Steroids have always been the “go-to thing” for an inflamed joint but the standard of care has evolved. Many of us have replaced steroid injections with PRP as the new standard.
Despite the immediate pain relief that a cortisone injection when combined with a local anesthetic may provide, it is primarily a temporary remedy. When used too often, cortisone local anesthetic injections will damage your joint. PRP on the other hand offers pain relief in addition to tissue regeneration, promotion of healing, and longer-lasting results. PRP may take longer than a steroid injection to address the inflammation, but it provides longer-lasting pain relief and initiates regeneration. The problem for the patient is to understand the generic term Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) in the context of Orthobiologics.
In addressing medical care for Osteoarthritis with a multitude of benefits; just as love is part of marriage, and horses are required to pull a carriage; Physical Therapy in the form of Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation must accompany any and all applications of Regenerative Medicine. Exercise is medicine too.
World PT Day 2022 is September 8. A Physical Therapist will educate and guide you as exercise is the first line treatment of for Osteoarthritis. The PT will help you customize management before and after a PRP, Stem Cell, or other Biologic application.
Assume, if you would, that you visited my website at www.sheinkopmd.com and then called my office at (312) 475-1893 to schedule a consultation. At the office appointment, my team will review your overall medical history and then the orthopedic issue that is causing pain and limiting function. I will perform a targeted orthopedic examination and review your images. If not yet available, they will be prescribed and I will follow up with my recommendations at a subsequent office visit or via phone. My recommendations will focus on a discussion of biologics ranging from Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP and PPX), micro-fractured adipose tissue, adipose-derived stem cells (via a clinical trial); or stem cells derived from your bone marrow. The final decision is yours to make after my comprehensive informed consent based on your overall health, your physical findings, my interpretation of your images, and the grade of your arthritis.
It is a complex process based on scientific evidence gathered over the last 11 years in surveying and statistically analyzing the outcomes of my regenerative medicine practice either for scientific publication or for staying at the forefront. Once again, you may learn more at my website www.sheinkopmd.com. Better yet is to schedule your office visit by calling (312) 475-1893. As part of my entire treatment protocol, you will be referred to Physical Therapy at the location of your choosing.