As you become older, you might develop arthritis and other health conditions that cause you to experience joint pain. This discomfort can prevent you from going on walks, working, caring for your children, and performing other daily activities. Fortunately, you can obtain joint pain relief by receiving PRP injections from Phoenix Regenerative Medicine in Tempe, Arizona.
How Can PRP Injections Help With Joint Pain Relief?
It’s very common to have difficulty addressing joint pain on your own. At Phoenix Regenerative Medicine, we can use PRP injections to help you improve this frustrating health condition. PRP is a term that is used to describe platelet-rich plasma. We can relieve your joint pain and other symptoms by injecting this substance into your affected joint. This healing substance will transmit platelets into your injured area.
These platelets will send out growth factors that will stimulate your natural healing ability and improve the condition of your damaged joint. As your joint begins to heal, your discomfort, mobility issues, and other problems are likely to improve. For example, you might have an easier time going on walks, doing chores around your house, and completing other physical tasks.
What Are the Symptoms of Joint Problems?
Joint problems can cause you to experience many frustrating physical symptoms. You might notice a grating sensation when you use your injured joint, and you may feel discomfort when you begin walking in the mornings.
As your problems become worse, you might struggle to straighten or bend your affected joint. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should obtain joint pain relief by visiting our office. We can analyze your affected joint and recommend PRP injections, viscosupplementation, and other treatments for you.
What Health Conditions Can PRP Treatments Address?
We can use PRP treatments to address discomfort that is associated with many different types of joint problems and health conditions.
Treating Knee Osteoarthritis
We may use PRP injections to address mobility problems and pain that are associated with knee osteoarthritis. This condition develops when the cartilage that cushions the joints in your knees becomes damaged. This issue can cause you to have mobility problems, develop bone spurs, and experience other unpleasant symptoms.
Addressing Back Pain and Disc Issues
Disc issues and chronic back pain can be very difficult to fix on your own. Receiving an invasive procedure to improve your back issues can be a very unpleasant and uncomfortable experience.
If you use this option to address your back pain, you might have to spend three months recovering from your procedure. In contrast, receiving PRP treatments can be a good way to address these health conditions in a minimally invasive manner.
Addressing Other Health Issues
In addition to addressing back pain, we can use PRP treatments to improve ligament sprains, tendonitis, and soft tissue injuries. We can also address injuries that you developed when you were playing sports, including tennis elbow, rotator cuff tears, and ACL injuries. Further, receiving PRP treatments can be a good way to improve repetitive motion injuries and muscle tears.
How Can I Diagnose My Joint Problems?
If you are experiencing discomfort that is interfering with your ability to exercise and complete your activities, you should seek medical help for this issue. Your healthcare provider can use a wide variety of non-invasive and minimally invasive methods to diagnose your joint problems. For example, if you are experiencing knee issues, your healthcare provider may use X-rays to diagnose osteoarthritis, bone spurs, and other problems.
Similarly, your healthcare provider may use an MRI to examine the cartilage in your affected joints. If your provider believes that you are experiencing an infection, they might use a blood test to diagnose this health issue.
What Will Happen During My PRP Treatment?
Receiving a PRP treatment is a straightforward process that we will complete at our office in Tempe. Your treatment will probably take about one hour to complete.
Preparing for Your Treatment
To increase the effectiveness of your treatment, you should avoid smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol for several days before your appointment. During this time, you should try to eat a balanced diet. Following a healthy lifestyle may improve the condition of your platelets and enhance the results of your treatment.
Drawing Your Blood
On the day of your appointment, we will draw a small quantity of blood from one of your arms. We use a centrifuge to rapidly spin your blood. Spinning your blood will allow us to isolate the platelets and plasma from the other materials in your blood.
Administering Your PRP Injections
We will carefully inject the PRP substance into your injured joint or other target areas. This part of your treatment will probably take less than 10 minutes to finish, and you will feel relaxed as we use this healing substance to improve the condition of your joints.
When Will My Joint Pain Begin to Improve?
Although you will have a unique response to your injections, this treatment is usually a good way to quickly obtain joint pain relief. In general, you will begin to see improvements after about two to six weeks have passed. If you have fairly minor joint issues, your symptoms will probably decrease within about 14 days. If you have a more significant joint issue, you are likely to begin to improve after about 30 days have passed.
