Category Archives: Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

Dr. Raj & Stem Cell Therapy Innovation – LATF USA

For anyone who has had hip replacement surgery, Im sure they will agree that it is better to get hit by a bus than to undergo another one. Last year after several years of suffering, I decided to take the leap and go for the hip replacement that my specialist recommended. I was told that it was a common surgery and that it was the best solution for me. Between us; it was probably the most painful thing I have ever gone through. So much so, that at the time, I just wanted to die. Not only did the pain persist for several weeks after the operation, but I was on painkillers for days, which eventually added to my suffering. I had to use a walker for the first 2 weeks and then depended on a cane for over 2 months before I could walk on my own.

My entire demeanor changed, as well as the way I dealt with what once were minor things in life. I feared slipping in the shower, going down the stairs or walking my dogs. No one had prepared me for this. Ive had my share of surgeries including a double mastectomy when I was diagnosed with breast cancer but pain wise; this one was by far the worse. I was hoping after a very long recovery that I would never have to face this situation again. Unfortunately, a year later, I am starting to feel pain on the other side and dread the re-experience of my nightmare.

Although, I heard about Stem Cell, I did not know much about it. So I started to investigate for myself, speak to people, enquire about the procedure and look for a doctor in my area who specialized in Stem Cell. I was willing to do just about anything before considering another hip replacement. After extensive research, I came across Dr. Raj, a Double-Board Certified Orthopedic doctor in Beverly Hills, CA. Going to his website; I learned that he has been in private practice for 10 years. He has been named as one of Americas Top Orthopedists, been featured on the Best of LA and has received numerous other accolades and awards as one of the Top Orthopedic doctors. Providing the ultimate in state-of-the-art orthopedic care, Dr. Rajs practice is always on the cutting-edge of surgical and nonsurgical technologies, such as PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections, stem cell injections for tendinitis and arthritis, minimally invasive surgery and more.

He is Board Certified as a Medical Legal Specialist in America, as well as, Canada and Dubai (Trial, Testimony, Deposition, IME) with a Subspecialty in Hip and Knee Surgery in Los Angeles, including Sports Surgeries.

He is also an Undergraduate from Dalhousie University in Halifax and Canada. He pursued his medical education at Memorial University PGME, before doing his internship and residency in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Now that I had found Dr. Raj, all I needed was to get myself educated. So lets start by what are stem cells? This is what I read: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), commonly called stem cells, are precursor cells that havent decided yet what they are going to be in the body. They can differentiate into multiple forms including bone, cartilage, fat and other connective tissues. They play a significant role in the reparative processes throughout the human body.

Where do we find stem cells?

They may be harnessed from fat tissue, bone marrow, synovial tissue or umbilical cord tissue. While stem cell therapy is a promising technology, there is much we are still learning about the causes and pathways that lead to symptomatic osteoarthritis. We have not optimized the factors found in stem cell therapies. To be sure, only the good cells and growth factors are injected into a specific joint. And that is why further research is necessary before being approved by the FDA.

My next move would be to consult with Dr. Raj who would tell me the medical truth, beginning with this question:

What is the current state of Stem Cells and its success rate?

It's relatively new. It's been popular for about 20 years, internationally. In areas like Germany and Korea, it was utilized a lot more. It became popular here when athletes like Kobe Bryant started going to Germany for modified versions of PRP, which led on to regenerative technologies. We have a stigma correlating stem cells with abortions and issues like that. This in itself is completely different. We are not utilizing amniotic stem cells or placenta stem cells. We're utilizing your own stem cells. For issues such as a hip replacement, the most powerful stem cells are the ones in your body. Bone marrow stem cells work well on joints. Joints have zero blood supply. So, if God or the higher power created us where we had blood supply going through our joints, like a cut in our skin - we would constantly replenish or repair. A break in our bone would repair. If you get stem cells and you're in decent enough shape, you will heal no matter what because these stem cells will deposit. Will you heal straight? Probably not - that's where we come into play.

The reason why joints; hips, knees and shoulders degenerate is because there is no blood supply. So, if you have a cut or a loss of cartilage, it stays like that and accumulates overtime. The only way you can control it is externally. You get stronger, you lose weight and you increase your range of motion. But you can't control anything internally.

