4 Sports Injuries Regenerative Medicine Can Help Treat

Sports injuries often strike unexpectedly and can sideline you for an extended period. Many athletes and those who lead active lifestyles seek out ways to aid recovery so that they can get back to the sport they love as quickly as possible.

Regenerative medicine is an excellent complement to any sports injury management program. It takes advantage of the body’s own capacity to heal itself, accelerating healing and shortening the time you have to sit out of the game.

The providers at Health Advantage Physical Medicine in Pasadena, California, harness various tools to help keep athletes and active individuals feeling and performing their best. From cold laser therapy and massage therapy to chiropractic care and regenerative medicine, our multidisciplinary team is here to help you stay on top of your game.

The power of regenerative medicine in sports

Injuries are a risk of engaging in sports, and sometimes, they’re unavoidable. Even athletes with the most rigorous prevention program sometimes sustain an injury. Traditional treatments like surgery and physical therapy have long been the cornerstones of recovery, but they often come with long rehabilitation periods and no guarantee that you return to peak performance. 

Regenerative medicine offers a cutting-edge alternative, designed to regenerate damaged tissues and accelerate healing, which may reduce recovery times. Here are just a few of the injuries regenerative medicine can treat. 

Rotator cuff tears

Rotator cuff injuries are extremely common in sports, especially sports that involve repetitive arm movements like baseball or tennis. Traditionally, severe tears would almost certainly lead to surgery, followed by months of recovery. 

However, regenerative medicine techniques, such as Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and stem cell injections stimulate the body’s natural healing processes. These therapies help the body heal damaged tendons, alleviating pain. What’s more, regenerative medicine therapies may reduce the need for invasive surgical procedures.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries

An ACL tear is a dreaded injury for any athlete, particularly if you play contact sports or activities requiring sharp pivots like football and basketball. 

Techniques such as stem cell therapy may promote healing of the ACL by regenerative ligament tissue. Stem cells are a special type of cell that can divide and become other types of cells. When injected into a damaged ACL, these building blocks have the capacity to become ligament tissue. 

Meniscal tears

The meniscus acts as a shock absorber between the bones in your knee, and tears in this cartilage can be debilitating and take athletes out of the game for a long time. Meniscal tears are traditionally treated with surgery, but rehabilitation is lengthy.

Regenerative medicine, through methods like stem cell therapy, offers a less invasive alternative. As with ACL tears, stem cells can become new cartilage tissue, aiding in the repair of the meniscus. This provides a much-needed edge on recovery from this type of injury.

Tendonitis 

Overuse injuries such as tendonitis often go hand in hand in sports. Regenerative medicine approaches, such as PRP injections reduce inflammation and promote tendon healing without the risks linked with corticosteroid injections or the downtime after surgery. 

By using concentrated platelets from your own blood, these treatments deliver growth factors directly to the injured area, potentially speeding up the healing process and helping you return to peak performance more quickly.

Gain a recovery edge with regenerative medicine

If you’re looking to gain an edge in recovering from an injury, regenerative medicine is an excellent option. To learn more, schedule a consultation with Health Advantage Physical Medicine in Pasadena, California, by calling 626-605-2728.