As you begin to follow an exercise plan or receive physical therapy, your symptoms should continue to decrease. It’s normal for this process to last for several months. As your joint becomes stronger, we may instruct you to receive a follow-up PRP injection.
Who Is an Ideal Candidate for PRP Treatments?
If you have a joint issue, muscle tear, or another injury that is causing you to experience discomfort, you will probably be a good candidate for PRP treatments. This treatment can be a good way to relieve your joint pain and other symptoms without receiving an invasive procedure. Since this treatment will not require you to use general anesthesia or receive stitches, you will probably be able to receive PRP treatments.
That said, some health issues may prevent you from using this minimally invasive technique to address your joint problems. For example, if you have liver issues, we might not be able to obtain high-quality platelets from your blood. Further, you might not be able to use this treatment if you have a blood disorder.
Can I Use Other Techniques to Relieve My Discomfort?
In addition to providing you with PRP treatments, we may instruct you to receive physical therapy, adjust your diet, and use other techniques to manage your negative symptoms.
Receiving Physical Therapy Sessions
Receiving physical therapy from a qualified professional can be an excellent way to improve your mobility and minimize your discomfort. When you begin your treatment, your therapist will probably show you exercises that can strengthen your affected joint and improve your range of motion. Further, your therapist might massage your affected areas and adjust your joints.
During your treatment plan, your therapist may instruct you to use compression garments or specialized braces to improve the condition of your joints. Further, you might need to complete exercises on your own. Following all of your physical therapist’s instructions can be a good way to minimize stiffness, relieve your pain, and enhance the effectiveness of your PRP treatments.
Using Medications
Certain medications may help you manage your joint pain and improve your ability to exercise and work. For example, acetaminophen and ibuprofen may decrease your discomfort and enhance your wellbeing. During your initial meeting at our office in Tempe, we can give you more details about using medication to manage your symptoms.
Following a Regular Exercise Program
Adopting a low-impact exercise routine can be a good way to improve the condition of your muscles, enhance your flexibility, and minimize stiffness. For example, regularly cycling may allow you to improve your fitness without damaging the joints in your knees. Similarly, swimming laps or taking yoga classes may enhance your health without putting extra stress on your weakened joints.
Using Hot Compresses and Ice Packs
Under some circumstances, we may advise you to place ice packs over your affected joints. This cold therapy may decrease your swelling and improve your inflammation. Similarly, applying a hot compress onto your affected area can soothe your muscles and minimize your joint pain.
Adjusting Your Dietary Habits
Eating certain foods may cause your discomfort and other symptoms to become more severe. For example, you might have more significant inflammation if you consume large amounts of sugar or eat refined carbohydrates. Decreasing your consumption of these foods may relieve your negative symptoms.
Adjusting the Position of Your Legs
If you have arthritis or other joint issues that affect your knees, you might be able to relieve your symptoms by keeping your legs elevated. We may instruct you to elevate your legs for up to 30 minutes twice every day. As you continue to elevate your legs, your inflammation may improve, and your joint pain could become less severe.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you gain a large amount of extra weight, you will put additional stress on your knees and other joints. This extra pressure may increase your mobility challenges and other physical issues. Maintaining a healthy weight will decrease this unnecessary stress.
Receiving a Viscosupplementation Treatment
Viscosupplementation is a minimally invasive treatment that can improve osteoarthritis in your knees. We will start this treatment by carefully cleaning your target area. If you have swelling issues, we might eliminate some of the unnecessary fluid in this location. Next, we will address your pain and other symptoms by administering hyaluronic acid into your joints.
This treatment can be used to enhance your flexibility, improve your mobility, and reduce your joint pain. After your appointment is finished, you might need to apply ice onto your affected joint. Although you won’t be required to take time away from your work or childcare duties, you will need to avoid standing for extended periods of time, lifting weights, and doing other difficult physical activities while you are adjusting to your hyaluronic acid injection.
Improve Your Joint Pain
Joint pain can be very difficult to manage with medications and lifestyle changes. If you would like to decrease your discomfort and improve your mobility, you should think about using PRP injections to obtain joint pain relief. To learn more about this minimally invasive treatment, you should contact us at Phoenix Regenerative Medicine in Tempe, Arizona to arrange an initial meeting.
