Revolutionary Technology to regenerate joints, ligaments and tendons
As an M.D. who specializes in musculoskeletal medicine and non-surgical orthopedics, I often see patients who have persistent joint, neck or back pain due to injury or degeneration. What is exciting is we now have the technology to regenerate damaged joints with precisely directed injections. This new field is known as Regenerative Medicine. For many people suffering with joint, neck and back pain there is finally hope for a simple and elegant solution – without the attendant risks and downtime of surgery.
The concept and technique of regenerative joint injections has actually been around for a long time (with a similar technique known as Prolotherapy). The only difference is in what we inject. We can use simple solutions containing a very concentrated dextrose or we can actually use growth factors and stem cells isolated from a patients’ own blood (known as PRP or platelet rich plasma) as the ultimate healing stimulant or proliferant. Many top Sports Medicine and Orthopedic specialists are coining the term “Biosurgery” for these precisely directed injections. Tiger Woods had this procedure as an adjunct to his recent knee surgery and other elite athletes have used Regenerative Injection Biosurgery to return to full functioning without the risks and downtime of conventional surgery. This truly is the medicine of the future.
We can use regenerative injection therapies (RIT) therapies for many types of orthopedic conditions (including degenerative disc disease, some meniscal tears, osteoarthritis, sports injuries, tendonitis) affecting just about any joint, including plantar faciitis, ankle, knee, hip sciatica, back, elbow, wrist, whiplash and rotator cuff. What is important is the skill and experience with which the physician diagnoses and is able to inject with precision the exact structure(s) that is damaged, be it articular joint, ligament or tendon. It generally takes 4 to 10 sessions of injections (and about 6 to 8 weeks of healing time) to fully regenerate the damaged structure. In the hands of an MD proficient in Regenerative Injection techniques there is about an 85% success rate.
How do we determine who is a candidate for RIT? To be sure MRI’s are helpful but they actually tell only part of the story. Very commonly, the underlying problem with joint, neck or backpain lies in the surrounding capsular ligaments and tendons which are sprained or stretched. These highly innervated stretched insertions are exquisitely sensitive and are by far the most common underlying cause of musculoskeletal pain. The best and indeed only way to properly diagnose the root cause of the problem is by physical exam with an MD properly trained in Regenerative injection therapies. If the physician can elicit the “jump sign” and reproduce the pain symptoms by palpation and pressure on a specific structure (trigger point), this correctly identifies the damaged structure and the proper location for regenerative injections.
If done properly, the only real downside of regenerative joint injections is there can be soreness with the injections and there may be transient soreness for a day or two after the injections. Most patients readily accept these inconveniences once they understand that these Biosurgical approaches may, in many cases, be the treatment of choice and the best chance they have of a safe and complete recovery from their condition.
With these Biosurgical techniques we now have a high success rate in regenerating damaged peripheral (i.e. knee, shoulder, etc.) and vertebral joints(neck and back) effectively and without resorting to surgery. For many people suffering with persistent joint, back and neck pain there is now hope for a simple and elegant solution. Best of all, in the hands of an experienced injector, the technique is very safe and has little risk and downtime. Regenerate your pain away!
Mark Vincent Walter, M.D. is a McGill-trained physician who originally specialized in Family Practice and Sports Medicine. Dr. Walter is a pioneer in the field of Regenerative Medicine and has sub-specialized in the field of Connective Tissue and Non-surgical joint reconstruction for over a decade. For five years Dr. Walter was part of a medical mission team to Honduras (sponsored by the University of Wisconsin) where he had the privilege to train and teach with some of the top experts of Regenerative Injection Therapies (and Prolotherapy) in the world. In Regenerative Medicine circles he is recognized as a gifted injector and known for his gentle yet precise technique. Dr. Walter also has a passion for educating people about the benefits of this therapy and offers seminars and workshops monthly. Dr Walter also has an interest in medical weight loss and Nonsurgical Bodysculpting. He is founder and medical director of ProloMD and BodysculptingMD located at 2365 S. Tamiami Trail (corner of Hibiscus) in Sarasota.