Did you know that there are certain therapies that can allow you to heal without painful and debilitating joint replacement surgeries? Stem cell therapy and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy are both viable alternatives that offer a treatment to heal worn and damaged joints without an invasive surgery.
Carl Gittens, MD Regenerative Clinic is the number one choice for regenerative medicine serving South Florida and surrounding areas. As a medical professional specializing in regenerative medicine, including stem cell therapy and plasma rich platelet therapy, my mission is to provide relief to patients suffering from knee, hip, and shoulder pain or discomfort.
Stem cell and platelet rich plasma therapy are two different, non-surgical treatments, that harness the natural healing powers of your own body in order to stimulate natural repair responses.
Stem cells are unique cells in the body that can mimic any other kind of cell, perfect for repairing worn or damaged tissues. They can also produce growth factors and other healing compounds that can further promote regeneration of worn or damaged tissues. The procedure is very simple. In my clinic, I used ultrasound technology to pinpoint the exact place where the joint is damaged. Then, I inject the damaged joints with liquid taken from umbilical cord tissue, which is high in stem cells.
After a few weeks, a patient will begin to feel improvement, which will continue to get gradually better over a period of six months.
Platelet rich plasma is created by taking a blood sample from your own body and concentrating the platelets, which are a key component of your blood. Platelets are key to initiate wound healing in the body, and therefore contain rich concentrations of multiple types of growth factors. Once activated at the wound site, platelets release chemical signals that activate fibrin-platelet clots and draw white blood cells to the wound site in order to clear out damaged, dead, or pathogenic cells. In regenerative medicine, when these platelets are injected into a joint, their potent healing abilities are concentrated therefore providing effective relief from the cause of the joint pain and dysfunction.
While both are non-surgical regenerative therapies that aim to reduce chronic pain, expedite healing of injuries or diseases that affect the joints, and improve overall mobility and quality of life, the mechanisms behind platelet rich plasma therapy and stem cell therapy are different.
These exciting new therapies provide a new, non-surgical approach to treatment by harnessing the natural healing powers of your own body. Before choosing invasive procedures or surgery, it is important to understand all of your different options. That’s why I offer free medical consultations at my regenerative clinic in South Florida for patients who want to see whether stem cell therapy or platelet rich plasma therapy can work for them.
