PRP for Hair Restoration

October 28, 2015/0 Comments/in PRP /by Matthew Thorson

We have talked a lot about how Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections can help a person recover from degenerative conditions or injuries that cause pain. But PRP can also be used for cosmetic purposes such as anti-aging, skin rejuvenation, and hair restoration. This article focuses on the latter – hair restoration. We are going to discuss how PRP works to restore hair, and who is a good candidate for this restorative treatment.

How PRP works to Restore Hair

Read more about the general concept behind platelet-rich plasma injections here.

PRP for hair restoration works in a similar way to PRP for pain relief. A sample of the patient’s blood is extracted and run through a centrifuge. The blood separates into platelet-poor plasma, platelet-rich plasma, and dense red blood cells. The platelet-rich plasma is isolated and then injected back into the patient’s body. These stem cells begin repairing damaged or lost tissue in the injected region. In the case of a torn ACL, these platelets rejuvenate the torn ligaments and reduce pain. With hair restoration, the blood platelets work to regrow hair follicles.

Here is a brief outline of the procedure:

The clinician takes a small sample of your blood.
The blood is processed and stem-cell concentrated plasma separated.
The patient is given a local anesthetic to the scalp to block pain.
Then the PRP is injected into the patient’s scalp.

The whole procedure typically takes less than an hour.

Who is a Good Candidate for PRP Hair Restoration?

Not every patient is a good fit for PRP hair restoration. Patients who suffer from blood diseases or rely on anti-platelet medications are typically not good candidates. Chronic skin cancer, liver disease, and sepsis can also be indicators of a bad fit. Every patient’s situation is different, and a qualified PRP professional can guide you toward the right treatment.

If you are interested in learning more about how PRP can help restore your hairline, contact the regenerative medicine experts at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota.

Chronic Foot Pain – Causes & Treatment Options

October 26, 2015/0 Comments/in Chronic Pain /by Matthew Thorson

While all pain is bad, chronic foot pain can be particularly cumbersome for patients. For most people, walking, standing, and moving around on your feet are essential to your ability to function on a daily basis. With chronic foot pain, even the simplest tasks can be difficult and time-consuming. In this article, we will look at the potential causes of chronic foot pain, as well as some of the available methods for treating each of these causes.

Causes of Chronic Foot Pain

The causes of recurring foot pain are various. Here are a few common situations

Sprain of the ligaments in the foot or ankle. Sprains typically heal on their own given enough time, but such injuries can also lead to recurring pain long after the initial injury has healed.
Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia – a band of tissue on the bottom of your foot that stretches from your heel to your toes. Pain from this condition typically presents as heel pain (especially if it flares up in the morning after you step out of bed.
Heel spurs are bony growths at the bottom of your heel that can cause pain while standing or walking.
Peripheral neuropathy can cause pain and numbness in the feet. This condition occurs when peripheral nerves are impacted in one way or another.

These are just a few examples of the many causes of chronic pain in the foot.

Foot Pain Treatment Options

With any instance of pain, the first step in the right direction begins with accurately diagnosing the cause of the pain. A broken foot would be treated much differently than plantar fasciitis, for example; even though both conditions may present similar symptoms. Finding the right diagnosis requires a combination of physical examination, imaging tests such as X-rays, and other factors.

Depending on the specific root cause of your foot pain, treatment options may include physical therapy, prescription pain medication, injection therapy, bracing, PRP therapy, or surgery (though this is usually a last resort after other methods fail). A pain management physician specializes in analyzing your specific situation and tailoring a comprehensive treatment plan for decreasing your foot pain.

At Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota, we help patients manage most types of pain. If you are experiencing recurring pain in your foot, don’t hesitate – make an appointment with a Minnesota pain management specialist today to discuss your options for treatment.

Peripheral Nerve Block Injections Explained

October 21, 2015/0 Comments/in Injections /by Matthew Thorson

Peripheral nerve block injections are used to reduce pain caused by the peripheral nerves. These injections can be used to treat a variety of pain conditions and injuries. This article will focus on peripheral nerve block injections. Read on to learn more about these injections and the conditions they can treat.

Peripheral Nerves & The Human Nervous System

The human nervous system is broken out into two distinct parts – the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system comprises all the other nerves in the body that connect to the spine and brain.

There are 43 total nerves in the peripheral nervous system. When you injure your knee in a car accident, your peripheral nerves pass pain signals all the way up to your brain to process the pain. Nerve block injections aim to stop these pain signals before they even reach the brain – reducing pain in the process.

