When it comes to managing musculoskeletal issues, the mission is twofold. First, you need to address the pain and discomfort to restore your quality of life. Second, you want to heal the damaged tissue so you don’t run into more problems down the road. Fortunately, we have the right combination of treatments that handles both problems: interventional pain management and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
What is CBD? CBD, short for cannabidiol, is an active compound found in the cannabis plant. CBD is not intoxicating but may cause some drowsiness. The CBD in most products is extracted from hemp, a variety of cannabis that has only traces (up to 0.3%) of THC, the active compound that gets people high. Does CBD work for arthritis? Animal studies have suggested that CBD has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties, but these effects have not been validated in quality studies in humans. Anecdotally, some people with arthritis who have tried CBD, but not all, report noticeable pain relief, sleep improvement, and/or anxiety reduction.
People who received intradiscal platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to treat low back pain found a significant improvement in both pain and function, according to a study led by Dr. Gregory Lutz, Medical Director of the Regenerative SportsCare Institute, and Physiatrist-in-Chief Emeritus, Hospital for Special Surgery. Dr. Lutz followed 49 patients for two years and presented his results at the Interventional Orthopedics Foundation’s Annual Conference.
Having a sore back is one of the most common reasons why American visit a doctor. And every year, our nation coughs up $80 billion for treatments. Plus, for back pain, surgery is not only discouraged, but it’s often ineffective. (Research suggests patients who undergo surgery for back pain will often end up having to do more surgery.) This is because doctors can only guess what’s going on. Colorful MRI will show a lot of suspects. But in the end, they’re just that — suspects. Correcting each one of them, hoping it will reduce the pain is fruitless.
Shoulder injuries may not be the most talked about sports injury but it’s one of the common ones that often result in long-term consequences. Most shoulder injuries are Rotator Cuff related and that is one of the most complex segments of our physical anatomy. Physical therapy is the well-trodden route. All shoulder treatments start there. We are not talking about trips to the gym — that won’t help. The rotator cuff is small and serves a variety of functions. Typical physical therapy includes gentle pressing with the hand.
Our country wasn’t the first to adopt PRP. Kobe Bryant had to run to Germany to get his first PRP treatment. And his success and his raving about his success contributed heavily to PRP’s skyrocketing popularity now. In fact, he’s the one who told Alex Rodriguez to get his PRP. Bryant is indeed the first evangelist for PRP in the USA.
When Los Angeles Ace Garrett Richards ended up with a disastrous lengthwise tear along his ulnar collateral ligament last May, the high-profile hurler was staring at the famed Tommy John surgery and the disappearance of a good two years of his pitching career. He wanted neither. So he sought an alternative option. And through that option, he’s back starting the season this year, just six months later. Not surprisingly, Platelet-Rich Plasma had a major role in that. (He had stem cells injection and then PRP)
Sometimes I wonder how Pro-Athletes make a quick comeback after injuries. I bet the answer is much more than the therapies and treatments they use. But first, let’s look at it objectively. How can it be that athletes like Lindsey Vonn can come back as strong as ever after surgery? She returned to the slopes to win her 64th World Cup only 10 months after her second knee surgery. Yes, we’re talking about surgery, which ordinary folks take years to recover from.
In 2011, Portland guard Brandon Roy’s thriving career was in trouble. Just 27 years old, he was at the end of his fifth year in the league and was a three-time All-Star. Yet, chronic problems in his knees threatened his career. He had six knee operations with no success, and doctors told him there was no more cartilage left in his knees. His team doctors issued the death sentence of his career — he was to play no more. If he did it’ll not only be painful but it will result in horrific results like not being able to walk for the rest of his life, he was warned.
Contrary to the popular belief, Tennis Elbow is not something only tennis players suffer. In fact, only 5% of patients suffering from the condition are tennis players. Others affected are painters, plumbers, butchers, and carpenters. It happens when the tendon in the elbow area called the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis (ECRB), which is quite susceptible to overuse, gets overused.
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