So regenerative technology is basically utilizing these cells to regenerate cartilage and repair. These are the same cells that flow through our body - and upon signal of an injury will heal skin to skin, bone to bone, tendon to tendon, muscle to muscle. Our joints are just an alcove of joint fluid and no blood supply. The whole concept is - throughout the years, we did steroid injections - they're like band aids. Basically they mask pain. What does masking pain do? It propagates injury. Because we put the band aid on, we don't feel it and we do more. We take this little cut or loss of cartilage and we make it even more over time.

Why is it that specialists do not recommend seeing a surgeon at a certain stage?

There are a lot of people who think one way and everyone is entitled to their own opinions. You can't change opinions.

Are people afraid of stem cells?

Some people are afraid because of stem cells causing cancer. But that's embryonic stem cells.

What is the process?

Bone marrow stem cells are the best because there is a higher chance of live stem cells. Less manipulation, meaning that - in a Mayo Clinic study 4 or 5 years ago, which has a two year follow through on people who are ready to get replacements for joint or knee - they had an 80% success rate where they didn't need it. I do replacements and I do stem cells.

How do you determine what's better for the patient?

My knowledge and years of experience. Also, my knowledge with fitness and being athletic myself. Understanding at a certain point, someone is mechanically compromised. Bone on bone is a term that's been used for years. There are a lot of people who think they are 'bone on bone." Coming from Canada, the US is notorious for doing unnecessary surgeries and replacements. It's the highest rate of replacements in the world. I do not like the term 'bone on bone' because a surgeon will look at an x-ray and say you're bone on bone because that's all they do: replacements. They become a 7-11 or 99 Cents store, lining up 21 people a day. That's not the right way to do things. You don't want to be one of those 21 people getting a replacement because you're not getting that surgeon's full attention. The reality is - you have a PA or an old plastic surgeon who's doing most of your surgery and there is more likelihood of issues. Amongst every specialty there is a lot of ignorance. The whole concept is - you preserve what you have for as long as you can. You have beauty on the outside; you need beauty on the inside too. What's beauty on the inside? Feeling good, you're less inflamed and your joints are healthy.

How does it work with a stem cell procedure?

I extract bone marrow from your pelvis. Take approximately 6 ccs. Under slight sedation, it takes about 5 minutes to take it. Then we separate it via an FDA approved technique. Per FDA, we cannot add anything to it, nor would I want to. We cannot harvest it because the longer it's outside of the body, the better it is. Basically, we then inject those pure cells right away into the joint. It's a four month process for an 80% of regeneration. So, it's not just reduction of inflammation, it's regeneration. It will be a year for a 100% effect. I've had probably about 20% of patients who have taken 6 months+. I've had over a 95% success rate with this technology.

Are you one of the only doctors doing this in LA?

I'm one of them. There are some family and pain management doctors who are doing it. I'm the only Orthopedic surgeon doing it. I'm sure different practitioners are starting to.

Dr. Raj and patient Paula Abdul

How often do you do the stem cell procedure?

You do it one time. It's a powerful injection and there are people Ihave 6 years out who are doing well.

Does it hurt after the fact?

No, not at all. You can walk and move. For example, with your hip - I would combine it with physical therapy to increase your range of motion. Once you have the anti-inflammatory effect, you have to take advantage of it. If you don't increase your range of motion - what happens is - you're walking on one nail vs. 100 nails. You want to dissipate the force over a greater area so that there's a higher chance of external success. Then you strengthen the muscles.

Are there people who are not good candidates for it?

Yes, when it's too far gone. Like I said, people are told they're bone on bone when they're not. They show you different views. It's a marketing gimmick. That person is lined up and ready to sell. Age is relative. There's physiologic age. It really depends on the person. Hypothetically, if you're an inflamed mess, a drinker and abusive to your body, then nothing is going to work. If you take care of yourself and you're motivated with the right protoplasm, then it's going to work.

What about the skeptics or the ones who think it's bad for you?

Don't get me wrong; amniotic stem cells are good for certain situations. Embryonic is bad. It means that it's too far gone. You want live stem cells in an area that does not have blood supply. The data is out there. How can you argue against a Mayo Clinic study with an 80% success rate? How can you argue against the hospitals for special surgery in New York that's doing it, or the Steadman Hawkins Clinic, I'm doing it. Top facilities in the world are doing it and a number of top athletes who are getting it done with success rates. Who's ignorant? Is it that one surgeon or everyone else?

Does insurance cover it?

No, not yet. Insurances are very backwards in terms of their understanding. They would rather cover a replacement.

Is it expensive?

