A rotator cuff injury typically is not severe enough to warrant surgery. In such a case, a more conservative form of treatment method is applied. Regenerative medicine, such as PRP injections, is often used to boost your body’s natural healing abilities to relieve pain.
Platelet-rich plasma is a concentration of platelets, a healing component found in human blood. This concentrate is injected into the injured site. In New Jersey, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is gaining popularity for its effectiveness in treating rotator cuff injuries and other musculoskeletal conditions.
If you are suffering from rotator cuff injuries, read this blog to find out how a regenerative medicine Livingston expert can help you with PRP therapy.
Understanding rotator cuff injuries
Rotator cuff injuries are a common occurrence among people who lift their arms a lot or perform job roles or activities that involve repeated movements of the hand. Such injuries can either be acute or chronic and cause various symptoms, including:
- Pain while lying on the affected shoulder
- Weakness in the arm
- Cracking sound or popping sensation
- Difficulty moving the shoulder
- Shoulder pain
Some types of rotator cuff injuries are:
- Bursitis: Protection bursa sacs in the shoulder joint become inflamed. The fluid in the sacs keeps the bones from rubbing. In bursitis, muscles and bones rub the bursa sacs too much, which leads to inflammation and pain.
- Rotator cuff tears: Tears that are caused in the rotator cuff muscles due to repetitive strains. These particularly happen to individuals who perform repetitive tasks at work or athletes.
- Tendinitis: The rotator cuff tendons link four muscles to the shoulder joint bones. Over time, repetitive movements can irritate and inflame these tendons, resulting in arm and shoulder pain and discomfort.
PRP for rotator cuff injuries
PRP therapy is often recommended for rotator cuff injuries that are not very severe. The process uses the platelets in the patient’s plasma, which help in blood clotting and stimulate tissue repair.
A concentration of PRP is taken, which is achieved from the patient’s own blood, and then injected into the affected site. As soon as PRP reaches the injury site, it signals the body’s growth factors to reach the site and start the healing process.
One session of PRP therapy takes less than an hour. However, you may have to come down to the clinic several times over the course of a few months to recover from rotator cuff injuries completely.
Since the injected material is completely made from the patient’s own blood, it is 100% biocompatible, and most patients do not experience any adverse reactions or complications.
Is PRP therapy effective?
PRP therapy is a form of regenerative medicine and it adapts to the body fairly well. As mentioned, the sessions are not more than one hour long. The recovery time is less than two days.
It is advised to avoid strenuous activities for 48 hours because you might feel some discomfort and weakness. But after that, you can return to your regular routine. For PRP therapy, you also do not need to stay at the hospital.
Before beginning the treatment, your doctor will assess your condition to ensure that PRP is right for you. In most cases, it is. This is because it is very safe and has little to no risks. You are less likely to have a reaction to the material injected since it is derived from your own blood.
However, it will be weeks before you start healing, even with PRP treatment. On the other hand, it is still more effective than anything you might have bought in the drugstore. Even with physical therapy, you would have noticed slow changes.
Visit a PRP specialist today!
If you are dealing with rotator cuff injury pains and are interested in knowing how PRP therapy can help you, do not wait to seek treatment anymore. Visit a specialist today!
