Chronic pain is something that has the potential to affect your life in every way. Whether you've suffered an injury or have a chronic condition like arthritis, the pain gets in the form of your normal day-to-day activities.
Luckily, plenty of helpful treatment options are available for pain in your joints and spine. Two of the most successful injections for joint pain are steroid injections and regenerative medicine injections.
When you're tired of dealing with pain, Dr. Shachi Patel and the team at Delmarva Pain and Spine Center have cutting-edge treatments to ease your discomfort. Dr. Patel offers several steroid injections, along with PRP and stem cells, for long-term relief.
Steroid injections are shots that contain a type of powerful anti-inflammatory medication. These medications are often referred to as corticosteroids and help to reduce inflammation in a specific area of your body.
The steroids Dr. Patel uses in the injections are artificially made corticosteroids that closely resemble cortisol, a hormone your body naturally produces. They reduce your immune system activity, which also helps decrease your inflammatory response.
Dr. Patel uses steroid injections for various conditions such as arthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis in your hips, knees, and spine.
Regenerative medicine is a cutting-edge treatment Dr. Patel uses for various injuries and chronic pain conditions. She offers stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma injections, also known as PRP.
Dr. Patel utilizes both treatments to help you heal from the inside out, using your body's cells to harness your natural healing process.
PRP is a regenerative medicine treatment that utilizes your body's platelets to speed up recovery after surgery and rebuild tissues after an injury. Your platelets contain potent growth factors that trigger a healing response from your body.
Stem cells are similar to PRP because they trigger cell regeneration using your body's primary cells. Your stem cells can become any cell your body needs to repair itself.
For example, suppose you have a cartilage injury. In that case, your stem cells rush to the area after your injection to repair the damage.
The main difference between steroid injections and regenerative medicine is what's actually in the treatments.
Steroid injections contain potent corticosteroids, manufactured medications that decrease your body's inflammatory response. While these drugs do eliminate pain and discomfort, they don't heal the damage in your body.
Regenerative medicine, on the other hand, uses cells from your body to decrease your pain over time. Stem cells and platelets repair tissue damage from the inside out, relieving pain and healing an injury or surgical site.
Steroid injections are a quicker pain relief option, as they immediately decrease inflammation. You should feel less pain within a week after the injection.
Regenerative medicine takes a bit longer for noticeable results, as it takes time for your cells to repair the damage. It may be months until you feel a significant difference. Still, the pain relief is more permanent, as these injections treat the actual problem causing your pain.
If you're suffering from joint pain and need long-term relief, call our office today to schedule a consultation. You can also book an appointment with Dr. Patel on the website.
