Is Prolotherapy a Cure for Everything?

June 29, 2016/0 Comments/in Injections, Regenerative Medicine /by Matthew Thorson

Prolotherapy can be incredibly effective in treating various pain conditions. But is prolotherapy a “cure-all” that can help treat all types of pain and related conditions? That’s our question for this article, in which we discuss what specific injuries and conditions prolotherapy can help treat and when other treatment options are more beneficial.

The Myth of the Cure-all

There have always been snake oil salesmen who tout a specific medication, procedure, or treatment as the cure-all for any condition. The truth of the matter is that pain is complex, and requires a strategic approach to treatment that often incorporates multiple methods.

There is no treatment option on the planet that works for every condition. Each patient experiences pain differently, and a patient’s entire situation (medical history, pre-existing conditions, etc.) needs to be taken into account. A skilled pain medicine physician can weigh all of these factors and work with the patient to develop a nuanced treatment plan that will actually work.

Prolotherapy Best Practices

So what can prolotherapy treat? Prolotherapy is a regenerative medicine technique that dates back a long time (more on the history of prolotherapy here). It is best used to treat injuries involving the soft tissues of the body. Conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, and facet joint syndrome can all benefit from prolotherapy. Multiple prolotherapy injections help tissue regenerate and grow over time, which can in turn, decrease pain.

The regenerative medicine specialists at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN have been performing prolotherapy injections for the past two decades. Our pain care physicians have the knowledge and experience needed to help you achieve the pain relief you’re looking for. Contact our Edina clinic today to see if you are a good candidate for prolotherapy or another regenerative medicine procedure. Our doctors treat patients throughout the Minneapolis / St. Paul Metro, as well as greater Minnesota.

How to Keep Your Relationship Happy when you have Chronic Pain

June 27, 2016/0 Comments/in Chronic Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Maintaining a healthy relationship with your significant other takes a lot of work. When you or your significant other suffers from chronic pain, it can be twice as difficult. In this article, we are going to offer a few tips for maintaining a happy relationship when you or your significant other suffers from a chronic pain condition.

Educate Yourself & Your Spouse

Having a good comprehension of what you and/or your significant other is going through can increase your compassion and understanding. Educate yourselves on the condition, injury, or symptoms you’re experiencing so you know what to expect. That way you can put yourself in your significant other’s shoes and sympathize with the pain they are experiencing.

Communicate Effectively

Effective communication goes hand-in-hand with education. It is absolutely essential to keep your significant other updated on the symptoms you’re experiencing, and they nature of your pain. If you’re having a particularly rough day, tell your significant other so they can better interpret your actions, and help you when needed.

Get the Help you Need

Making the decision to seek help for your pain can be difficult. But being proactive and finding a pain management physician who understands your situation is vital to effectively reducing your pain. Furthermore, getting on a pain treatment plan will make you and your significant other happy knowing that you are getting the care you need.

The Minnesota chronic pain management doctors at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN have been helping pain patients for over twenty years. Our physicians will fully diagnose your chronic pain and develop a treatment strategy that fits your unique needs. We can also help you explain your pain and condition to your significant other. Our clinic is located in Edina, but we help patients throughout the Twin Cities metro area, as well as greater Minnesota. Contact us today to set up your appointment with a skilled Edina pain specialist.

Activity Restrictions after Prolotherapy

June 22, 2016/0 Comments/in Injections, Regenerative Medicine /by Matthew Thorson

Listening to your doctor’s recommended activity restrictions is an important aspect of a fast recovery after any procedure. Many patients want to know what type of activity restrictions they will be facing before they make a decision about their care. In this article, we are going to discuss activity restrictions related to prolotherapy injections.

Prolotherapy Activity Restrictions

Prolotherapy is a non-invasive regenerative medicine treatment that uses a sugar-based solution to promote your body’s internal healing and regrowth process.

One of the greatest benefits of prolotherapy is that there are virtually no activity restrictions after the treatment. Compare that to a surgical procedure, which may knock you out for weeks or months on end, and you can see why many patients choose regenerative medicine techniques over surgery.

Prolotherapy vs. Surgery Restrictions

For example, following an ankle surgery, your surgeon will likely recommend that you remain non-weight bearing for several days or weeks after the procedure. In other words, you can’t put any weight on the ankle for that time period. This prevents you from engaging in the most basic daily activities. After a prolotherapy injection in the ankle, patients are actually encouraged to move and be active.