Conditions Treated with Peripheral Nerve Injections

Peripheral nerve injections can be a great help in treating a wide array of painful conditions, including:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Sciatica & back pain
Morton’s Neuroma & foot pain
Migraines

Peripheral nerve blocks can also be used to diagnose certain conditions. If your physician is having trouble pinpointing the cause of your pain, they might recommend nerve block injections to narrow down a diagnosis. So if you are experiencing knee pain and a nerve block injection does nothing to relieve the pain, your physician can look into other potential causes of the pain.

If you are suffering from chronic pain or pain from an accident – peripheral nerve block injections may help reduce your pain. Contact a skilled Minneapolis pain doctor at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota today to discuss your pain management options.

5 Ways to Beat Knee Pain

October 19, 2015/0 Comments/in Knee Injury /by Matthew Thorson

Knee pain comes in many shapes and sizes – from ACL & MCL injuries in the sports arena, to degenerative osteoarthritis. Similarly, there are many types of treatment methods for combating knee pain. Here we are going to offer five concrete ways to beat knee pain.

Over-the-Counter Pain Meds and Home Therapies

One of the most common methods for relieving pain of any sort is over-the-counter pain killers. Tylenol, Advil, ibuprofen, and other drugs are easily accessible and can be helpful in delaying pain. RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) is a first line of defense for knee pain and new injury. This is a good place to start, but more serious conditions and injuries will typically require additional treatments down the line.

Pain Injections

Injections (such as corticosteroid injections) are a popular treatment option for pain relief. These injections reduce inflammation in the knee and decrease pain in the process. Injections can be used to treat knee ligament tears, knee arthritis, and other conditions.

Physical Therapy

Physical and occupation therapies are most helpful following a knee injury that restricts mobility. A structured physical therapy course can help get your knee back to its fully functional state. Make sure you only do this with the help of a qualified physical therapist.

Bracing

While not a great long-term treatment plan on its own, wearing a knee brace can help keep a stabilize the knee during exercise. Bracing can also aid in preventing a person from re-injuring their knee after they have recovered from a torn ACL or other injury.

Regenerative Medicine & PRP Therapy

Regenerative therapies are relatively new compared with these other treatment methods, but they have shown great results in the treatment of knee injuries and degenerative conditions. PRP therapy involves taking a sample of the patient’s blood, separating out the various elements of the blood, and then re-injecting the platelet-rich plasma into the knee area. This process encourages tissue regrowth, reduces knee pain, and boosts mobility, and PRP requires no recovery time!

As you can see, there are many options for treating knee pain. If you have tried home remedies with no luck, make an appointment with a pain management doctor to discuss your options. The Minnesota pain physicians at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota have decades of experience treating patients with knee pain throughout the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area. Give us a call to set up an appointment today!

Cervical Dystonia & Neck Pain Management

October 14, 2015/0 Comments/in Neck Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Cervical dystonia is an uncommon condition that causes spasms in the neck muscles. It can be incredibly painful and exhausting. The purpose of this article is to define cervical dystonia, and discuss the causes of the condition, as well as some options for treatment.

What is Cervical Dystonia?

Cervical dystonia is also known as spasmodic torticollis. It is a condition in which involuntary muscle contractions in the neck causing pain and mobility issues. Cervical dystonia is quite rare, but it can impact patients of any age. In certain cases, the development of cervical dystonia can be linked to a traumatic injury to the muscles in the head, neck, and shoulders. In other cases, the exact cause is a mystery. The common symptoms of cervical dystonia include:

Involuntary muscle spasms in the neck
Neck pain that may radiate to the shoulders
Headaches
Difficulty moving your head or neck
Having your head move forward, backward, or sideways without your control

Sometimes these symptoms go away on their own without any active treatment, but this is not commonplace. Most patients require treatment to effectively manage symptoms.

Cervical Dystonia Treatments

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for the condition. However, various treatment options can minimize symptoms and decrease the frequency of episodes. Treatment typically begins with various medications like pain relievers and muscle relaxants. Botox injections can also be effective at decreasing the muscle spasms. Surgery may also be helpful in some cases when conservative options fail. Deep brain stimulation surgery and selective denervation surgery are potential treatment strategies.

Edina Neck Pain Management

Cervical dystonia is rare, but patients who suffer from the condition experience real pain that can affect their quality of life. Although the condition is indefnintely chronic, there are ways to manage pain from cervical dystonia and allow you to live life to the fullest. Contact the pain management specialists and Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota today to set up an appointment and get on the path to treatment.

Bursa Injections for Joint Pain Relief

October 12, 2015/0 Comments/in Injections /by Matthew Thorson

Injections can be one of the most effective methods for treating pain. But with so many different types of injections (from nerve block injections, to epidural injections), it can be difficult to keep them all straight and choose the right injection for your situation. The focus of this article is Bursa Injections. We will talk about how bursa injections differ from other injections, and when they can be used to treat pain.