If you break it down par and par and avoid a replacement, not really. On average, you're talking about $7,000, versus hospital, surgeon, facility fees+++,which can be about $25,000.

You're very progressive.

There are a lot of things that I do to try and reduce pain significantly.When I use screws, I use screws that are made out of calcium so they dissolve in your body. Some of my colleagues use tourniquet, I don't use one. I control bleeding and do it in less than an hour. The whole concept is, you don't have atourniquetsqueezing your leg and toxins causing significant pain.

And there you have it. Everything is a risk in life, we do not know if we will wake up tomorrow or if you will get hit by a car and so on so why not try this procedure. I believe that I am lucky enough to have met Dr. Raj. I have taken the decision to undergo the stem cells therapy FDA approved or not, anything before going under the knife one more time. Stay tuned, I will give you a report on the progress.

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Dr. Raj & Stem Cell Therapy Innovation - LATF USA

Joint Pain Injections Market By New Business Developments, And Top Companies | Allergan Plc, Pfizer, Sanofi – Healthcare News

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Major Players of the Global Joint Pain Injections Market 2019

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Sanofi, Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc, Flexion Therapeutics Inc, Seikagaku Corporation, Anika Therapeutics Inc, Bioventus LLC, Ferring B.V., Allergan Plc. and Pfizer Inc

Market Segmentation:

Segmentation by Injection type: Corticosteroid Injections, Hyaluronic Acid Injections, Others (include, Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), Placental tissue matrix (PTM), etc.). Segmentation by joint type: Knee & Ankle, Hip Joint, Shoulder & Elbow, Facet Joints of the Spine, Others (include, Ball and socket, etc.). Segmentation by end-user: Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies

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Joint Pain Injections Market By New Business Developments, And Top Companies | Allergan Plc, Pfizer, Sanofi - Healthcare News

PRP and IRAP: Where nature meets science in horse injury treatment – Horsetalk.co.nz – Horsetalk

Platelet Rich Plasma is injected into an injured area to encourage a morerobust healing response.Palm Beach Equine Clinic

As sport horses become faster and stronger, veterinary medicine is often challenged to break barriers to provide the best in diagnostic and maintenance care.

Two resources that have become increasingly popular to treat equine injuries are Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein (IRAP), which encourage regeneration of injured or degenerative tissue.

Managing joint diseases and injuries using these methods is ground-breaking, but logical at its core. They essentially use naturally occurring proteins, cells, and other natural processes originated from within the body of the horse to put the horses own biological mechanisms to work stimulating healing without the use of steroids or other drugs.

Platelets are among the very first cells to accumulate at an injured site, making them very important when simulating the repair process. Platelets contain granules filled with growth factors (the elements that aid in healing) and stimulate specified tissue to heal at an increased rate. To treat a horse with PRP, the veterinarians at PBEC are able to take a sample of the horses blood and concentrate the platelets in a high-speed centrifuge on-site. The harvest and processing procedures take approximately 30 minutes before the concentrated platelet-rich sample is injected back into the horse at the specific area of injury using sterile techniques and guided by ultrasound.

Explaining the process, Dr Weston Davis, Board-Certified Staff Surgeon at Floridas Palm Beach Equine Clinic, said that first, a large quantity of blood is harvested, anywhere from 60 to180ml.

We process that to concentrate the segment that is very rich in platelets. We get a high concentration of platelets we are hoping for five to eight times the concentration that you would get from normal blood. Then we take that platelet-rich extract and inject it back into an injured area to encourage a more robust healing response.

Whenever you have an injury, platelets are one of the first cells that get there. They will aggregate, clump, and de-granulate. They release granules that are very rich in growth factors and signal the body to start the healing process.

IRAP is used to treat equine athletes that are susceptible to musculoskeletal injuries and osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. Joint trauma results in the release of inflammatory mediators such as Interleukin-1 (IL-1). IRAP uses a horses own anti-inflammatory protein found within the blood to counteract the destructive effects of IL-1 to slow the process of osteoarthritis. The process works by binding to the IL-1 receptors in the joint and blocking the continuation of damage and inflammation.

Palm Beach Equine Clinic veterinarian Dr Bryan Dubynsky said veterinarians often see joint damage in sport horses because of the nature of their work. But we try to avoid over-use of steroids in joints because steroids can have long-term effects on cartilage.

This is a way we can manage joint disease and stop inflammation without having to consistently use steroids. Some of our clients will maintain their horses on IRAP alone for joint injections.

