What is Regenerative Medicine?

Regenerative medicine is an innovative pain management technique that uses the patient’s own body to heal itself. This form of healing has been proven to promote cell reproduction – an essential aspect of healing tissues and bones. Instead of introducing treatment into the body to heal, regenerative medicine gives the body tools to heal on its own. This process is called rejuvenation.

Since nothing new is introduced into the body, there are typically little to no side effects of using regenerative medicine as a form of pain treatment. Patients can expect about three to six weeks for the natural healing process to take place, but they may need to repeat the treatment.

Almost anyone can be a patient of regenerative medicine. While some procedures and medications are too dangerous for children, regenerative medicine is safe kids and teens. The term “regenerative medicine” is actually an umbrella term that covers platelet-rich plasma injections and stem cell therapy.

PRP injection treatment is used to treat muscle and ligament conditions, particularly degenerative conditions and sports-related injuries. PRP injections started to gain popularity after sports professionals like Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods were able to quickly get back into the game after their injections.

When we injure ourselves, our bodies use the platelets found in our blood to heal. By triggering an inflammatory response when you get hurt, the body is able to use the blood vessel system to direct blood to the injured area to heal. However, if a lot of blood is not naturally flowing to the area, patients could be in pain for longer periods of time.

When patients have a PRP injection, a small sample of blood is taken and put into a centrifuge that separates the platelets from the blood. The platelets are then mixed with dextrose and citrate to make the platelets pure and ready to be injected at the site of pain. So we know that blood is integral to the healing process, so why does American Spine Group want the platelet-rich plasma inside the blood specifically? It’s because platelets have qualities that allow them to improve cell production and soft tissue and bone regeneration.

Stem cell therapy is used to regenerate healthy cells and replace aging cells. Patients should not experience side effects or have their bodies reject this therapy because the cells come from their body. Stem cells are specialized cells and can develop into any kind of cell your body needs, making this an extremely beneficial treatment.

This outpatient procedure uses cells collected from bone marrow and other tissues to help treat a number of painful conditions. The cells are injected directly into the site of injury or degeneration, making this therapy especially useful to patients with degenerative conditions like arthritis or degenerative disc disease. However, as with any procedure, there are risks of stem cell therapy. There is a possibility that the cells could be exposed to infection, but the risk is low.

Even though regenerative medicine is newly gaining popularity among doctors, it has been around ever since the initial organ transplant! Now, the technology is even more cutting edge and more research has proven the benefits of regenerative medicine. Each procedure is done in an outpatient setting so you may not need anesthesia or a hospital stay. Patients usually see results about a month after treatment, but it depends on how quickly the body takes to heal itself. Our physicians are expertly trained to use the patient’s own resources to heal their body. If you have any questions or concerns regarding regenerative medicine, please do not hesitate to ask your physician or call our office for more information.

At American Spine and PainMedGroup, we are dedicated to treating chronic pain and spine conditions. Offering the latest in minimally invasive spine surgery and other effective treatment options, PainMedGroup is the leading pain physician group of California. 

The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.

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