Tendons are fibrous cords that connect muscles to bone. Injuries or stress on tendons can result in irritation or inflammation, a condition called tendonitis. The tendons around major joints are the most prone to tendonitis, such as elbow, shoulder, knees or ankles. Regenerative medicine delivered through injections can stimulate healing and offer pain relief from tendonitis.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
PRP injections can be a helpful treatment for painful tendonitis. Platelet-rich plasma is derived from the patient’s blood – a sample of blood is withdrawn, then filtered through a centrifuge. The resulting plasma has concentrated levels of platelets and growth factors that can be injected into the area of the damaged tendon.
PRP injections for tendonitis offer stimulation of healing for tears and damage to the tendons. Common tendonitis conditions that respond well to PRP injections include jumper or runner’s knee, rotator cuff tears, golfer’s/tennis elbow and ankle tendonitis. The treatment can be performed in a quick office visit and there is no required downtime, although you may need to avoid strenuous activity involving the treated area. Patients can experience pain relief and improvement of other symptoms in two to six weeks after their treatment.
Tendonitis Stem Cell Injections
For more severe tendonitis, stem cell injections may be recommended to aid in faster healing. Stem cells have unique properties that can help repair damaged cells within the tendon strands and reduce inflammation. Stem cells can be harvested from the patient’s bone marrow – we extract a small amount of bone marrow and filter out the stem cells. The purified, concentrated stem cells are then injected into the damaged tendon.
Stem cell injections can help knee, shoulder, wrist, elbow or ankle tendonitis, but the effects are not immediate. It may require several weeks for the tendon to heal, but this can be beneficial for those with chronic tendonitis that has not responded to other treatments.
Dr. Steven Struhl and our team at Regenerative Orthopaedics offer advanced treatments for tendonitis and other soft tissue injuries. To learn more about regenerative injections for tendonitis, contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Struhl at our medical center in NYC or Westchester, NY.