Regenerative Therapy

What is it?

Regenerative therapy is a promising and unique treatment that augments the bodies natural healing element to stop pain from the source. Regenerative therapy can reduce inflammation and help recover injured tissues.

What are the benefits of Regenerative Therapy?

• Minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure
• Enhanced healing with your own natural healing factors
• Extremely low incidence of side effects
• Minimal down time – Ability to carry on with your usual routing post injection

Numerous clinical studies have confirmed that regenerative therapy provides significant healing and long-lasting reduction in pain for a variety of injuries.

• Several recent studies and reviews have demonstrated regenerative therapy to be more effective than corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid, the current, standard treatments for knee osteoarthritis.
• A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that patients with elbow tendinosis receiving regenerative therapy reported a 46% reduction in pain by week four, and an 81% reduction in pain after six months. At the study’s conclusion, 93% of patients were completely satisfied with their treatment and had avoided surgery.
• MRI imaging across numerous studies has also confirmed significant improvements in pain relief. Studies show that over 70% of patients receiving regenerative therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis have delayed further progression of the disease and prevented further knee degeneration. Regenerative therapy may in some cases eliminate the need for more aggressive treatments such as long term medication or surgery.

Conditions That Regenerative Therapy can Treat

The most common ailments that regenerative therapy can help with are usually associated with joint degeneration. However, regenerative therapy is multi-faceted, as it can be used to help heal tendon, ligament, muscle and soft-tissue injuries. Some common conditions that regenerative therapy can treat are

Knee

• Osteoarthritis
• Patellar tendinosis

Shoulder

• Osteoarthritis
• Ligament sprains and tears
• Tendonitis and tendinosis
• Acromioclavicular joint dysfunction and pain

Foot & Ankle

• Osteoarthritis
• Achilles tendonitis and tendinosis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Ligament sprains and tears

Elbow, Hand & Wrist

• Osteoarthritis
• Epicondylitis (tennis and golfer’s elbow)
• Tendonitis and tendinosis [18]

Spine / Back

• Degenerative Disc Disease 
• Facet joint osteoarthritis
• Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Hip

• Osteoarthritis
• Acute Hamstring Injuries
• Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy
• Labral tear
• Trochanteric bursitis

Are You a Good Candidate for Regenerative Therapy?

Regenerative therapy holds minimal risk and the only side effects are the ones that are usually present with an injection, bleeding, slight local soreness, and potential bruising. Regenerative therapy is effective for all ages, however it seems to be more potent in younger people. It is ideal for patients who have not found an appropriate level of success in more conservative or traditional treatments, such as steroid injections, viscosupplements, physical therapy or bracing. Regenerative therapy may also be an effective option for candidates that wish to attempt to delay or avoid a surgery. However, even with minimal risk and little to no side effects, regenerative therapy is not for everyone, as certain conditions could make this treatment ill advised, such as

• Women who are pregnant or nursing
• Anyone with active cancer or infections
• Anyone with a compromised immune system
• Anyone with thrombocytopenia

How to Prepare For Regenerative Therapy

Pre-procedural restrictions are necessary to ensure an effective treatment. Please let your provider know what medications and supplements you are currently taking so that they may advise you appropriately.

Please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Stop NSAIDs 1 week pre-procedure (2 weeks is most optimal)
• Ideally, stop any blood thinners 3-5 days pre-procedure. Consult with your prescribing provider to ensure   
  that this can be done safely. 
• Stop any anti-inflammatory supplements 1 week prior to procedure (eg. Vitamin E, turmeric, curcumin, fish oil, ginseng, gingko, ginger, garlic extract, etc.) 
• Arrive early to your appointment and make sure that you are well-hydrated. 
   

When Will I Get Pain Relief?

Depending on your condition, relief is typically seen in around 6-8 weeks. What is interesting about regenerative therapy, however, is that the recovery offered by it persists over several months, so patients can see their treated area further improve months after the injection. Your regenerative therapy results will depend on a number of factors. Our team will develop an optimized treatment and care plan specifically for your needs, ensuring the best possible outcome.

How many injections do I need?

Your treatment plan is created based upon the severity and duration of the injury or degeneration. Usually, one treatment with regenerative therapy is sufficient for returning to desired activities after 6-8 weeks of rehabilitation and at-home exercises and progression. However, more severe conditions may need ‘booster’ shots after four weeks [1]. Your provider will evaluate your situation and advise if you need repeat treatment after your first follow-up appointment.

Are the results permanent?

Healing that occurs from regenerative therapy is usually long-term. However, if the etiology of the injury is not addressed (such as flat feet leading to knee or hip pain), then repeated wear and tear will continue to degrade the joints and/or tendons. For this reason, a comprehensive approach which includes regenerative therapy, structured physical therapy, and other adjunctive therapies are recommended. 

Can Regenerative Therapy help optimize my results from a surgical procedure?

This depends on what type of procedure is done. Microfracture surgery is a common surgical procedure done to restore the cartilage surface in your knee. If your doctor performs this procedure on you, there are numerous scientific articles that show a far more robust patient outcome (improvement of VAS scores) when augmented with Regenerative Therapy.

• Other Treatments

• Conservative Therapy
• Joint Injection
• Lumbar Epidural Injection
• Lumbar Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
• Medial Branch Block
• MLS Laser Therapy
• Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
• Regenerative Therapy
• Sacroiliac Injection (SI)
• Spinal Cord Stimulation For Diabetic Foot Pain
• Sympathetic Nerve Block
• Trigger Point Injection