Injuries happen to almost everyone, but for some they can be far worse. For those with chronic pain, arthritis and many other different conditions, it can mean a lifetime of discomfort. While many of those symptoms can be treated conservatively, it’s often with invasive surgery or only partially effective treatments like cortisone injections. Regenerative medicine offers an effective alternative to invasive surgery, while achieving good lasting results. Dynamic Osteopaths and Regenerative Medicine offers these treatments in Birmingham and Solihull. What is regenerative medicine? A form of medicine that involves using the regenerative properties of the human body to help repair injuries or chronic conditions over a period of time. What conditions can it treat? Cartilage injuries, tendon injuries, arthritic conditions. Research has been showing great clinical outcomes. The arthritic conditions are really the ones that if patients aren’t at the end stage of the arthritic condition, will frequently see benefits. Who is the ideal candidate? The ideal candidate is a young healthy patient, but if you’re someone who’s in their later years and your still taking care of yourself - you can also be a candidate. What’s the difference between PRP and stem cell treatment? Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) will use specific factors which will signal to help with the regenerative processes. Stem cells are cells that are resting around adipose tissue and are concentrated in bone marrow. There are different types of stem cells that can, with signals, help aid the healing process. When we take the bone marrow, concentrate it, and re-inject it into sites of injury, the stem cell can effect change. However, this is an invasive expensive procedure. What’s the process for treatment? With PRP procedure, we would draw a small amount of blood, concentrate it, and then we would re-inject it to the area of injury. How soon do patients see results? In the vast majority of patients, you’ll see no immediate response. I do see some people who have significant results over a couple of weeks. The average person would expect to see results about three to six months after the procedure. It may be up to a year. What’s the benefit over surgery? The major difference is that once something is surgically repaired, it’s cut open. You’re not going back from that, whether it’s a minor surgical procedure or major. Regenerative medicine is an alternative and an attempt to biologically repair. When you’re getting a surgical procedure, you’re relying on that surgeon, the surgical technique, the tools they’re using. The difference is we’re not cutting you open; we’re doing procedures that are advanced but they’re minimally invasive and we’re using the body to heal itself.In addition, during a surgical repair, what is left over is scar tissue and this in itself can lead to dysfunction and problems. If your condition is too far gone and too far advanced, it may not respond to regenerative repair and then the only alternative is surgical repair. What about cortisone injections? The big difference between regenerative medicine and some of the other therapies out there with regards to cortisone injections is that Cortizone injections are generally short lived and over a period of time, cortisone injections have a number of side effects and we have to limit the number of injections—as helpful as they can be, they can also be harmful. If someone’s getting a lot of steroid injections into their knees or into their back they may actually be accelerating the degenerative process. Regenerative medicine injections, on the otherhand can help slow down this process and speed up healing. This being said, they can be advantageous with very acute pain and flares. Whereas, regenerative medicine like platelet rich plasma our long-term treatments as opposed to only be beneficial in the short term. Feel free to get in touch and contact us to find out further information and if you may be a candidate for regenerative treatments. www.dynamicosteopaths.com We are practising Specialist osteopaths out of Birmingham, Solihull and Henley in Arden, Warwickshire. (01564) 330773