You’ve tried to manage pain with creams and cold compresses — why not give science a chance? We’re not talking about radical new treatments or even invasive surgeries. We’re talking about minimally invasive treatments rooted in biology.
Regenerative medicine has proven time and again to be an effective weapon against pain, yet many patients don’t know about it, and few doctors specialize in it.
But we do.
At the West Texas Pain Institute, Dr. Raul Lopez and our team are proud to offer our patients every option to help them manage their pain, especially those like regenerative medicine that are cost-effective, fast-acting, and natural.
Here, we discuss two of the most popular types of regenerative medicine, so you know what to expect.
If you’ve heard of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) before, it’s likely because Tiger Woods and his friends rave about its ability to help them recover from injuries faster. Here’s how it works.
PRP comes from a sample of your own blood. We turn to your blood to help with pain conditions because coursing through veins are some of the world’s most powerful healers: platelets.
Anytime you sustain an injury, platelets arrive on the scene to begin damage control, including blood clotting and cellular repair. It’s often the case with chronic pain that your body simply becomes overwhelmed and fails to heal itself — all it needs is a little help to reboot the process.
We use a centrifuge to isolate the platelets from the rest of your blood, creating a super-concentrated serum.
Then, we inject the PRP back into the damaged, painful areas of your body. The platelets release potent growth factors that awaken your body’s ability to reduce inflammation, heal itself, and relieve pain.
Because PRP therapy is minimally invasive and natural, you’re able to keep up or finally begin physical therapy, massage therapy, and other treatments to improve your pain further.
Both types of regenerative medicine call upon healing and growth factors found in the body, but stem cell therapy turns to “blank canvas” cells instead of platelets.
Your body is constantly making new cells, meaning you have a reserve of “blank” cells called stem cells. Stem cells can transform into virtually any type of cell your body needs.
We harvest stem cells from your body or a donor before injecting them into the painful areas. The stem cells go to a laboratory where they’re “turned on” and prepared to morph into what your body needs.
The injected stem cells gradually accelerate healing and repair tissue damage from the inside out, relieving pain and symptoms.
Many are eligible for regenerative medicine because there’s minimal risk of side effects or adverse reactions, and virtually no downtime or recovery is required.
We can use regenerative medicine to address a wide range of pain conditions, as well, including:
There are cases where the source of your pain is so severe we have no choice but to discuss your surgical options, but the good news is, you can come back to us for regenerative medicine to help you recover faster from your procedure.
It’s also worth noting that PRP and stem cell therapy complement each other, and we often recommend you receive both types to address your pain from as many angles as possible.
If you’re still curious about regenerative medicine, schedule a consultation with our expert. Call or click to make an appointment at our El Paso, Texas, office today.
