Do you have a nagging case of tennis elbow or knee osteoarthritis? Or perhaps another joint or tendon injury is slowing you down? If so, regenerative medicine may be right for you.
Regenerative medicine is a nonsurgical method of harnessing the body’s own healing responses. It directs therapy right to the source of the pain or injury to jumpstart healing. It is effective for chronic tendon issues and osteoarthritis of certain joints including the knee and other joints and tendons.
Regenerative techniques are not new, but at Banner Health our approach is. Our sports medicine and orthopedic experts use evidence-based medical practices to design regenerative therapies to heal your specific injury. And they use research to further understand the potential benefits of this type of treatment.
Banner Health offers PRP (platelet-rich plasma) and BMAC (bone marrow aspirate concentrate) regenerative therapies and a minimally invasive alternative therapy called Tenex. Contact us today to learn more about regenerative therapy locations near you.
Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is the most common form of regenerative therapy. PRP is a concentrated solution of platelets and growth factors taken from your own blood. These blood products contain important qualities that initiate the body’s healing response.
During the procedure blood is drawn from your arm and spun at a very high speed to separate its components. These platelets and growth factors are then injected precisely into the area of the body being treated using real-time ultrasound imaging. PRP works by placing these components directly at the site of pain or injury to promote healing.
The procedure takes about 30 to 45 minutes. Since PRP encourages normal healing, you may not feel pain relief right away. This differs from other injections or medications which may improve pain without leading to true healing. Joints can take 4 to 6 weeks to start feeling better and tendons may take 6 to 10 weeks. The injection works best in conjunction with physical therapy to promote the healing process.
Medical evidence shows that PRP improves pain in some disorders such as chronic tendinopathy and osteoarthritis, most notably tennis elbow and knee osteoarthritis. At this time, it is not covered by insurance.
PRP is offered at many of our sports medicine and orthopedic clinics. Contact us today to find a location near you.
Bone marrow aspirate concentrate, or BMAC, injections can provide greater and longer-lasting pain relief than other traditional injections such as corticosteroids. It is used to treat osteoarthritis, most often in the knee.
BMAC involves placing your own bone marrow cells, called mesenchymal stem cells, into the affected area. These cells contain growth factors also found in platelet-rich plasma and plasma protein that reduce pain and inflammation and improve function.
The entire BMAC procedure takes about 60 to 75 minutes. It includes removing bone marrow from the back of the pelvis, separating its components and injecting it into the joint. Most patients tolerate the procedure well with a local anesthetic.
BMAC works by changing the biochemistry of the arthritic joint. This takes time. Improvement can begin at about 6 weeks, with most patients feeling improvement within 3 months. A successful procedure can provide relieve for long periods of time.
BMAC is not currently covered by insurance. Find a location of one of our sports medicine and orthopedic clinics that performs BMAC procedures.
Tenex is a minimally invasive therapy to reduce pain and improve functionality of the tendons in the elbow, knee, ankle, foot and shoulder without the need for surgery.
Tenex works by removing unhealthy and damaged tendon tissue. During the procedure, our experienced doctors use ultrasound-guided imaging to direct the Tenex device into the tendon, removing damaged tissue and stimulating a healing response.
Tenex is an outpatient procedure that requires only a local anesthetic. Because the ultrasonic energy just targets the damaged tendon, the surrounding healthy tissue is not impacted.
If chronic pain is impacting your lifestyle, schedule an appointment with one of our Banner Health sports medicine physicians. We are dedicated to helping you get back to the activities you enjoy doing most.
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