The goal to better serve sport horses that continue to improve athletically is the driving force behind the search for even more developed and precise techniques used in regenerative medicine.

I believe we are learning more about these technologies with more advanced science behind what they do and how they do it, Dubynsky said. These treatments are natural, drug-free, and competition-safe, and necessity drives the need for regenerative therapies in the sport horse world.

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PRP and IRAP: Where nature meets science in horse injury treatment - Horsetalk.co.nz - Horsetalk

Protective mediators help heal tendon cells by attacking inflammation – Health Europa

Tendon tears, both to the rotator cuff and Achilles heel, are common injuries, especially in aged individuals. Painful and disabling, they can adversely impact quality of life.

New approaches are required to help patients suffering from chronic tendon injuries. A novelstudyinThe American Journal of Pathology, identified mediators that promote resolution of inflammation as potential new therapeutics to push chronically injured tendons down an inflammation-resolving pathway.

Stephanie Dakin of Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre and University of Oxford, said: Our study informs new therapeutic approaches that target diseased cells and promote resolution of tendon inflammation, harnessing the bodys own natural responses for therapeutic gain.

The study demonstrates the anti-inflammatory effects of two specialised pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), lipoxin B4 (LXB4) and Resolvin E1 (RvE1), on cultured tendon cells in which induced shoulder tendon disease was present.

According to Dr Dakin and colleagues, resident (meaning part of the normal tissue) stromal cells, especially fibroblasts, play a pivotal role in inflammatory diseases of joints. After injury, fibroblasts become activated and show inflammation memory, an important event underlying the switch from acute to chronic inflammation.

These cells become unable to return to their normal state. The SPMs identified by the researchers interfere with this chronic inflammatory process and help fibroblasts resolve tendon inflammation; hence the name pro-resolving mediators.

Commenting on the study, Undurti N Das of UND Life Sciences, Battle Ground and BioScience Research Centre and Department of Medicine, GVP Medical College and Hospital, Visakhapatnam, India, emphasised that understanding the crosstalk among resident stromal cells including fibroblasts that not only participate in inflammatory diseases of the joint, but also in the switch from acute to chronic inflammation, tissue resident and infiltrating macrophages, infiltrating immune cells, and endothelial cells is important to the disease process and for the development of newer therapeutic interventions.

Dr Das said: In this context, the report by Dakin et al is of substantial interest to the field. It establishes that tendon stromal cells isolated from patients with tendon tears show pro-inflammatory phenotype and secrete significantly higher amounts of interleukin (IL)-6 with dysregulated production and action of lipoxin A4, resolvins, protectins, and maresins compared to normal cells.

Dr Dakin said: There is a clear unmet clinical need to develop effective new therapeutic approaches to treat tendon disease.

SPMs, including LXB4 and RvE1, may target diseased cells and potentiate resolution of chronic tendon inflammation.

Shoulder pain is the third most common cause of musculoskeletal pain, and tears affecting shoulder rotator cuff tendons comprise a large proportion of this disease burden. Current treatments for tendon injuries include physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, platelet rich plasma, steroid injections, and surgery to repair torn tendons.

These therapies are frequently ineffective, steroids are potentially harmful, and tendon tear surgery is associated with high postoperative failure rates. Therefore, alternative therapies targeting the cells driving chronic inflammation are required to help patients, and ideally avoid some of the problems associated with surgery, steroids, NSAIDS, or other interventions.

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Protective mediators help heal tendon cells by attacking inflammation - Health Europa

Injection therapy has many faces | News, Sports, Jobs – Marquette Mining Journal

You wake up one morning to find that slight twinge in your hip has become significantly painful. Youve tried icing and ibuprofen but the pain is now severe and demands medical attention. What are you expecting the doctor to do?

As a weekend warrior, you expect some aches and pains following your regular game but that twisted ankle you experienced last weekend continues to hurt with every step. Once again, the typical home treatments, the familiar rest-ice-compression-elevation, have helped, but not enough. Greater expertise is needed.

The arthritic knee, damaged playing college sports, has been bearable for years, but that joint has become progressively more symptomatic over recent months. What are the options? Some pain relief is desired.

These are all common scenarios. A frequent answer to these question is an injection. Many physicians first recommendation for various problems will be an injection. But what exactly is being administered? Most people are aware of a few of the options, yet a plethora of substances can be administered via injection. Injection therapy is a technique practiced for many years and continues to be utilized as a safe, easily performed procedure in an office or out-patient setting.

