Pain Management
Pain-management strategies for orthopedic injuries serve one of two purposes—either to alleviate symptoms of an acute injury while your body heals itself or to manage long-term chronic pain from an injury to delay more aggressive treatment options. As a means of treating symptoms of a chronic issue, pain management will only delay further treatment as it does nothing to address the underlying cause of your pain.
Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Motrin, Aleve, ibuprofen, Advil, Naprosyn, Celebrex, celecoxib, Mobic, meloxicam, and others are the less-aggressive option. They work to reduce inflammation which may lead to a lessening of pain. While many NSAIDs are available over the counter, that does not mean that they are safe. Aside from causing stomach ulcers, all NSAIDS increase the risk of fatal stroke or sudden-death heart attack. In fact, taking NSAIDs for as little as a week increases your risk for heart attack by 50%. In addition, NSAIDs interfere with your body’s natural ability to heal by creating an environment less conducive to natural healing.
Beyond NSAIDs, opioid pain medications such as oxycodone, morphine, Percocet, Lorcet, Demerol, hydrocodone, and others are also often prescribed for chronic pain from orthopedic injuries. The risks of these medications are beginning to be widely understood. One in five people taking them becomes addicted in the first 10 days. Patients receiving a 30-day prescription have a 45% chance of still being on opioids after a year. Moreover, emerging research shows that over-the-counter Tylenol relieves pain better than these addictive medications. In fact, taking opioids leads to hyperalgesia, a heightening of the sensation of pain in such a way that patients constantly taking opioids to manage pain may actually increase their sensation of pain over time.
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Many Shoulder and Rotator Cuff injuries are good candidates for regenerative interventional orthopedic procedures. Before considering shoulder arthroscopy or shoulder replacement, consider an evaluation of your condition with a regenerative treatment specialist.
- Rotator Cuff Tears and Tendinitis
- Shoulder Instability
- SLAP Tear / Labral Tears
- Shoulder Arthritis
- Other Degenerative Conditions & Overuse Injuries
Many spine injuries and degenerative conditions are good candidates for regenerative treatments and there are a number of studies showing promising results in treating a wide range of spine problems. Spine surgery should be a last resort for anyone, due to the cascade of negative effects it can have on the areas surrounding the surgery. And epidural steroid injections are problematic due to their long-term negative impact on bone density.
- Herniated, Bulging, Protruding Discs
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- SI Joint Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Pinched Nerves and General Back Pain
- And more
Knees are the target of many common sports injuries. Sadly, they are also the target of a number of surgeries that research has frequently shown to be ineffective or minimally effective. Knee arthritis can also be a common cause for aging athletes to abandon the sports and activities they love. Regenerative procedures can be used to treat a wide range of knee injuries and conditions. They can even be used to reduce pain and delay knee replacement for more severe arthritis.
- Knee Meniscus Tears
- Knee ACL Tears
- Knee Instability
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- Other Knee Ligaments / Tendons & Overuse Injuries
- And more
Many spine injuries and degenerative conditions are good candidates for regenerative treatments and there are a number of studies showing promising results in treating a wide range of spine problems. Spine surgery should be a last resort for anyone, due to the cascade of negative effects it can have on the areas surrounding the surgery. And epidural steroid injections are problematic due to their long-term negative impact on bone density.
- Herniated, Bulging, Protruding Discs
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- SI Joint Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Pinched Nerves and General Back Pain
- And more
- Hand and Wrist Arthritis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Trigger Finger
- Thumb Arthritis (Basal Joint, CMC, Gamer’s Thumb, Texting Thumb)
- Other conditions that cause pain
Most injuries of the elbow’s tendons and ligaments, as well as arthritis, can be treated non-surgically with regenerative procedures.
- Golfer’s elbow & Tennis elbow
- Arthritis
- Ulnar collateral ligament wear (common in baseball pitchers)
- And more
Hip injuries and degenerative conditions become more common with age. Do to the nature of the joint, it’s not quite as easy to injure as a knee, but it can take a beating and pain often develops over time. Whether a hip condition is acute or degenerative, regenerative procedures can help reduce pain and may help heal injured tissue, without the complications of invasive surgical hip procedures.
- Labral Tear
- Hip Arthritis
- Hip Bursitis
- Hip Sprain, Tendonitis or Inflammation
- Hip Instability
- Ankle Arthritis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Ligament sprains or tears
- Other conditions that cause pain
