Regenexx-Patented Procedures: Enhanced, Alternative Treatments for Chronic Pain

Taking a Step Away from Prescription Pain-Killers

It has become normalized in today’s culture to first consider medication the moment pain is experienced. It is usually acceptable to treat an initial onset of acute pain with over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Aspirin; however, immediately turning to controlled prescription medications for pain can very easily and very quickly become a slippery slope for many. For severe pain, chronic pain, and post-surgical pain, opioids sit on the more extreme end of the spectrum for medications that effectively suppress this pain.

With maximum strength relief, however, comes more severe side effects and high chances of addiction. A general consensus has been reached that many strong opioids and other controlled substances must not be accessible to the general public unless prescribed by an informed doctor. The opioid crisis in the United States is an unfortunate representation of the medical system’s history of reliance on the analgesic (pain relieving) properties of opioids. Though these medications may sometimes be the only realistic treatment option for certain types of pain, there are numerous alternatives to opioids that are less often considered and may provide similar pain relief and restored function in the short-term or long-term.

Taking a Step Towards Regenexx-Patented Regenerative Medicine Treatments

The more commonly known examples of non-surgical treatments for musculoskeletal pain include acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractic medicine, and interventional pain management. Less commonly known examples often fall under the umbrella of regenerative medicine, characterized by healing sourced from within a patient’s body and most often utilizing their blood or stem cells. Regenerative medicine treatments for chronic pain come with minimal risk, minimal side effects, and offer the potential for healing at the pain’s source.

At the end of the day, pain is extremely unpleasant and opioid medications represent a known route to immediate relief; however, this relief is only available in the short-term. Here at Ospina, we strive to help you with your long-term pain relief. Bypassing today’s standard of treatment with opioids, our trained and certified Anesthesiologists offer a number of treatments and procedures for your chronic musculoskeletal pain relief. Let’s dive into the interventional treatments and Regenexx-patented regenerative medicine procedures that we may be able to provide for you.

Ospina’s Interventional Treatments for Musculoskeletal Pain:  

• Nerve Blocks (for assorted nerve pain)  
• Radio-frequency Ablation, RFA (for assorted nerve pain)  
• Gel Injections (for chronic joint pain)  
• Botox Injections (for migraines/headaches)  
• Trigger Point Injections (for chronic muscular pain and migraines/headaches)  
• Epidural Steroid Injections (for neck and upper, middle, and lower back pain)  
• Minimally Invasive Spinal Cord Stimulator Trials (for assorted nerve pain)

Ospina’s Regenexx-Patented Regenerative Medicine Treatments for Musculoskeletal Pain:

Patients with considerable damage to musculoskeletal tissues are often confronted with a choice between a life of chronic pain or the risks and recoveries associated with invasive surgery. Regenexx prolotherapy , platelet-rich plasma injections, and stem cell injections, in particular) may offer certain qualifying patients a third, much more appealing option towards healing their muscles, ligaments, joints, or tendons. Ospina’s partnership with Regenexx allows us to open this third door for many by delivering some of the most enhanced and refined applications of standard regenerative medicine for chronic pain  treatments. Two of these treatments, in particular, include Regenexx Protein Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections and Regenexx Stem Cell Injections.     

• Regenexx-Patented Protein Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections begin with our medical team collecting a predetermined volume of blood from a patient’s arm. This sample is then processed in our laboratory by our Regenexx-certified laboratory technician. The utilization of volumetric calculations and assorted separation and isolation techniques yield various vials of your concentrated platelets. These platelets are essential in regrowth and healing. Our on-staff anesthesiologists then inject these into the target tissues to promote continued healing and regeneration. What makes the Regenexx PRP injection special is based on our patented procedures that super-concentrate the platelets in the blood up to nearly 30x their normal blood concentration. Standard PRP injections usually only accomplish a concentration around 5x the normal blood concentration. With this enhanced range, we can deliver predetermined concentrations of platelets to each damaged tissue based on their respective needs.    
• Regenexx-Patented Stem Cell Injections begin with our doctors collecting bone marrow from a patient’s pelvic bone (in particular, the left and right iliac crests) during a minimally invasive procedure. The extracted bone marrow concentrate contains stem cells, which are unspecialized cells that can be injected to a damaged tissue. Once stem cells have been injected and have adapted to the surrounding damaged-tissue environment, they can then specialize into the target cell type and, essentially, fill-in any gaps. This sample is processed similarly to PRP in our laboratory, with some added steps. Immediately following preparation and isolation, our doctors are ready to inject the stem cells into the target tissues to promote continued healing and regeneration. The Regenexx stem cell injection is unique from the standard stem cell injection for the same reasons as PRP; in other words, the concentration yield is considerably higher and offers a more flexible, enhanced range for us to deliver concentrations that will most effectively benefit each tissue receiving treatment.
  

Book an initial consultation with Dr. Matthew Kohler or Dr. Raj Maniam to discuss if either option is right for you! Ospina Medical may be able to help you get started on your journey to pain relief.

Author: Camden Rowe