Specifically, an injection is the act of putting a liquid, especially a drug, into a persons body using a needle and syringe. This is a technique for delivering drugs without significant quantities of the drug spreading throughout the body. Intra-articular injections, those performed into a joint, have a number of physiologic and practical advantages over systemic medications (such as those taken by mouth), including safety.

Many fear injections. Certainly, the pain produced can occasionally be considerable but, more often, is minimal to mild. Others have allowed hearsay and rumor to rule their decision making, claiming they shouldnt have any injections because theyre going to do more harm than good. It is true sometimes the relief is temporary, but if you dont want to have surgery, an injection is an approach for musculoskeletal conditions that should be attempted. It may only give you a few months of pain relief, but it is usually worth trying.

As anyone who has had more than one injection can attest, the symptoms produced by the procedure itself can vary greatly. When larger structures are injected, the procedure tends to be more painful. Yet, there are a variety of methods to reduce the discomfort. As you would expect, technique is a critical factor. Pushing the liquid in faster, although shortening the duration of the process, is more uncomfortable. Thus, patience on the part of the health care provider is beneficial.

Buffering the solution is helpful when the solution is acidic, as is often the case when local anesthetics are used. Understandably, a smaller needle will produce less discomfort, although some medications will not get through certain sized needles. Additionally, the use of an ethyl chloride or cold spray numbs the skin for an instant but greatly reduces the initial pain of penetration.

Injection therapy can be used to achieve many different goals, other than just pain relief. The administration of a local anesthetic, a medication which temporarily produces a sensory blockade, can be used for diagnostic purposes. If some particular body part is injected with an anesthetic, and the pain previously experienced is gone while the numbing agent is active, then we can surmise that structure is causing the pain.

Clearly, the benefits of an injection will depend largely on what is injected. Without question, the most commonly utilized medication is some type of corticosteroid, commonly referred to as cortisone, although that particular medicine is no longer in common use. Corticosteroids are not harmful when used appropriately, and have many different uses. Corticosteroid injections can be therapeutic and diagnostic. They reduce inflammation by inhibiting the production of a number of inflammatory substances. But because they can cause some thinning of tissue, they can be put into a cyst or scar tissue to reduce its mass.

Injections directly into an arthritic joint avoid conventional barriers to joint entry. Intra-articular injections are a minimally invasive procedure and can be performed easily in an outpatient setting, with a short recovery time. Again, there is a drastically lower risk of side effects or systemic toxicity due to this delivery method. Intra-articular corticosteroids are approved by the FDA, although concerns remain regarding the duration of its effects, and their safety profile. And if the situation leading to inflammation is not addressed, predictably, the relief of the steroid injection will be transient.

All medicines have some side effects, including steroids. When used unwisely, what was once a benefit can be a complication. Common side effects are a loss of skin fat, discoloration of the skin, and increased blood sugars. This latter effect is of particular concern in the diabetic population. Uncommon side effects, more likely when used inappropriately, are tendon ruptures or ligament tears.

Patients may be disappointed when they are told the injection recommended may be helpful for only a short time. For each pathology injected, the duration of relief can vary greatly. There are no guarantees with any medical procedure, and this includes injection therapies. The possibility it can provide relief and make some condition better seems a realistic goal, as opposed to trying to give a patient a specific timeline.

Over the last few decades there has been tremendous research into new therapies, with great interest in regenerative medicine. The basic concept is to find healthy ways to improve the bodys healing processes. Some of these newer techniques involve an injection. Some examples include PRP injections (platelet-rich plasma), stem cell therapies, and amniotic membrane injection. Benefits of regenerative medicine techniques include an improved safety profile and, maybe most important, the direct targeting of the biochemistry of osteoarthritis. An increase in movement may be seen, as well as improved muscle strength. They seem to be useful in treating repetitive stress injuries that havent healed properly or completely. Maybe most consequential is the reduction of pain levels. The hope is these novel methods may allow some to avoid surgery and can even lead to healing.

One concern with these new technologies is the lack of large scale clinical trials to back up these claims. Long-term clinical studies are needed to increase the evidence available about them, and so earn consideration in treatment frameworks. Until these are performed, there remains an element of uncertainty with these methods.

The regenerative medicine technique in longest use is prolotherapy, in which a highly concentrated glucose solution is injected into a tendon or ligament. This seems to jump-start the healing process, with the resulting inflammation being a natural and integral component of healing, as with platelet rich plasma injection. When performed into a damaged part, these injections can stimulate repair.

