What do Bartolo Colon, Pau Gasol, Peyton Manning, Chris Johnson, AJ Foyt, and Cristiano Ronaldo all have in common? They are a few of the hundreds of professional athletes who are all linked to having benefited from stem cell therapy (a tool from the regenerative medicine therapy toolbox, so to speak) to heal their injuries and overcome the associated pain and loss of capability.
For years, actually, professional athletes in the know have been the beneficiaries of this “cutting edge” medical modality that non-athletes now have improved access and availability to receive as well.
So what is ‘Regenerative Medicine?” It is that practice of medicine dedicated to utilizing the body’s processes of creating living, functional tissues to repair or replace tissue or organ function that has been lost due to age, disease, damage, or congenital defects.
As mentioned, Regenerative Medicine is a toolbox in which there are a few different ‘tools’ from which to implement. A few of which include:
Prolotherapy (Proliferative Therapy) - According to the American Osteopathic Association of Regenerative Medicine, Prolotherapy is a recognized orthopedic injection procedure that stimulates the body’s natural healing processes to strengthen and repair injured and painful joints and connective tissue – it assists in the resolution of tiny tears or injuries to connective tissue located throughout the musculoskeletal system (e.g., ligaments, tendons, muscle fibers, fascia and joint capsules).
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) - PRP may aid in the recovery of soft tissue injuries and arthritic conditions (tendons, ligaments and cartilage). The concentrated platelets found in PRP contain reservoirs of bioactive protein, including growth factors that are vital to initiate and accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. The goal of the bioactive proteins is to stimulate connective tissue healing, bone regeneration and repair, promote development of new blood vessels, and stimulate the wound healing process.
Stem Cells – “To simplify an otherwise complicated explanation, stem cells are pluripotent non-dedicated cells that have unlimited potential that when stimulated by growth factors of the originating tissue recreate that functioning tissue.” – Trip Goolsby, MD
Other “tools” include peripheral nerve injections, trigger point injections and scar treatments, etc.
While you may be thinking, I don’t have Peyton Manning or AJ Foyt level injuries, how would I benefit from regenerative medicine? There are a whole host of maladies for which these tools may apply, including:
Chronic ligament and tendon injuries, pains, sprains or strains.
Chronic back pain or neck pain.
Joint pain caused by osteoarthritis (especially arthritis of the knee and back).
Bursitis.
Weakness and instability that lasts for more than six weeks and is tied to muscle or joint pain.
Degenerative knee cartilage.
Frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injuries.
Chronic elbow tendonosis (tennis elbow)
Plantar fasciitis.
Those who take pain-reducing medications frequently (including Advil, aspirin, ibuprofen, oral steroids) but don’t feel their condition is getting better.
Those who fail to feel better after having corrective surgery.
Those who have tried physical therapy but still experience pain and stiffness.
Those having trouble exercising, sleeping or moving normally without experiencing joint pain and limitations.
Infinite Health Integrative Medicine, a boutique integrative medicine center with offices in New Orleans and Lake Charles, Louisiana treated an 80+ year-old female who suffered from chronic pain in her knees. Her independent mobility had suffered to the point where gutting up, sitting down, and even walking required great effort and resulted in greater pain. After one session (three to four sessions may be recommended), she was able to step up into a truck with a high step-up on her own. Her family commented that she had never done that before.
Another example includes a 26 year-old female who was on her crew team in high school and college presented with a torn labrum. After one treatment at Infinite Health she was back to dancing that Saturday night.
These are just a couple of examples of how regenerative medicine is helping to heal and empower people across a wide range of demographics. No longer do we have to make the choice of either suffering or depending upon potentially addictive prescription and/or even more invasive procedures such as surgery. We have more tools in our toolbox now available to us.
For more information about regenerative medicine and/or to schedule an initial consultation and find out of you are a candidate for one the tools, call Infinite Health Integrative Medicine Center at 337.312.8234 or visit www.YourInfiniteHealth.com
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LeNae Goolsby, Practice Administrator Infinite Health Integrative Medicine Center C: 337.312.8234 E. LeNae.Goolsby@gmail.com
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