Bursa Injections Defined

Before we talk about bursa injections, let’s briefly cover what exactly the term “bursa” means. A bursa is a small sac of fluid located at any area in the body where muscles and tendons meet bones. The function of the bursa is to facilitate the gliding of muscles or tendons over bone or ligament. When a bursa becomes inflamed, it can cause pain and decreased mobility.

A bursa injection is an injection into one of the body’s bursa sacs to reduce inflammation and pain. The procedure itself is simple. First, the area of injection is numbed with local anesthesia. Then the physician introduces steroid and anesthetic into the bursa sac.

The level of pain relief provided by bursa injections varies by patient. Some people experience pain relief within hours or days after the injection. Sometimes the pain relief is permanent, and sometimes it returns after a few months.

When are Bursa Injections Helpful?

Bursa injections can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions and injuries throughout the body. Here are a few of the most common:

Hip pain
Knee pain, ACL & MCL injuries
Shoulder pain & rotator cuff tears
Tennis & Golf Elbow

If you are experiencing joint pain in any area of your body, make an appointment with a pain management physician today to discuss your options and see if a bursa injection can help you. The doctors at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota have been administering bursa injections for years – and can guide you through your options for treatment.

Tips for Identifying & Treating Herniated Discs

October 7, 2015/0 Comments/in Back Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Herniated spinal discs are just one of many conditions that may cause back pain. At times they can be difficult to identify and treat but the sooner they are diagnosed the sooner you can begin working toward pain relief. This article will explain how to identify the symptoms of herniated spinal discs, and how to approach a successful treatment.

What Causes Spinal Discs to Herniate?

In between each vertebra in the spine is a disc that acts as a cushion preventing the bones from rubbing against each other and facilitates movement.

Here are a few of the most common symptoms of a herniated disc:

Pain in the back or neck
Tingling or numbness in the back, legs, and/or hands
Bladder and bowel control issues

Symptoms tend to vary widely based on the patient. Some people will have no symptoms at all, while others will be in debilitating pain.

Various Treatments for Herniated Discs

There are numerous ways to treat a herniated disc in the spine, including all of the following:

NSAIDs and prescription pain medication
Pain injections like cortisone shots, nerve blocks, etc.
Chiropractic and physical therapy
PRP injections and other regenerative therapies
Surgery to remove the herniated disc

Patients typically begin with the less invasive treatments and work their way up to surgery if the pain does not resolve. A patient may start with over the counter pain pills and move on to pain injections when those pills don’t work to adequately relieve the pain. There is no option that works best for every patient in every instance. Each case has to be evaluated on its own and a unique treatment method crafted based on the individual patient.

Edina Spine Pain Treatment

If you are experiencing back pain or any of the other symptoms of a herniated spinal disc, make an appointment with the back pain specialists at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota. Our physicians have decades of experience treating Minnesotans who suffer from back pain. Call to make your appointment today!

Chronic Pain Causes and Treatments

October 5, 2015/0 Comments/in Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Pain comes in many forms and affects everyone at some point in their lives. Many people who experience pain get treatment and the pain goes away in a matter of hours, days, weeks, or months. People who experience chronic pain, on the other hand, are afflicted with recurring pain for an extended period of time. Here, we are going to examine chronic pain, its associated conditions, and some treatment options.

Categorizing Pain: Acute vs. Chronic

Because it is so subjective, pain is notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat. That being said, there are a few methods that physicians use to categorize pain. The most basic classification of pain is acute pain vs. chronic pain.

Acute pain is defined as pain that can be tied to a specific injury or condition and that lasts for a short period of time (3 to 6 months). By contrast, chronic pain is recurring (hence the name chronic). It may or may not be the result of a specific injury. Often times, chronic pain is very difficult to treat because its root cause can be hard to identify.

Here are some common conditions related to chronic pain:

Fibromyalgia
CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
Sciatica
Nerve Damage
Multiple Sclerosis
Arthritis
Shingles

These conditions can cause recurring pain in a single area, or throughout the body.

Treating Chronic Pain

While most acute pain can be treated quickly and effectively, chronic pain is a different beast. Treating it often requires a multi-faceted approach involving various methods such as pain medication, injections, physical therapy, and possibly surgery. If you are experiencing chronic pain, contact a pain management specialist at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota to diagnose your condition and strategize options for treatment. No matter what your situation, there are methods for treating your pain. You don’t have to go through life in constant pain. Get the help you need today by making an appointment.