We all have them. Well, over a certain age anyway. Those irritating, bothersome aches & pains in our shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, wherever. They just won’t go away. And just when you think they’ve gone, they jump back out and hassle you again.
Painkilling gels & tablets, heat packs, ice packs all get wheeled out, but they are still there. Do not put up with them! Let us have a look. Either through a physical exam or a scan or both, we will get to the bottom of what’s going on. And then we’ll fix it. Not to freak people out, but for a tiny minority, that lingering pain will be the first sign of something serious. So especially if it’s been around for a long time, let’s investigate it.
Two of the most effective treatments for muscle and bone problems are steroid injections and PRP injections.
Steroid injections, you know about. They have lots of names, like cortisone shots. The bottom line is that they are superb anti-inflammatory agents injected right into the source of the problem. They work best in large joints such as the shoulder and the knee, but can work all over the body if used correctly. The shoulder & knee joints are in fact large capsules or sealed off areas around the moving part of the joint. When the steroid is injected directly into that space, it stays in there for ages and has a profound anti-inflammatory effect. It can last for months and in some cases will be enough to fix the problem altogether.
PRP or platelet rich plasma is another treatment option we offer. Less commonly used than steroids, but with potentially better long term outcomes in muscle and tendon problems. In essence, we draw some of your own blood, just like in a blood test. Then we use a centrifuge to concentrate all the healing and regenerative factors in the blood (including platelets, hence the name). We re-inject this highly concentrated sample back into the problem area. Top level athletes such as Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal have sung its praises. There is also some evidence that PRP can accelerate healing of newer injuries and some athletes are using it to get back to competition as fast as possible.
If you’ve any questions or have a niggling injury that you want to sort out, give us a call today.