Prolotherapy Injections are quick and relatively painless. You may experience some mild irritation or swelling after the procedure, but that should dissipate within hours of the injections. After that you are free to walk, run, and sprint!

Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN is a leading provider of prolotherapy and other regenerative medicine treatments in Minnesota. Our Edina pain doctors have been performing prolotherapy injections and other pain reduction techniques for the past twenty years. We have the knowledge, training, and experience necessary to fully address and treat your pain. Contact our clinic today to set up your appointment and talk about your options for reducing your pain.

Is Prolotherapy a Good Surgery Alternative?

June 20, 2016/0 Comments/in Injections, Regenerative Medicine /by Matthew Thorson

We’ve talked many times about the benefits of prolotherapy for treating your pain condition, but is it a good surgery alternative? In this article, we are going to discuss whether or not prolotherapy is a good alternative to surgery for pain conditions and injuries.

Prolotherapy as a Surgery Alternative

Prolotherapy, and other regenerative injection treatments, offer an excellent alternative to surgery for patients with chronic pain from tissue damage. Many patients understandably want to leave surgery as a last resort. Injections like prolotherapy, PRP, and nerve blocks offer pain relief with much less cost, and recovery than surgery.

When to Consider Surgery

In certain patient situations, surgery is the best (or only option). Severe injury or accident cases may require immediate surgery to prevent nerve damage and reconstruct damaged areas of the body. However, these are extreme cases. With most instances of chronic pain, patients have a choice between surgery and more conservative options. Generally, we recommend exploring your non-surgical options before making a decision to undergo surgery. Injections are much less invasive than surgery, and often work just as well in reducing pain. When you’ve exhausted all of your conservative treatment options with little success, then it may be time to consult with a surgeon.

At Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN, we work with each patient to determine their unique needs and develop and individualized pain management strategy. Every patient’s circumstances are different, and require different care approaches. Some patients will benefit from prolotherapy, while others may respond better to surgery or other treatments. Whatever the case, our Edina pain physicians are prepared to help you with your pain. We have been helping Minnesotans in pain for over two decades. Give our clinic a call today to set up an appointment and see how we can help you return to a pain free life.

Should I have Prolotherapy or Another Injection?

June 15, 2016/0 Comments/in Injections, Regenerative Medicine /by Matthew Thorson

If you are a chronic pain sufferer, injection therapy may be an excellent method for reducing your pain. The problem is that there are many different types of injections to choose from and making an informed decision can be difficult. In this article, we are going to discuss a few tips for deciding between prolotherapy injections, and various other types of pain relief injections.

Prolotherapy

As we have discussed before on this site, prolotherapy is a regenerative medicine treatment in which a solution is injected into a patient’s degenerated tissues to stimulate healing and regeneration.

Other Types of Injections

Here are a handful of other common pain management injections, with a little explanation of how they work:

PRP Injections. Similar to prolotherapy, PRP injections fall under the umbrella of “Regenerative Medicine.” However, the actual solution injected is much different. PRP injections use the patient’s own blood platelets and plasma to stimulate healing and tissue regeneration at the site of pain.
Nerve Block Injections. These injections aim to disrupt pain signals from the nerves that transmit them. Nerve blocks are best used when patient pain is the result of a nerve issue.
Corticosteroid Injections utilize a steroidal solution to decrease inflammation and swelling in the area of pain.

Every injection has its pros and cons, and every patient’s situation is different and should be treated according to its unique set of circumstances. Talk with a pain physician about your options before making a decision about what injection to pursue.

The experienced pain management physicians at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN are trained in prolotherapy, PRP, steroidal injections, nerve blocks, and other pain reduction techniques. If you are living in pain, one of these injections may be your ticket back to a pain-free existence. Contact us today to set up your appointment with a Minnesota pain doctor who can fully diagnose your condition and walk you through your options for treatment.

What to Do When Doctors Say Different Things

June 13, 2016/0 Comments/in Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Second opinions are becoming increasingly common in the medical world. When a second opinion confirms a diagnosis, it can be a weight off the patient’s back. But if a second opinion is drastically different than the first opinion, it can cause a patient even more anxiety. Here, we will talk about the importance of a second opinion before moving forward with your card, and what to do if you get differing medical opinions.

