PRP Therapy for Rotator Cuff Tears
Sep 03, 2015
Rotator cuff tears are common shoulder injuries that can be quite painful and make daily tasks difficult. Identifying and treating these tears when the happen is essential to maintaining a good quality of life. This article will focus on rotator cuff tears and injuries. We will discuss the anatomy of the shoulder, the causes of a rotator cuff tear, and how PRP therapy and regenerative medicine can help treat shoulder injuries.
Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles that connect your arms to your shoulders. They also facilitate arm movements like lifting and rotating. Tearing these muscles can lead to a lot of pain and decreased mobility.
Rotator cuff tears are divided into two categories: acute tears, and degenerative tears. Acute rotator cuff tears are the result of a single injury, while degenerative tears develop over time as the tendon wears down. Here are some of the most common injuries and factors that can lead to a rotator cuff tear:
Certain activities (like playing high impact sports) can increase a person’s risk of a rotator cuff tear. But many of these injuries are caused by normal wear and tear on the tendons over time. No matter what causes a rotator cuff tear, there are options for treatment.
Rotator cuff tears can get worse over time if left untreated, so it’s important to address the injury right away. Treating a rotator cuff tear first requires a full examination, and possibly imaging tests like MRI scans. Once a physician accurately diagnoses the condition, you can work with your doctor to develop a treatment strategy. Treatment options range from pain medications, to steroid injections, to surgery.
PRP therapy can be just as effective as these traditional methods, and allows the patient to avoid surgery. PRP injections work by drawing a sample of the patient’s own blood, and then re-injecting portions of it into the shoulder near the site of the rotator cuff tear. The platelets in the patient’s blood go to work repairing the damaged tissue and reducing pain in the process.
Shoulder injuries like a rotator cuff tear can really disrupt a person’s everyday life. The shoulder pain, coupled with the inability to lift your arm can make even the most mundane tasks difficult. Don’t just deal with the pain – seek medical help. Regenerative medicine therapies like PRP injections can provide significant pain relief while repairing your damaged rotator cuff tendons. Best of all, there is no surgery involved in this procedure. To see if PRP injections can help heal your rotator cuff injury and reduce your shoulder pain, call Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota to make an appointment with Dr. Matthew Thorson today.