What Is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine is an advanced and emerging field of medicine focused on treatments that stimulate the body’s own natural healing and repair mechanisms. The body is an incredible machine, with well-developed systems in place to close wounds, mend broken bones and torn tissues, and shut out infections, but sometimes it needs a little help. Regenerative medicine treatment techniques vary, but they’re all focused on giving your body the “kick start” it needs to heal.
Benefits of Regenerative Medicine for Foot and Ankle Injuries
There are many significant benefits to using regenerative medicine techniques for foot and ankle injuries and pain.
- Regenerative medicine techniques have proven extremely effective at treating stubborn, chronic musculoskeletal pain and inflammatory conditions. In many cases, regenerative medicine is able to heal long-standing injuries that otherwise would have required surgery to treat properly.
- When incorporated as part of treatment for acute injuries, regenerative techniques can significantly reduce healing and rehabilitation time. This makes it ideal for athletes, active individuals, and others who can’t afford to stay off their feet for long.
- Treatments are non-invasive or use injections, rather than surgery.
Conditions that can be successfully treated with regenerative medicine include, but are by no means limited to:
- Heel pain
- Achilles tendinitis
- Ankle sprains
- Muscle tears
- Bone fractures
- Shin splints
- Neuromas
- Arthritis
Regenerative Medicine at Northwest Extremity Specialists
Regenerative treatment options available from our specialists include:
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy. Alongside fluid (plasma) and red and white blood cells, blood also contains tiny particles called platelets. These platelets are packed with growth factors and other proteins that play a critical role in tissue healing. During the PRP procedure, a sample of your blood is drawn and then spun in a centrifuge to remove the red blood cells. The platelets are mixed back into the plasma, creating a super-potent concentration. Finally, the platelet-rich plasma is injected into the injured area to stimulate accelerated healing.
- Amniotic Tissue Injections. The amniotic membrane is packed with a unique mix of nutrients, proteins, and stem cells in order to facilitate fetal growth. This also makes it ideal for catalyzing rapid tissue healing and repair when injected into injured tissue. Amniotic tissue used in the injections is sourced from live, willing, and healthy donors after live births—no fetal tissue is used. It is rigorously screened to ensure safety.
- Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Treatment (EPAT). In this therapy, pressure waves (or “shockwaves”) are gently delivered into your injured tissues through a hand-held applicator applied to the skin. This stimulates metabolism and circulation to accelerate healing. EPAT is highly effective for all types of musculosketal pain, particularly chronic injuries. It is safe and non-invasive, and sessions typically last only a few minutes. Full healing has been observed in as little as a few weeks.
At Northwest Extremity Specialists, our team of highly trained, board-certified physicians are committed to offering patients the best of what modern medicine has to offer. To schedule an appointment, please fill out a contact form online, or call our nearest office today.