Regenerative medicine includes innovative treatments to help your body repair itself. At Oklahoma Pain Physicians in Oklahoma City and Norman, Oklahoma, Rafael Justiz, MD, and Alina Justiz, MD, offer regenerative medicine treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and stem cell therapy as part of their customized pain management treatment plans. Call Oklahoma Pain Physicians or request a consultation online today for cutting-edge pain management.

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Regenerative Medicine Q & A

What is regenerative medicine?

Regenerative medicine is an emerging branch of medicine that uses innovative techniques to stimulate your body’s natural ability to repair and heal itself. Regenerative medicine is still developing and is under study, and new techniques and applications emerge regularly. The team at Oklahoma Pain Physicians offers two types of regenerative medicine: stem cell therapy and PRP injections.

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Stem cell therapy

Your body uses stem cells to repair and replace damaged tissue. Stem cells are unique, as they can turn into whatever type of cell your body needs. During stem cell therapy, your doctor injects mesenchymal stem cells — either harvested from your body or donated from the umbilical cord of a healthy, full-term baby — into your injured or damaged tissue. The injection stimulates your body’s healing process and floods your tissue with the cells needed for repair.

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PRP injections

When you have PRP injections, your physician begins by drawing a sample of your blood and then separating the solid and liquid components. Then, they combine your platelets and plasma to create a serum that has 5-10 times more platelets than a regular blood sample. Your platelets include the growth factors and proteins your body uses to repair itself. When your serum is ready, your physician injects it into your damaged tissue, flooding it with the nutrients and proteins needed for cellular repair.

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What conditions improve with regenerative medicine?

Medical researchers are still completing research to confirm the effectiveness of regenerative medicine treatments, but early evidence indicates that regenerative medicine might help with certain conditions, including:

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• Osteoarthritis

• Surgical pain

• Muscle injuries

• Connective tissue injuries

• Degenerative disc disease

• Back pain

• Neck pain

• Tendinitis

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The team at Oklahoma Pain Physicians incorporates regenerative medicine into treatment plans for a variety of pain conditions. Make sure to ask your doctor if regenerative medicine is right for you.

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What should I expect from regenerative medicine?

Regenerative medicine is usually delivered through an injection. It works by stimulating your body’s ability to heal itself, so it’s unlikely that you notice pain relief right away. However, over the coming weeks and months, as you heal, your pain should subside. You might need a series of regenerative medicine treatments to achieve the best possible outcome.

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If you want to learn more about regenerative medicine and if it’s right for you,

call Oklahoma Pain Physicians today!