What do you do when your body hurts? If you’re like most, you probably turn to your medicine cabinet, which, at best, offers temporary relief. Prescription medication is an option, but you run the risk of dependency, and surgery is an extreme you’d rather avoid if possible. If you’re in pain, and it seems like you’ve run out of choices, take heart.
At the West Texas Pain Institute in El Paso, Texas, Dr. Raul Lopez and our team offer a better way to manage pain.
Here, we dive deeper into one of our most popular and effective pain management treatments, regenerative medicine, and show you a few ways you can benefit.
Regenerative medicine refers to treatments that use growth factors found in your body to tap into its natural healing process and rebuild and repair tissue.
There are many types of regenerative medicine available; we offer platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. Popular among A-list athletes and celebrities alike, PRP injections harness the power of the growth and healing factors coursing through your own veins to provide lasting healing and symptom relief.
We begin by taking a sample of your blood and placing it into a machine called a centrifuge. This machine spins your blood, separating the platelets and plasma from the rest of your blood.
Platelets are the components of your blood responsible for blood clotting. They’re also rich in growth factors, which repair tissue and stimulate new cell growth. Once injected, the PRP stimulates your body’s healing process and rebuilds damaged tissue.
PRP injections are a versatile treatment, but they’re not for everyone. Dr. Lopez recommends them to address conditions including:
But we know the promise of pain relief isn’t always enough when you’re considering alternative treatment. These are our top four ways we believe you can benefit from regenerative medicine.
Approximately 21-29% of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them, 8-12% develop an opioid disorder, and another 4-6% transition to other drugs, including heroin. These numbers tell a story of a health care system in turmoil, and we want to be a part of the solution, not the problem.
Though there are circumstances where prescription medications are a key component of pain management, we know that’s not the case for every patient.
Regenerative medicine doesn’t include potentially addictive prescription medication, which means you can relieve your symptoms without sacrificing your other health and wellness goals.
The answer to pain is hardly ever a standalone treatment. Often, we recommend other therapies, including physical therapy, massage, and hot and cold treatments. Regenerative medicine gives you the freedom to explore and engage fully in other pain management methods while supporting your body from within.
Many traditional approaches to pain management simply mask symptoms, but regenerative medicine seeks to address the underlying condition by helping your body heal. This is especially good news for athletes and individuals who lead active lifestyles and want to recover quickly from injuries.
Are you worried that your chance at a pain-free life stands on the edge of a scalpel? You don’t have to be anymore. With a simple injection, you can begin to feel less pain in a fraction of the time surgery requires.
If you’d like to see if you’re a candidate for regenerative medicine, or if you’d simply like more information, request an appointment online or over the phone today.
