Platelet Rich Plasma/Human Growth Hormone Prolotherapy
Elevating Spine Care
Dr. Joye’s experience and early adoption of PRP for spine and disc disease has made him the leading authority on the use of PRP and other orthobiologics in the spine in Charleston.
The procedure involves performing a blood draw from the arm and using a centrifuge to separate the red blood cells from the platelets and plasma. After discarding the red blood cells, the remaining platelet/plasma suspension is spun again in the centrifuge to separate the platelets for injection into the target area on the same day.
The procedure is similar to a blood sample you may give your primary doctor for a regular health check-up, but a larger needle has to be used in order not to damage the platelets.
PRP can complement or act as an alternative to steroid injections.
Elevating Spine Care
Dr. Joye’s experience and early adoption of PRP for spine and disc disease has made him the leading authority on the use of PRP and other orthobiologics in the spine in Charleston.
The procedure involves performing a blood draw from the arm and using a centrifuge to separate the red blood cells from the platelets and plasma. After discarding the red blood cells, the remaining platelet/plasma suspension is spun again in the centrifuge to separate the platelets for injection into the target area on the same day.
The procedure is similar to a blood sample you may give your primary doctor for a regular health check-up, but a larger needle has to be used in order not to damage the platelets.
PRP can complement or act as an alternative to steroid injections.
Optimal Injury Recovery
Prolotherapy is an injection technique that originated in the late 1930s and is used to treat structural dysfunctions.
Prolotherapy can be a valuable tool to treat injuries (and avoid surgery) due to many common conditions such as a bulging disc, a labral tear in the hip or shoulder, a rotator cuff tear, or a meniscus tear in the knee.
With proper patient selection and strong communication with treating chiropractors and physical therapists, there’s an 80-85% chance that prolotherapy will increase function by at least 50%.
The Importance of Bones and Ligaments
The American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine describes ligaments as cable-like structures, which hold our bones together and allow us to walk without falling apart. Ligaments are flexible, but they do not stretch very far. Injuries, such as when you sprain a ligament, twist a knee, take a bad fall, suffer whiplash, or lift an object which is too heavy, can tear or fray these structures.
When a ligament is sprained or injured, some strands or threads that make up the cable become over-stretched and broken which allows the joint to move beyond its normal range of motion. This abnormal motion can produce painful sensations and numbness and tingling. In the spine, too much slippage can cause the backbones to press on the spinal nerves and cause sciatica. The body responds to this motion by making muscles contract in an effort to pull the joint back to the correct location. Prolonged muscle contraction then leads to muscle spasms. The tendency is to treat the muscle spasm and overlook the primary reason – ligament laxity.