Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Luga Podesta, MD
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints. Some of the common arthritic symptoms are joint pain, stiffness, warmth, immobilization, and loss of range of motion, fatigue and inadequate blood flow. Two of the main types of arthritis are Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). With Osteoarthritis, wear and tear damages the cartilage in the joints and causes friction between the bones rubbing together. Injury or infection usually causes Rheumatoid Arthritis. RA is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own lining of the joints and membranes. Osteoarthritis is by far the most common type of arthritis affecting millions of people. It can occur in numerous joints from the toes to the cervical spine.
When osteoarthritis affects the neck, back, hands, feet, knees, spine, or hips, difficulties arise when trying to get through even the most menial daily tasks. The surrounding muscles begin to tighten as they try to overcompensate for the pain and protect the injured area. These tight muscles can create tension headaches and impinged range of motion. Along with the progressive joint damage and peripheral pain, most people may find that there is little to no relief with over the counter NSAID’s like ibuprofen.
Corticosteroid injections often offer temporary relief, but what most doctors won’t tell you is that these injections can cause further joint and synovial fluid damage. If patients opt to take pain medications like opioids, the risk of addiction is high. There is also another problem with pain medications, after a while, they begin to stop working. This is known as treatment resistance.
There are alternative treatment options that are helping countless patients to be free from pain and also to regenerate synovial fluid and joint cartilage. With non-surgical treatment through regenerative medicine, PRP and stem cells, Bluetail Medical Group is helping numerous patients recover from arthritic pain and joint degeneration.
Naturally found in your blood, platelets are a rich source of proteins called growth factors, which promote healing. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains a higher concentration of platelets than the amount normally found in your blood. To create PRP, your doctor draws a sample of your blood and places it in a centrifuge, which separates out the platelets. These concentrated platelets are recombined with your blood plasma to make PRP. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is taken from the patient’s body via an in-office, noninvasive technique. The platelet rich plasma from the blood is reinjected into the patient’s problem area. The reinjected PRP.
A variety of Stem Cells and growth factors are taken from the patient’s bone marrow including mesenchymal stem cells. Adult stem cells that are derived from a patient’s bone marrow can differentiate into various cell types that can help your body repair, regenerative and restore your joint health. With the potential to differentiate into many different types of cells, stem cells can serve as an internal repair system, which can replace damaged or worn out tissue, and the best part is that there is no surgery, no downtime, no lengthy procedures. The stem cells are precisely guided into the joint area under ultrasound to make certain that the cells are getting into the exact point of the damaged joint. Unlike surgery or pain medications, it’s non-addictive, safe and highly effective.
How Does PRP Therapy Complement Stem Cell Therapy?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) uses growth factors naturally found in your blood platelets to promote healing, trigger new tissue growth, and enhance the activity of stem cells. When your injury or disease is extensive, or you have degenerative joint disease, a tendon tear, or osteoarthritis, your doctor may add PRP to your stem cell injection.
Like stem cell therapy, PRP is made on-site from your blood. Your doctor draws a blood sample and processes it in a centrifuge that separates platelets from other blood components. This concentrated sample of platelets can be combined with your stem cell injection for accelerated healing. Platelets provide an immediate availability and higher concentration of essential growth factors enhancing the cellular environment for the stems cells to function.
Bluetail Medical Group are experts in regenerative medicine and biologic cell-based therapy procedures. They don’t just use the most advanced techniques, they’ve pioneered many of them! This is the dawn of a new era in which orthopedic conditions can be effectively treated with cell lines, growth factors, bioactive proteins, and stem cells. If you are suffering from arthritic conditions or chronic pain, Bluetail Medical Group has the answers to relieving your pain naturally and effectively.
Biologic cell-based therapies such as PRP and Bone Marrow Derived mesenchymal stem cells are safe and very effective treatments for a variety of orthopedic and soft tissue injuries occurring in muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. Utilizing your OWN blood or bone marrow, natural healing is stimulated, allowing your body to heal itself without the need for surgery, hospitalization, anesthesia or the risks that that come with them.
Biologic cell-based therapies are now routinely used for the treatment of a variety of injuries including: arthritis and cartilage injuries of the knee, hip, shoulder and spine; ligament injuries of the elbow, knee, and ankle; tendon injuries involving the shoulder (rotator cuff), elbow tennis and golfers elbow), wrist, knee (jumper’s knee), and ankle (Achilles tendon or plantar fasciitis); muscle injuries such as the hamstring and calf muscles; and cartilage and arthritis of the shoulder, elbow, knee and hip.
BLUETAIL MEDICAL GROUP
239-631-1960 | BluetailMedicalGroup.com