The prevalence of joint pain in the United States is nothing short of eye-opening — of the 60 million adults who have arthritis, one in four report severe pain, and half experience persistent pain.
If you’re tired of struggling with painful joints that put serious limitations on your life, the good news is that we’re revolutionizing the way we approach joint pain through regenerative medicine, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
One of our primary missions here at Alternative Disc Therapy is to provide our patients with sustainable results rather than treating problems on a symptom-by-symptom basis. Under the guidance of Dr. Warren Bleiweiss, we place special emphasis on regenerative therapies that amplify what your body does best — heal and repair from within.
One of our more successful treatments in this regard is PRP therapy, and here’s a look at how this innovative approach may hold the key to better joint health.
The problem with your joints
One of the biggest hurdles in addressing joint problems is that there are certain tissues that don’t regenerate themselves all that easily — especially your cartilage. This slippery substance is found in most of your articulating joints, and it provides a protective surface over your bones, allowing them to glide together easily.
When this tissue breaks down, especially at the hands of osteoarthritis, it can lead to considerable inflammation and pain within your joint. Making matters worse, your cartilage doesn’t enjoy a good supply of blood vessels, which means it can’t access the resources necessary to rebuild and repair itself.
Enter PRP therapy
Through PRP therapy, our goal is to provide the tissues within your joint with the resources they need to heal and rebuild. While you may recognize platelets for their clotting capabilities, they also contain powerful growth factors, which they release at the site of damage to create the ultimate healing environment.
To harness this regenerative power, we draw a sample of your own blood and separate out your platelets in a centrifuge. Once they’re isolated and mixed back in with your plasma, we photoactivate the PRP with three different wavelengths of light, which provide your platelets with a call to action.
We then inject the activated PRP into the damaged tissues inside your joints, using ultrasound guidance where necessary to ensure that we target the right areas.
Patience is key
After we inject your joints with PRP, some patience is required to allow your body time to respond. In some cases, you may experience a small increase in pain as your body jumps into an inflammatory response, but this quickly gives way to the regenerative processes that will ultimately heal your tissues.
In other words, allow time for the platelets to create the healing environment and for your body to answer the call with the resources needed for rebuilding and repair. Soon enough, your patience is rewarded as your joints enjoy more pain-free movement.
If you’re struggling with painful joints, contact our office in Caldwell, New Jersey, to learn how PRP therapy can help.
