Back pain is one of the most common medical complaints among adults. Many studies report that 80 percent of Americans will be tormented by back pain at some point in their lives.1 Back pain can impact a person’s ability to move freely and sleep productively, which significantly affects a person’s quality of life as they attempt to engage in everyday activities. It can affect people of any age and is most commonly due to injury, muscle strain, tension, or poor posture. Certain medical conditions can also cause back pain such as osteoporosis, arthritis, or degenerative disc disease. Luckily, the majority of back pain can be relieved by conventional treatments. Conventional treatments usually include rest, pain relief medications, and physical therapy.
If a patient is suffering from chronic back pain and traditional treatment has been unsuccessful, the patient and their doctor may need to explore alternatives in treatment. One such alternative is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP). Typically once a disc is injured, it cannot repair itself. However, PRP is able to help rebuild a healthy disc material. With the healthy disc material rebuilt, disc height is also restored and chronic discomfort or pain is alleviated.
Platelet-Rich Plasma is a promising treatment alternative for back pain for several reasons.
- It is minimally invasive and most often performed on an outpatient basis.
- It has patients returning to everyday activity much faster than they often do with conventional treatments.
- It reduces the risk of complications and shortens recovery time.
- It addresses the root cause of back pain rather than merely providing temporary relief.
The highly trained doctors at SMOC specialize in all aspects of spinal disorders and injuries from degenerative to traumatic. Improving a patient’s overall quality of life is of utmost importance to both the doctors and staff at Sports Medicine Orthopaedic Center. In order to accomplish this, they are committed to staying well-versed in traditional treatments as well as up-to-date on new, innovative approaches. Dr. Henick and the team of experts at SMOC will confidently determine the appropriate treatment plan in the best interest of each individual patient. Say yes to a life without limits and book an appointment today!
Dr. James Henick is a double board-certified and fellowship-trained anesthesiologist and interventional pain management specialist. Dr. Henick serves as an Air Force Colonel and as an expert on interventional pain relieving procedures of the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral areas at Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center located in Suffolk, Harbour View, and Chesapeake, Virginia.