Botox injections are a completely different type of injectable therapy. This substance blocks certain chemical signals from nerves, especially those causing muscles to contract. Some common uses are to relax facial muscles (those causing wrinkles) or muscle spasms. Botox injections may also help prevent chronic migraines.

Getting a therapeutic injection can be a scary process and, occasionally, a painful one. Still, there are ways to reduce this. As with any treatment, these methods can be misused. And, once again, there are no guarantees in health care. But the benefits can be significant. Dont make assumptions: steroids can lead to healing, depending on the situation, and can significantly reduce pain. Dont let fear rule your decision-making process. Consider carefully all the options your health care team recommends. An injection may be your most effective path to relief.

Editors note: Dr. Conway McLean is a physician practicing foot and ankle medicine in the Upper Peninsula, with a move of his Marquette office to the downtown area. McLean has lectured internationally on wound care and surgery, being double board certified in surgery, and also in wound care. He has a sub-specialty in foot-ankle orthotics. Dr. McLean welcomes questions or comments atdrcmclean@outlook.com.

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Injection therapy has many faces | News, Sports, Jobs - Marquette Mining Journal

Michelle Wie exclusive interview: How golf’s great prodigy grew up – The Telegraph

But a long list of injuries: to neck, back, knee, hip and ankle, has curtailed that prodigious talent, so much so that she is able to bond with Tiger Woods over the travails of the treatment table.

Ive seen Tiger a couple of times [since her time out], Wie says. Its pretty funny that every time we lift off with, Hows your neck, hows your back? and hes like, Hows your this, hows your that? It takes about 10 minutes of checking off the injuries before we talk normally.

Its comforting talking to other athletes going through the same things. Sport can be harsh, but other stories can hit home and normalise it. It can give you a boost of energy to go again.

That does involve waiting until her wrist has healed. It is an injury which was plagued her since she fractured her right hand in a car accident two years ago. Wie is arthritic in both wrists and has just finished the latest round of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to accelerate the healing of her injured ligaments. Her daily routine has become one of treatment, icing, recovery, therapy and repeat.

The break has provided a time for reflection, especially as she nears a milestone birthday. The twenties are hard, Wie says. They are too hyped. I think the twenties are the years you figure things out and Im excited about being in my thirties. Theres still so much more I want to accomplish.

With a degree in communications obtained from Stanford University, a career in TV when she hangs up the clubs looks the most likely option. Her commentary debut for the Golf Channel at the Solheim Cup was unsurprisingly assured.

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Michelle Wie exclusive interview: How golf's great prodigy grew up - The Telegraph

Understanding When and How to Treat Inflammation – Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper – Flagstaff Business News

Its drilled into our heads over and over. Inflammation is bad! Take this anti-inflammatory medicine! Inflammation is the enemy! Stop it in its tracks!

But, is inflammation always the enemy?

Lets start by talking about the difference between acute and chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation generally happens after an injury and has the symptoms of redness, heat, swelling and pain. It really shouldnt last longer than four to six weeks and I think of it as a healing response. Having a fever during an acute illness, such as a cold or flu, is also an example of acute inflammation.

Chronic inflammation lasts longer than six weeks and, generally, I think of any inflammation lasting longer than six weeks as a degenerative response. This means that the tennis elbow that youve had for two years has transitioned from the initial (acute) healing response to a dysfunctional response where the tendons in that elbow are degenerating or slowly breaking down. The breakdown of tissue is what causes pain, not necessarily inflammation.

Chronic inflammation also occurs with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimotos thyroiditis, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. This type of inflammation is not productive and people with these conditions need to discover the cause. Its not easy to discover the causes of this type of inflammation, so your best bet is to see a naturopathic physician.

Naturopathic physicians are the best trained healthcare providers to look at a person as a whole and discover the multifactorial causes of chronic inflammation. Naturopathic physicians prefer to use natural treatments to alleviate symptoms and address the cause of chronic inflammation, but may also use conventional medications.

What purpose does acute inflammation serve?

In an acute injury, such as an ankle sprain, your body sends all types of help to the injured area. This help includes white blood cells, cytokines, growth factors and other types of cells that participate in the inflammatory response. The upside is that these helpers will assist in healing the injured area. The downside is that the injured area may be painful, swollen and red. Take these symptoms as a signal from your body to slow down and let that area heal!

