Regenerative medicine is the science and medical practice of harnessing your body’s own ability to heal and “regenerate” itself, and to essentially supercharge its own healing powers. These capabilities include repairing or replacing tissue that has been damaged due to disease or injury.
Some fields of medicine, including hair restoration and orthopedics, are already using regenerative medicine to treat patients. In orthopedics, these treatments have been shown to work well in repairing injuries to ligaments, tendons, muscles, and joints, often helping patients to avoid surgery altogether. These methods give the body a chance to heal on its own.
By employing regenerative modalities like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cells, a doctor can inject concentrated cells from the patient’s own body directly into the site of injury. Let’s talk about how these two methods work and who you can talk to in order to find out whether this treatment might work for you.
How Does PRP Therapy Help?
Platelets are best known for their role in forming scabs. They are the clear, colorless cells in blood that can stick and clot for healing purposes.
Your doctor will take a small sample of your blood from your arm. The physician will then spin the blood in a centrifuge so that the various cells and components of the blood are separated from each other. This way, the platelets can be concentrated for your treatment.
The concentration of platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the injured body part. The platelets have natural growth factors which are essential to healing. PRP therapy is especially heralded for its success in resolving or minimizing knee pain, but it also works in helping to heal other joints as well.
Orthopedic Application of Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells are like blank building blocks that are ready to become a working cell. We have sparse amounts of stem cells throughout our body, but especially in the bone marrow and adipose (fat) tissue.
The benefit of using your own stem cells is that you will have almost no chance of your body having an adverse reaction to the treatment. As with PRP therapy, your doctor will acquire stem cells from your body and then inject the concentration into the area of injury. Because the stem cells must develop and grow, this treatment takes a number of months before seeing benefits – but the benefits are long-lasting.
Regenerative Medicine Treatment in Central Maryland
Regenerative medicine is a revolutionary way for your body to utilize its own cells to heal itself and to alleviate pain. Here at Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland, we frequently treat our patients who have arthritis and joint injuries with PRP therapy and stem cell therapy, and many of them have rebounded from pain and movement issues with a renewed vigor.
If you have any questions about our practice or would like to schedule an appointment with one of our skilled orthopedic doctors, contact our caring team today by calling us at (410) 644-1880 or (855) 4MD-BONE (463-2663). If you prefer, you can also fill out our easy-to-use appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you get back to enjoying an active lifestyle once again!
