Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain each year which often leads to a decline in their ability to perform simple, everyday tasks. For many chronic pain sufferers, the only treatment available has been managing the symptoms, unfortunately that means masking the pain with prescription medications which can have some pretty unpleasant additional side effects.
The good news for those who live with chronic pain is that science and technology has been making incredible strides in recent years with new and effective solutions in the field of regenerative medicine and more specifically Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections.
What Causes Chronic Pain?
In order to understand how the treatment is effective, we must first understand the illness. Chronic pain typically manifests from a recent illness or injury. Trauma or misalignment in the body can trigger the nervous system to communicate to the brain that there is an area that requires healing.
In most cases, over time, the body can heal itself and the pain eases, however, when nerve damage occurs in addition, pain can persist longer term leading to a dull, aching sensation known as chronic pain. While any part of the body can be susceptible to chronic pain, it is the mental and emotional effects that can contribute to additional health risks.
Stress and fatigue that often accompanies chronic pain can make it hard for some people to get the rest they need for their cells to repair, this can lead to a weakened immune system making them more vulnerable to other illnesses. Fortunately, PRP injections can help put an end to this cycle.
How PRP Works
PRP injections are a high concentration of platelets derived from a patient’s own blood. A serum is created from a small blood sample taken in the office. This serum is rich in growth factors and cytokines which are crucial healing elements that the body naturally produces to help stimulate repair of damaged tissue and organs.
The serum is reintroduced back into the body through injection, allowing a faster absorption time into the bloodstream. PRP injections can repair nerve damage, helping alleviate chronic pain at its source with little to no risk of additional side effects or downtime unlike other treatments or medications.
PRP injections have proven to be extremely successful for patients who suffer from many kinds of chronic pain including:
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendonitis
- Sciatica
- Fibromyalgia
- Herniated discs
- Pinched nerve
- Other joint pain
If you are or have been dealing with chronic pain and have tried seemingly all other treatments available but with little real success, PRP injections may be able to offer you the real relief you have been looking for.