If we are using fever as an example, your immune system kicks in and raises your body temperature in response to a virus, bacteria or other type of infection. This rise in temperature may kill some bacteria or viruses. Fever also triggers certain immune cells in your body to become more active so that they can battle the infection that is happening. We all have uncomfortable symptoms when we have a fever. Again, take these symptoms as a signal from your body to slow down and heal.

The mistake that most of us make is taking big steps to interfere with our natural inflammatory (healing) response. We will ice an injured area or take an anti-inflammatory medication when an injury or fever happens. When dealing with an injury, the long-outdated advice of RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation), combined with popping an anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen shuts down your bodys innate ability to heal. The injured area has little chance of healing properly and may always be an area of weakness. In the case of an acute illness, a person may be sick longer than he or she would have been if the fever had been allowed to run its course.

Most people with a fever will see it resolve in a handful of days or less with minimal intervention, so I would like to focus on strategies that can be undertaken if you have an acute injury and just cant deal with the symptoms, or if you need to heal an area that has transitioned from inflammation to degeneration.

Herbal medicines such as boswellia, turmeric, corydalis and hops can modulate inflammation and decrease pain.

Acupuncture is a well-known treatment that alleviates pain and promotes healing.

Nutritional therapy in the form of intravenous (IV) nutrients or supplements can be useful to address nutritional deficiencies that prevent the healing process from working its best.

Diet provides the foundation to keep your immune system in tip-top shape. Eating a Standard American Diet (SAD) full of processed foods and sugar works against your immune system performing its best.

Regenerative injections such as dextrose prolotherapy and platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP) are my forte. These types of injections are a powerful tool to stimulate the immune response to allow the body to repair injuries, arthritis and other painful areas. This results in improved function and less pain. FBN

By Amber Belt, N.D.

Amber Belt, N.D. is a naturopathic physician with sharp regenerative injection skills, roller derby enthusiast, business owner, animal lover and Flagstaff devotee. Shes been performing regenerative injections for 12 years and can be contacted through aspenmedcenter.com or at 928-213-5828.

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Understanding When and How to Treat Inflammation - Flagstaff Business & Online News | Northern Arizona Local Newspaper - Flagstaff Business News

Platelet-rich plasma treatment for hair loss: Is PRP therapy effective and safe? – Times Now

Platelet-rich plasma treatment for hair loss: Is PRP therapy effective and safe?  |  Photo Credit: Getty Images

New Delhi: Until a couple of years ago, hair loss or balding was mostly seen in older men. But today the problem has become increasingly common in younger men as well as women. 1 out of 2 people visiting my clinic for various skin problems also have associated hair loss. There are several types of hair loss. The two most common ones are pattern balding or androgenetic alopecia and stress-induced or telogen effluvium.

There are only two FDA-approved medications for controlling hair loss, namely Minoxidil and Finasteride. Side effects of these medications are well known and several patients search for alternative treatment options. In such a scenario, platelet-rich plasma or PRP therapy is becoming extremely popular as an effective and natural option for non-surgical hair restoration.

Our blood is composed of three types of cells. Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. These cells are suspended in a liquid called plasma. If your blood is collected in a tube and spun at high speed then the red cells settle to the bottom of the tube, plasma floats on the top and the platelets and white cells form a layer in the centre. This central layer is called platelet-rich plasma. PRP contains more than 20 growth factors. Growth factors are the healing portion of your blood which are responsible for healing your body.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy has been in use since the 1980s. It has mainly been used for healing injured tendons, ligaments, and muscles. The FDA has approved PRP for use on joints in orthopaedic indications.

I have been performing PRP treatments for hair loss and skin rejuvenation for a decade now. Basically, platelet-rich plasma therapy for hair loss is a three-step medical treatment in which a persons blood is drawn into a sterile tube, spun at high speed to separate the PRP and then injected into the scalp. The procedure is relatively painless and requires zero recovery time.

Growth factors in the PRP injections trigger natural hair regrowth and maintain it by increasing blood supply to the hair follicle. Hair loss comes under control, new hair growth is visible and the existing hair becomes thicker and shinier.

PRP therapy doesnt deliver results immediately, so you shouldnt expect to see a full head of hair overnight. You will need three sessions at monthly intervals for the initial treatment. Yearly maintenance sessions are required in case of androgenetic alopecia or pattern baldness. Improvement is expected after every session.

