Joint replacement surgery can provide symptom relief and increased mobility for many patients; however, the recovery can be very long and painful. From high costs to the question of how long the implant will actually last, there are many recovery challenges associated with joint replacement for knees, hips, and the like.
Regenerative medicine offers a possible alternative to that, allowing patients in early- to mid-stage joint degeneration to delay or even avoid joint replacement altogether.
Understanding Joint Paint
Whether caused by arthritis, injury, or general wear and tear, joint pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care as they age. Not only can joint discomfort interfere with mobility, it can affect your sleep, work, and quality of life. Many people opt for joint replacement surgery when the discomfort becomes unbearable, but this comes with a long, painful recovery. Good news is, it’s not the only option.
Advancements in regenerative medicine offer non-surgical treatments that can:
- Alleviate pain
- Reduce inflammation
- Promote tissue healing
- Possibly delay or avoid joint replacement surgery
Joint pain symptoms range from stiffness and swelling to decreased mobility and persistent pain that worsens with activity. After a while, conservative treatments such as physical therapy, NSAIDs, or corticosteroid injections may no longer provide pain relief, which is when doctors usually tell their patients to consider joint replacement.
Joint pain can arise from:
- Osteoarthritis
- Injuries to ligaments, tendons, or cartilage
- Inflammatory conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, etc.)
- Overuse or repetitive motion over time
There are alternatives to surgery that don’t have long and painful recovery times, and that don’t cause the potential for opioid reliance.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: Harnessing the Body’s Healing Power
With a goal of harnessing the blood’s own healing power, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy concentrates platelets from the body’s own blood sample. That solution is then injected directly into the affected joint, where growth factors and signaling proteins can do their job of stimulating tissue repair and reducing inflammation.
- One study showed that after PRP, 88 percent of patients hadn’t undergone surgery five years later at the follow-up.
- According to the Arthritis Foundation, one study said PRP was a favorable therapy for mild to moderate osteoarthritis as compared with hyaluronic acid and corticosteroid injections.
Because it uses your own blood, PRP is considered a safe, effective, non-surgical alternative for joint pain and for postponing surgery. This innovative approach uses the healing components of your own blood to:
- Reduce inflammation in the joint lining
- Improve joint lubrication and mobility
- Stimulate the repair of soft tissues such as cartilage and tendons
- Delay structural degeneration in osteoarthritis
When is Joint Replacement Unavoidable?
Sometimes, despite the promise of regenerative medicine offering relief and restoring function, joint replacement is necessary—particularly in advanced arthritis stages. This is when the cartilage is completely worn away and the bones start to grind together. However, regenerative medicine still has a place in pre- or post-surgical recovery to reduce complications and improve long-term outcomes.
Contact the Regenerative Medicine Institute
If you have joint pain but want to avoid surgery as long as possible, let’s talk about PRP. To schedule a consultation in our Dearborn, Farmington Hills, or Sterling Heights clinics, contact us today at (248) 771-1300.
By Regenerative Medicine Institute of Michigan
Board-certified Doctors – Aaron Greenberg, DO and Eduardo José Otero Loperena, MD