PRP Therapy: More Effective Treatment for Chronic Low Back Pain
Low back pain is one of the most common health conditions which will be experienced by the majority of adults at some point in their life. Usually, back pain will have an acute onset and can be treated conservatively at home. However, persistent back pain for over 6 weeks is considered chronic low back pain and may not be as easily treated at home.
Whether we live an active lifestyle or not, chronic low back pain can be a degenerative health condition. It is commonly caused by pulled or strained muscles and spasms as well as damaged ligaments. Nerve irritation could also trigger lower back pain. And in more severe cases, throbbing pain in the back is caused by a slipped disc or spinal stenosis.
Chronic low back pain is also an indicative sign of aging. Although it is experienced by people from almost all ages, depending on occupation or genetics, it is more prevalent among middle-aged adults to senior citizens.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Chronic Low Back Pain
Lower back pain may be felt when you are doing the most mundane, everyday tasks or movements. Simply sitting down or standing up will cause you discomfort. Repetition of certain actions such as bending down or lifting your legs will prove to be difficult.
When you have reason to suspect that you have lower back pain, you can have a variety of tests requested by your physician. Your doctor will be able to determine the specific cause of your back pain through a combination of history, physical exam, and imaging studies such as X-ray. In more serious cases, an MRI or CT scan may be ordered.
Blood tests and bone scans can also determine the source of your back pain or what’s causing the painful sensation.
Conventional Treatment for Low Back Pain
Traditionally, people with chronic lower back pain would assume that what they are feeling is caused by a pulled or strained muscle, so they will try to correct it with months of massage or stretching. These things may work temporarily but will not fix the on-going issue.
Through science and careful study, it has been brought to light that this can be a very dangerous practice. Any movement or procedure that is not doctor-administered can cause further damage to your back.
Others would opt to rest their back after a grueling day or try ice or hot compression. While these may be performed initially to try to relieve the pain, it will likely not provide long term relief since it not addressing the underlying cause of the chronic low back pain.
And there are those who will turn to prescription pain medication in order to alleviate any discomfort. Again, this can be even more alarming since masking or suppressing the pain will not help since it does not properly treat the root cause.
Opting for a Better Alternative: PRP Therapy for Low Back Pain
Those who are considering a natural alternative to treating and relieving lower back pain should strongly consider PRP injections. As the name connotes, Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy revolves around utilizing injections that have a high concentration of the patient’s own platelets in order to revitalize soft tissue like ligaments and tendons, but even joints that have been damaged through injury or natural degeneration.
Because platelets contain growth factors that are essentially in our blood, infusing a high amount of them in any body part will fast-track healing and recovery. Think of it like fertilizing a garden.
PRP can be very effective in treating certain types of back pain such as pain caused by a disc injury or joint arthritis in the back.
If you opt for PRP injection therapy, a sample of your blood will be taken and place into a centrifuge that spins and separates it into the different components: platelet-rich plasma, platelet-poor plasma, and red blood cells. The platelet-rich plasma will be injected into the areas of your lower back where the pain is coming from.
Coupled with physical therapy and healthy habits, PRP injection therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for lower back pain.
Improved Pain Management and Treatment in Charlotte
Pain in itself should be considered helpful because it will point towards whatever is wrong in our body and what needs to be treated or corrected.
Advanced Sports & Spine in Charlotte offers cutting-edge pain management through PRP Injection therapy. Book an appointment today to start your path towards effective and natural lower back pain treatment. We are a non-surgical and non-opiate medical practice.