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I'm chasing after any and every treatment for my degenerative disc disease. I've looked into acupuncture, hypnosis, prolotherapy, and even inversion therapy. I just read a report that there are blood injections that work for everything. Would this be a reasonable option for me?
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Blood injection, also known as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) refers to a sample of serum (blood) plasma that has as much as four times more than the normal amount of platelets and their associated growth factors. This treatment enhances the body’s natural ability to heal itself. It is used to improve healing and shorten recovery time from acute and chronic soft tissue injuries.
It has been used for years after plastic surgery and surgery on the mouth, jaw, and neck. It seems to promote bone graft healing. Researchers have found a way to combine this substance with other chemicals to make it into a putty or gel that can be painted on a surgical site to speed up healing.
Blood injection therapy of this type has been used for knee osteoarthritis, degenerative cartilage, spinal fusion, bone fractures that don’t heal, and poor wound healing. This treatment technique is fairly new in the sports medicine treatment of tendon, cartilage, and ligament problems, but gaining popularity quickly.
According to a recent review and update on platelet-rich plasma (PRP), there are now 1000s of articles published on the topic. Yet for all that research, we still don't know if platelet-rich plasma treatment is really the way to go for tendon (or other soft tissue and bone) healing. And its use for degenerative disc disease remains uncharted territory (in other words, research is needed in this area).
We know that platelet-rich plasma does stimulate cells to reproduce and clear out dead cells. Whether or not PRP could stimulate cells to build new disc tissue is unknown. Tissue engineering of this type is a very popular area of research right now. So let's hope a break through comes soon for everyone with this condition!
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*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
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