The elbow can be a particularly challenging source of pain for many patients. That is because our elbows are responsible for doing so much. After all, your elbow is the joint responsible for your ability to lift, throw, swing and hug. It is a complicated joint, meaning that a lot can potentially be wrong with it if you’re experiencing pain or difficulty performing actions that use it.

There are many treatment options for elbow pain at Vitality Integrative Wellness. Many options include the use of regenerative medicine such as therapies utilizing umbilical cord allograft and/or platelet-rich plasma (PRP). To learn more about these therapies for treatment of the symptoms accommodating elbow issues, read on.

What Is Your Elbow?

We all know the elbow is the joint between the forearm and upper arm. But what else makes up the elbow itself?

The elbow is a joint where three bones come together:

1. Humerus (upper arm bone)
2. Ulna (bone in the forearm)
3. Radius (another bone in the forearm)

Each bone also has cartilage at the end. Cartilage helps the bones slide against each other and absorb shocks. Cartilage is held in place by ligaments. Tendons connect bone to muscle, allowing you to control the movement of your arm. Beyond the complexity of just these moving parts, there are also many nerves and blood vessels around them.

Due to the complexity of the elbow, treating the source of elbow pain is not always a simple task. Additionally, locating and treating the source of the pain in most cases requires the skill of a professional doctor.

Conventional Treatment Options

In the case of common elbow injuries without complications, such as tennis elbow, treatment may be quite simple. Simple treatment options such as icing the elbow, exercising the elbow lightly, using an elbow strap and/or taking over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory drugs may resolve the problem.

However, sometimes even simple elbow problems may require more advanced methods of treatment. The patient may be dealing with severe tendonitis, a condition in which the tissue connecting muscle to bone becomes inflamed, or a serious fracture or sprain. If there is nerve damage, the pain may be excruciating in addition to being difficult to treat.

In many cases, patients are left with a recurrent problem requiring medications that may lose effectiveness over time. In the case of pain medication, the drugs are also highly addictive and carry potentially dangerous side effects. Regardless, the problem is that these medications carry the potential of complications while only masking the symptoms rather than aiming at the root of the problem.

Regenerative Medicine for Elbow Pain

Many patients suffering from elbow pain have reported an improvement in the condition following the use of regenerative medicine, including in clinical trials for conditions like tennis elbow. Results may vary, from subtle decreases in pain level to dramatic improvements in quality of life and functionality. Regardless, patients are turning to regenerative medicine for real improvements in the function and comfort of the use of their elbows.

Unlike invasive surgery and addictive pain medications, regenerative medicine is considered a noninvasive approach to treating elbow pain. The results from regenerative therapies often improve the functionality of the elbow beyond the expectations of more conventional therapies.

Regenerative therapies, such as those involving umbilical cord allograft, utilize mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for their regenerative capabilities. MSCs have the ability to differentiate, meaning they can take on many different cellular roles. When injected into a site where there is damage, they may be able to use these regenerative properties to repair tissues, nerves and other parts to restore function.

Some regenerative therapies used to treat elbow injuries may also utilize PRP (platelet-rich plasma). PRP is strong in growth factors, which can also aid in restoring function and/or reducing pain. PRP is made using a sample of your own blood which is separated into the plasma solution using a centrifuge.

If you’re interested in finding out if regenerative therapy is right for you, contact us today!

Choose Vitality Integrative Wellness

Dr. Ali Nassiry, Medical Director & Founder of Vitality Integrative Wellness, has a unique approach to regenerative medicine. Practical and effective, our regenerative therapies combined with traditional medicine have shown a strong rate of success for favorable candidates. Many of our patients have reported noticeable and worthy improvements to many of their conditions and/or symptoms. Some stories are practically miraculous in the level of improvement reported.

Results from regenerative medicine may vary, but we welcome new success stories every day. From slight pain relief to remarkable transformations in quality of life, we consistently hear that regenerative therapies were worth it. Our goal is to give our patients a newfound confidence in their ability to live their lives well. From surviving to thriving, Vitality Integrative Wellness wants to get you past whatever obstacle is keeping you from living up to your maximum potential.

Contact us to schedule an appointment with our medical office today! You may also call us at: 714-707-2020.