Orthopedic injuries and disorders can lead to chronic pain. Such injuries heal very slowly. A number of new treatments now offer a chance to live an active and pain free life. Many leading sports figures have benefitted from treatments like Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and stem cell/adipose stem cell treatments, which offer alternatives to surgery. Technological advancements have made it possible to use stromal vascular fraction tissues for treating orthopedic injuries.
Living with chronic pain
Chronic pain refers to a condition which lasts for longer than a month. Chronic pain can be caused by injuries, sports injuries, falls, and sprains. It can affect the shoulders, back, knees, legs, arms and specially upper arms. As many as 100 million people in the U.S. suffer from some kind of chronic pain. According to a study by Gallup-Healthways, nearly one third or 31% of adults in the U.S. have chronic neck or back pain; while a quarter or 26% have a leg or knee condition; and nearly one in five or 18% have chronic pain due to some other condition.
Sports injuries like tennis elbow and tendonitis, which stem from musculoskeletal pain, require drastic modification of activity and can interrupt a player’s career. Until recently, chronic pain was treated with painkillers and anti inflammatory drugs, which produce undesirable side effects after prolonged use. However new technologies have made possible non-invasive treatments like PRP and stem cell treatments, which show remarkable benefits.
How can PRP and stem cell treatments help in cases of chronic pain?
PRP and stem cell treatments are used to repair orthopedic injuries by promoting the healing of tissue. This is otherwise a very slow process, since tissue and specially muscle tissue takes a very long time to build up. For example tennis elbow can take from six months to four years to heal, if things are allowed to take their natural course.
PRP and stem cell treatments which use stem cells derived from stromal vascular fraction or adipose tissue can help in the treatment of chronic pain by reducing the amount of time if takes to heal and build up muscle tissue.
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