As mentioned in the previous article, regenerative therapy can be simply understood as a treatment that indirectly or directly harnesses the body’s natural repair capacity. It can broadly be classified into three categories: cellular, pharmacological, or physical.
For cellular therapy, besides the platelet therapy mentioned in the previous article, there is also mesenchymal stem cell therapy. Its application is similar to that of platelets.
These cells can be extracted through various routes. Clinically, doctors usually aspirate bone marrow from the patient’s pelvis, then use a centrifuge to concentrate the useful cells and biological factors, and inject them into the treatment site within a short time. Because this method is relatively new, there is comparatively little medical research on it, and it is also more complex to perform. As a result, its clinical application is much rarer than that of platelets.
Stimulating Inflammation at the Affected Site, Then Repair
Prolotherapy is a type of regenerative therapy whose scope of use is similar to cellular therapies such as platelets. It mainly uses high-concentration glucose injected into the injured or strained site to stimulate inflammation there and then promote repair. However, because its effect is weaker than that of platelets, and the treatment process is more painful, it has gradually been replaced by platelet therapy in recent years.
Shockwave therapy is a physical regenerative therapy that the general public encounters more often. It mainly uses shockwaves to stimulate the regeneration of damaged tissue. However, because this method is relatively difficult to target precisely, and shockwaves cannot reach deep tissues, this method is usually limited to tissues on the body’s surface, such as the plantar fascia or tennis elbow.
Finally, every treatment method has its limitations, and regenerative therapy is no exception. The general public must not blindly believe exaggerated commercial advertising. Before undergoing any such treatment, everyone should first clearly understand with their doctor the treatment’s effects, limitations, and safety.
Dr. Lee Yuk-ming, Specialist in Pain Medicine
Original article: Health: Caring for the Elderly — Regenerative Therapy and Chronic Pain (Part 2) | Oriental Daily | Local News
Published in Oriental Daily on 18/05/2023
Source: https://orientaldaily.on.cc/content/news/odn-20230518-0518_00176_025/