A study was conducted in 2014 which tested PRP on men with androgenetic alopecia who had not had success after six months of conventional medication. Visible improvement was seen in all these patients.

Another study was conducted in 2019 to compare PRP injections with conventional Minoxidil application treatment. At the end of 6 months, PRP therapy showed better results than Minoxidil application.

PRP therapy is definitely here to stay due to its effectiveness and lack of side effects. The treatment is performed by dermatologists and plastic surgeons in a sterile clinic setting. Results depend directly on the method of PRP collection. Make sure you choose your treating doctor wisely for the best results.

(Disclaimer: The author, Dr Niketa Sonavane, Cosmetic Dermatologist, is a guest contributor and a part of our medical expert panel. Views expressed are personal)

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Platelet-rich plasma treatment for hair loss: Is PRP therapy effective and safe? - Times Now

Plymouth Argyle trio get special injections to speed up their recoveries from injury – Plymouth Live

Ryan Lowe has revealed that three of Plymouth Argyles injured players have had PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections.

The Pilgrims boss says it will speed up the recoveries of midfielder Jose Baxter, as well as strikers Byron Moore and Dom Telford.

PRP is a concentrate of platelet-rich plasma protein derived from whole blood which is centrifuged to remove red blood cells.

Lowe had the injections when he was a player and they are becoming increasingly common in not just football, but others ports too.

He said: I had them every other week. It speeds the recovery up. When you have got a bit of soft tissue injury, whats probably reoccurred, it helps it heal.

If you get the needle and the blood flow right into where it is, it helps it heal. Your blood helps heal the tears the muscle injuries.

So thats what they have had. I have insisted they had that because its a big help in recovery from any muscle injury.

The trio will all miss the match at Mansfield Town on Saturday but could return to training next week.

Baxter has had a calf problem while Moore and Telford have picked up hamstring injuries, although none of them are as bad as first feared.

Lowe said: If it was a cup final tomorrow, them three players would be playing trust me, but its not, so thats why they are not.

In terms of helping them to recover the best they can, its certainly worth it.

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Plymouth Argyle trio get special injections to speed up their recoveries from injury - Plymouth Live

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Market to Expand with Increasing Demand for Cosmetic Surgeries – The Midland Weekly

The Global Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Market is set to grow on account of increase in the occurrence of orthopedic and sports injuries. Key insights have been shared by Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled Platelet Rich Plasma Market Size, Share And Global Trend By Origin (Allogeneic, Autologous, Homologous), By Type (Pure PRP, Leukocyte rich PRP, Leukocyte rich fibrin), By Application (Orthopaedic surgery, Cosmetic surgery, General surgery, Neurosurgery, Others), And Geography Forecast Till 2026.

Get PDF Brochure of this [emailprotected] https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/sample/platelet-rich-plasma-market-100581

Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:

North America to Make the Largest Contribution to the Market

The global platelet rich plasma market to rise on the shoulders of North America as the region is slated to hold the top position in terms of market share in the forecast period. High prevalence of sports injuries and orthopaedic surgeries coupled with high demand for cosmetic treatments are the factors that are expected to drive the market. In terms of CAGR, Asia-Pacific, primarily India and China, are anticipated to widen the market base. Main reasons identified for Asia-Pacific are the rising percentage of the population having rheumatology disorders. Added to this is the increasing demand of cosmetic surgeries and growing instances of sports injuries.

Browse Full [emailprotected] https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/platelet-rich-plasma-market-100581

The reports analyses the different factors influencing the growth of this market during the forecast period. Plasma is a part of blood that contains proteins that help in clotting of blood and support cell growth. Platelet-rich plasma is a substance that is injected into the body to accelerate healing. The basic idea is to stimulate the body to grow new and healthy cells by injecting the platelet-rich plasma into it. Cases where platelet-rich plasma injections are used include hair growth, tendon injuries, osteoarthritis, and post-surgical repair. It has also been applied to reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing.

Quality and Cost Issues Hampering the Rise of the Market

While the global platelet rich plasma market is on the threshold of experiencing rapid growth, it has to overcome certain hurdles. These are mainly in the form of high costs platelet-rich plasma therapies and poor quality control of test results. Moreover, the US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved of the platelet-rich plasma treatments. Such hindrances are hampering the smooth rise of the global platelet rich plasma market.

Segmentation

By Origin

By Type

By Application

By Geography

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Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Market to Expand with Increasing Demand for Cosmetic Surgeries - The Midland Weekly