We live in an incredible time. Research and progress on cutting-edge therapies for some of lives most common physical injuries promise to expedite the process of recovering and rehabilitating from surgeries.
Stem cell therapy and stem cell research, for example, are currently working to replace the need for expensive and time consuming rehabilitative exercises. This non-surgical procedure is aimed at helping the human body oganically recover from chronic pain, and even in some cases, severe injury. Non-controversial adult stem cells are harvested from either fat tissue or bone marrow of the patient receiving treatment and then injected into the damaged area. This process fosters the growth of new and healthy tissue, effectively reversing the damage of the patient’s injury. Because adult stem cells are not embryos, they do not have the potential to develop into a new human being. Instead, these tissues reside in the bone marrow and fat and they are present in large quantities. By using a patient’s own stem cells, the procedure does not require storing or altering them in any way.
Another of the most cutting-edge therapies, platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP), begins with a very small collection of a patient’s blood. Using a centrifuge, the platelet-rich plasma is then separated from the remaining components of the whole blood. This platelet-rich plasma, often using very targeted ultrasound guidance, is reinserted into the site of an injury. The natural healing and growth tendencies of the reinserted plasma dramatically speeds up the recovery process.
Both of these cutting-edge therapies are somewhat similar in that they use a patient’s own resources to promote healing and growth. Both private and university research labs across the country continue to work and experiment with the possibilities of these techniques.
At least 100 million Americans suffer from some type of chronic pain. More specifically, a recent study from Gallup-Healthways indicates that 31% of U.S. adults have some sort of neck or back condition that causes them pain. Another 26% have some sort of leg or knee condition, and an additional 18% have another condition that causes chronic pain. These pains often keep people from work, as well as recreational physical activities. Technological advancements in the areas of stem cell therapy and PRP therapy may make it possible for even victims of chronic pain to live a life free of extreme discomfort.
Through continued and extended research in these and other cutting-edge therapies, it is possible that some of the most common injuries and pain caused by repetitive tasks will be easier to cure and eliminate. How many of today’s 30% of repetitive task hand workers suffering from tennis elbow will be the recipients of the benefits of tomorrow’s research?