Alternative Treatments
In addition to providing surgical care for a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions, Dr. John Baker at Allegiance Orthopedic & Spine Institute offers alternative treatments to help patients improve their mobility and range of motion and manage their joint pain. Among these options are:
Stem Cell Therapy
Regenerative medicine is an alternative form of treatment that is revolutionizing modern healthcare, especially in the field of orthopedics. Allegiance Orthopedic & Spine Institute is pleased to offer one of the most promising regenerative medical alternatives to traditional surgical methods – stem cell therapy. In orthopedics, stem cells may be used to help heal osteoarthritis as well as partial tendon, ligament, or cartilage tears.
Mesenchymal, or non-embryonic stem cells, are the most commonly used. Found in adipose tissue (fat) and bone marrow, these stem cells are a fundamental part of your body’s natural healing process and can be converted into any cell your body needs, substituting for damaged or injured cells and thereby allowing for the natural healing and repair of injured or damaged tissue.
Stem cell therapy is a safe and relatively quick procedure that doesn’t involve an invasive surgical procedure, general anesthesia, or downtime. Dr. Baker will extract stem cells from an area of fat or from bone marrow in your hip, prepare them, and inject them directly into the injured joint or soft tissue.
Many of those who have undergone stem cell therapy have reported significant improvement in their condition within days and complete restoration of damaged or injured ligaments, tendons, and cartilage approximately within a month without any side effects.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
Allegiance Orthopedic & Spine Institute in Delray Beach and Boca Raton, Florida offers PRP therapy, an injection process that stimulates the natural growth, repair, and rehabilitation of connective tissues, such as those in the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees, by delivering a high concentration of platelets directly into the damaged area.
Here’s how PRP therapy works: Your doctor draws a sample of your blood and spins it in a centrifuge at high speed, thus separating the platelets from other blood cells and plasma. Then, the increased concentration of platelets is combined with the remaining plasma and injected back into the affected area, where it triggers and enhances the healing process.
Because your own blood is used, there is no risk of transmissible infection and a very low risk of an allergic reaction, making PRP therapy safe and effective in treating a wide range of conditions, including:
- Osteoarthritis of the knee, shoulder, hip, and spine
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Tendonitis and ligament sprains
- Tennis elbow
- Chronic knee pain
- Muscle strains
- Hip pain and instability
The objective of PRP therapy is to resolve orthopedic pain through natural healing, which is a gradual process. As such, PRP therapy patients often see initial improvement within a few weeks, with greater improvement as the healing progresses. Studies have shown that PRP therapy can be effective in helping patients regain normal, pain-free function in the long term.
PRP therapy greatly reduces the need for invasive surgery by treating injured tissues before the damage worsens and the condition becomes irreversible. Dr. Baker performs the procedure in our office, and it only takes about an hour. Other advantages include minimal pain; little or no scarring; few, if any, minor side effects; and no downtime, meaning you can resume your normal activities immediately after the procedure.
Medical Marijuana
If you or someone you love has been coping with chronic pain and have considered trying medical marijuana to help relieve your discomfort, Allegiance Orthopedic & Spine Institute can help. Our practice has been authorized by the state of Florida to perform medical evaluations to determine if patients meet the state’s Department of Health requirements for medical marijuana.
If you have a chronic condition that meets the state’s guidelines, Dr. Baker will provide a recommendation – similar to a prescription – to establish a medical care plan. We can register you with the state, enabling you to obtain medical marijuana from a dispensary of your choosing.
To learn more about alternative treatments available at Allegiance Orthopedic & Spine Institute, contact us today at (561) 330-4358 to schedule a consultation, or you can request an appointment online.
