What is regenerative medicine?
Regenerative medicine is a highly specialized and advanced field that uses your body’s own healing cells to repair injured tissues and regrow new tissues. The treatments you receive relieve pain in the most effective way possible: They regenerate healthy tissues that restore your well-being.
Innovation Spine Medical currently offers three types of regenerative therapies: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, prolotherapy, and regenerative tissue and cellular therapies.
What type of regenerative treatment is platelet-rich plasma?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) comes from your own blood and contains plasma (the liquid part of your blood) together with a high concentration of platelets. Platelets, cells found in your blood, contain proteins called growth factors.
Whenever you’re injured, platelets travel to the damaged tissues and release growth factors. The growth factors then:
- Accelerate healing
- Reduce inflammation
- Relieve pain
- Stimulate new blood vessel growth
- Support new tissue growth
- Recruit stem cells to the area
Stem cells self-replicate, creating new stem cells that develop into all of the tissues needed to heal your injury.
Your provider injects PRP, placing the platelets at the site of the damaged tissues. The platelets immediately support your body’s healing ability by releasing their growth factors.
What type of regenerative medicine is prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy refers to an injection containing dextrose (sugar) and a local anesthetic. Sugar irritates the surrounding tissues, which in turn triggers a natural healing reaction. As a result, your body sends platelets and stem cells to the area to repair your injured tissues.
What type of regenerative medicine is cellular therapy?
Regenerative tissue and cellular therapy, or more simply cellular therapy, refers to an injection containing growth factors and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs, a type of adult stem cell found in body fat and bone marrow, are especially beneficial for musculoskeletal injuries. These stem cells regenerate new bone, muscles, tendons, cartilage, fat, and connective tissues.
What injuries improve with regenerative medicine?
Though regenerative medicine has the ability to treat nearly every type of injury or disease, these injections are frequently used for musculoskeletal conditions such as:
- Arthritis
- Ligament tears
- Meniscus injuries
- Rotator cuff tears
- Plantar fasciitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tendonitis and tendon injuries
Regenerative medicine is especially beneficial for severe or slow-healing wounds. Additionally, as you get older, your body’s healing ability slows down and can use the boost from regenerative treatments.
To learn if your symptoms might improve with regenerative medicine, call Innovation Spine Medical or book an appointment online today.
