Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and it’s characterized by the breakdown of the smooth, white tissue that covers the ends of bones where they come together to form joints; also known as articular cartilage. The degradation of this cartilage will eventually lead to the destruction of the joint resulting in osteoarthritis. While osteoarthritis can damage any joint in your body, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, neck, lower back, knees and hips.
According to the Institute of Orthopedics, Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous source of treatment for osteoarthritis. In other words the treatment is actually derived from the patient’s own body and consists of factors obtained by centrifugation that happen to possess various functions. The most important function to date is the enhancement and the regeneration of cartilage cells for repairing cartilage defects and as a regenerative injection therapy for osteoarthritis
A study done in California, suggest that PRP therapy can alleviate many arthritic symptoms. A significant decrease in pain was found by patients after 16 weeks of treatment. Even more promising in these patients was a thickening of cartilage in the joint, suggesting that real healing was taking place. Studies that followed confirmed these optimistic results, which is why many athletes such as Kobe Bryant and Rafael Nadal have used regenerative medicine to get back to peak condition.
If you think that you or a loved one might benefit from non-surgical orthopedics contact Cross Bay Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation to schedule a consultation. We are providing PRP, and other regenerative medical, and non-surgical orthopedic procedures to the Tri-State area. Our office is conveniently located on Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach, NY.