Getting a Second Opinion

Getting a second (or third) medical opinion is a common practice in this day and age. Patients want to be certain they are making the best decision about their care, and medicine is not always black and white. This is especially true in the realm of pain medicine, because pain is such a subjective symptom. A patient may present with back pain, and two doctors may disagree on the root cause of the pain. One may diagnose the patient with a herniated disc, while the other diagnoses spinal stenosis. Since, the treatment approaches for these two conditions are different, how is the patient supposed to know what to do?

Choosing the Right Treatment Plan

Every patient is unique, and there is no one size fits all treatment that will work to reduce everyone’s pain. Managing pain is all about finding the right treatment approach for your specific situation. The best thing you can do is make sure you have the best possible care team. Be sure to visit a pain doctor who is well regarded and has a good track record for treating patients with your type of pain. And if you are unsatisfied with your current care, by all means, seek a second opinion.

At Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN we diagnose and treat each patient according to their unique needs. Our board-certified Edina pain doctors have been treating patients throughout Minnesota for over two decades. If you are confused about a diagnosis, or haven’t been able to find the pain care you need, contact our clinic today to set up your appointment with one of our physicians. We will listen to your story, and help find a solution that will get you back to living a pain-free life.

Quality of Life and Pain Care

June 8, 2016/0 Comments/in Pain /by Matthew Thorson

Many patients who suffer from chronic pain conditions have a very low quality of life due to the fact that they are in pain all the time. This article is all about quality of life and pain management. How the two are related, and how treating pain conditions can lead to a better quality of life.

Quality of Life Care

Much of pain management is about improving quality of life for each individual patient. Chronic pain conditions can significantly reduce a person’s ability to do their job, or even complete mundane daily tasks. Many patients we treat have trouble doing the laundry, cleaning dishes, or working in the yard, simply because of their pain. It’s one thing to be unable to complete these routine tasks for a few days or weeks while you recover from an acute injury. But with chronic pain patients, this happens every day for months or years on end. Over time, these things build up until the patient’s quality of life is minimal at best.

Pain Management Leads to Better Quality of Life

One of the biggest goals of a pain management physician is to reduce a patient’s pain in the long-term and, as a result, increase their quality of life. Whether that be through prescription medications, pain injections, physical therapy, or other treatments – the ultimate goal is to help the patient reduce their pain so that they can enjoy life.

At Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN, we are committed to improving the quality of life for our patients. Our Edina pain management doctors have been helping patients reduce their pain for over twenty years. If you are struggling through life in pain, contact our clinic today and one of our physicians will walk you through your options for pain management. Our pain clinic is located in Edina, but we treat patients throughout the Twin Cities metro and greater Minnesota. Give us a call today to set up your appointment!

How to Decide when it’s Time to go to the ER

June 6, 2016/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Matthew Thorson

Making the decision to visit the ER is a tough choice, especially when you’re in extreme pain. You don’t want to make the trip if it’s unnecessary. On the other hand, if you’re in serious danger, a trip to the ER can save your life. So how do you make a decision? In this article, we are going to offer some tips and tricks for determining when it’s time to take a trip to the Emergency Room.

Are your Injuries Life-Threatening?

The first question to ask yourself is “are you injuries or your condition life threatening?” If the answer is yes, call an ambulance immediately. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if your injuries are life threatening or not. Here are a few signs that you should visit the ER immediately:

Heart Attack Symptoms – pain in your chest, arm, and shortness of breath.
Stroke Symptoms – sudden numbness or loss of feeling on one side of your face or body, and difficulty speaking.
A Head Injury – even the most minor head injuries can result in concussions or internal bleeding.

All of these items need to be addresses as soon as possible to ensure patient safety and health. So visit the ER right away if you recognize these signs or symptoms in yourself or a loved one.

If you have been seriously injured or are experiencing severe pain, go to the ER immediately for treatment. If you are suffering from chronic pain, make an appointment with a seasoned pain management specialist. At Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN, our pain doctors have been treating patients in the Twin Cities Metro area for the past twenty years. We offer all types of pain management treatments, from injections, to medications, to surgical intervention. Contact us today at our Edina clinic to set up your very own appointment with one of our Minnesota pain physicians.