Minimally Invasive Treatments to Help You Heal
Whether you play a sport, or strive to stay physically fit, being an athlete can truly make you feel invincible and on top of the world. No matter how much a good workout may empower you, the truth of the matter is that sports injuries are inevitable at every athletic skill level and phase of life, and you will most likely be subject to an injury at some point in time. Nevertheless, even though sports injuries are common, it doesn’t make them any less difficult to deal with. The recovery process can be long and frustrating, especially to an athlete who wants to get back to their physically active lifestyle as quickly as possible: you don’t want to lose out on your fitness “gains!” Luckily, there are many treatment methods for sports injuries including physical therapy, good old fashioned rest, and alternative, minimally invasive techniques like regenerative medicine that can help you get back on your feet.
What is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine hones in on the body’s ability to heal itself by utilizing human cells and tissue to repair a variety of sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions. For sports injuries in particular, regenerative medicine can reduce pain, improve function, and get you back on the field or court as soon as possible. Regenerative medicine comes in many forms, including cellular therapy and tissue engineering.
Cellular Therapy
Cellular therapy, which includes PRP and stem cell therapy, is the process of healing injuries by injecting live human cells into the injury site and jump-starting the body’s self-healing process. Cells are harvested from the patient’s fat, blood or bone marrow, and injected into the affected area. Cellular therapy can be used to treat many conditions and sports injuries including tendinopathy.
Tissue Engineering
A technique often used in sports medicine to treat cartilage injuries, tissue engineering improves, repairs, or replaces damaged tissue cells with natural tissue, man-made tissue, or a combination of the two.
Regenerative Techniques within Sports Medicine
The purpose of utilizing regenerative medicine treatments for sports injuries is to reduce pain, amplify natural healing, and encourage new growth of damaged tendons, ligaments, or cartilage. For athletes who endure multiple injuries over a lifetime, regenerative medicine can be a great option. Regenerative procedures do not involve surgery and generally do not require a prolonged post-procedural recovery period. For the best results, regenerative medicine is used in conjunction with traditional treatments like physical therapy and rest to regain full strength and optimize the healing and recovery process.
Getting You Back in the Game
Our Sports & Spine team understands that suffering a sports injury can be extremely frustrating, and emotionally draining. We understand you are eager to get back into the game, recovery is never a “one size fits all” process, and it is important that your treatment options are tailored to your needs and satisfaction. Our Sports and Spine doctors are here to discuss a treatment plan that works best for you, your lifestyle, and your recovery goals as an athlete. Make an appointment today so we can get you feeling better and back into your normal routine as strong as ever.
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