla uses fluoroscopy (moving X-ray images) to guide the needle to the root of your pain. The injection only takes a few minutes.
Regenerative medicine doesn't have instant painkilling properties like nerve blocks or potent anti-inflammatory effects like steroid injections, so you might not feel much difference right afterward.
However, the growth factors are busy doing their unseen work repairing and regenerating your damaged tissues. Within a few weeks, you might notice some improvement, with optimal results after two to three months.
The improvement can last for many months or even a year or more. Some patients benefit from having a series of regenerative medicine injections.
Find out how regenerative medicine treatments could help you by calling Dr. Singla today or booking an appointment online.
