Joint pain happens for various reasons, including osteoarthritis and injuries. No matter what's causing your pain, you must receive treatment to prevent further damage to your joints.
Regenerative medicine is just one of the many treatments Dr. Brandon Downs and the team at Orthopaedic Specialists offer at their Nashville, Tennessee office. Dr. Downs provides you with either PRP therapy or BMC therapy to decrease pain and restore joint function.
Bone marrow concentrate, or BMC, is a form of regenerative medicine that contains stem cells. Dr. Downs harvests the stem cells from the bone marrow in your hip joint.
Stem cells are a revolutionary treatment because they can make new cells that can turn into any tissue your body needs. For example, new stem cells can replicate into tissues like tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.
Dr. Downs takes a small amount of bone marrow from your hip in a short procedure. He then injects the stem cells in the bone marrow into your body where you have an injury or degeneration.
The stem cells immediately begin to work, rebuilding the damaged tissues. If you have osteoarthritis, tendon injuries, or cartilage tears, Dr. Downs can help you with BMC therapy.
PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, is a form of regenerative medicine. A PRP injection contains platelets and plasma that our team gets from blood drawn from your arm.
Platelets are one of the main components in your blood, along with red blood cells and white blood cells. Your platelets play a crucial role in the clotting cascade in your body.
When you have a cut or are bleeding, your platelets rush to the scene and begin clumping together. When the platelets clump together, they form a clot, which stops the area from bleeding.
Along with their clotting capabilities, platelets also contain potent growth proteins. When they rush to an area of bleeding or injury, these growth proteins activate and begin healing the tissues in the area of need.
Dr. Downs injects PRP into your injury to ensure you get the best results. Before the injection, he spins down your blood in a centrifuge to separate the platelets and plasma from the other components. The centrifuge multiplies your platelets during this process for a more potent result.
The reality is both BMC therapy and PRP therapy are effective for joint pain. Dr. Downs thoroughly evaluates the painful joint to determine what treatment suits you.
If you have osteoarthritis, PRP and BMC therapy help relieve your pain and regenerate tissues in your joints. Dr. Downs recommends regenerative medicine if you've tried other conservative measures without relief.
If your joint pain is causing you to have inflammation and swelling, Dr. Downs recommends BMC therapy over PRP. After he injects the stem cells, they replicate and turn into the cells your joint needs. During this process, the stem cells alleviate painful inflammation within your body.
Dr. Downs may recommend PRP therapy if you have an injury that's not healing as quickly as it should. The platelets help to speed up the healing process and can help you avoid joint surgery while you heal.
Both types of therapy are helpful for joint pain. Dr. Downs discusses your condition and determines which is best for your specific problem and expectations.
If joint pain disrupts your life, don't hesitate to call the Orthopaedic Specialists team today or request an appointment online at one of our convenient locations in Nashville, Tennessee.
