There are few health issues that cause such deep feelings of hopelessness as joint pain does. It disrupts the daily lives of people who suffer from it because every movement and every attempt to lead a normal life brings such debilitating pain.
For example, standing, walking, sitting, even picking things up, or hugging a loved one can cause shooting pains in the areas of the joint inflammation. While medication can offer temporary relief, the root cause of the pain invariably remains, and the pain returns.
What if there were a means to address the tissue damage and inflammation that causes the pain in a lasting way? Luckily, there are new treatments using the body’s own healing processes that can provide the relief people seek.
Causes of Joint Injuries and Pain
Normal joints are a complex system of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones that work together to provide a wide range of movement. Within the joint lies several components that facilitate that movement, prevent the ligaments and tendons from rubbing against the bone, and prevent the bones from grinding one another down. In addition, the synovial fluids, bursae, and cartilage provide cushioning and reduce the change of damage of the other components. Once any of these mechanisms are damaged, pain results.
Here are some common causes of joint pain:
- Normal wear and tear – as we move through our lives, the cartilage that provides the primary cushioning within our main joints can deteriorate or be torn simply through normal activity. It is like a pencil eraser that gets worn down over years of use. When the cartilage has suffered damage or has slipped from the position, inflammation results as the body tries to protect the bones within the joint, causing intense pain and limiting the range of motion.
- Injuries – joint pain caused by injuries is also quite common. Twisting, abrupt or violent motion, and impact injuries can break up the complex system of components within larger joints like the knee, causing multiple complications. Even repetitive stress like spending hours typing or repeating the same motions as you go about your daily jobs can strain tendons, tear ligaments, or fracture bones within a joint and cause extensive tissue damage and even bone loss.
- Arthritis and other diseases – while osteoarthritis can be caused by worn cartilage, rheumatoid arthritis is a genetic condition that can similarly cause terrible inflammation within the joints, bringing with it intense pain.
- Poor posture and sedentary lifestyle – without proper alignment and continual use, joints can become stressed to the point that inflammation occurs, and tendons can be strained, causing tendinitis. As busy as many of us are, the tendency to stay focused on work tasks or our phones can cause severe damage to our joints.
PRP Treatment for Joint Injuries
If medication has ceased to work and you are not interested in lengthy recovery times from invasive surgical procedures, our Platelet Rich Plasma treatments, or PRP, might be the solution you have been seeking. Our medical team harnesses the healing powers of your own body to facilitate the process of renewal for the damaged tissues causing the pain.
By removing your own blood and creating a concentrated solution of platelets, we can reinject this solution into the affected area and bring relief through the body’s own regulatory cellular processes. The platelets have an abundance of cytokines, amino acids, and proteins that act as messengers to other cells, encouraging the process of regrowth.
As a result, the damaged cells are quickly replaced by renewed, healthier cells, bringing the patient relief from the root causes of the pain, rather than just masking it or having traumatic surgical procedures.
If you suffer from joint pain and want lasting relief, contact us to see if PRP is right for you.