What is Restorative Injection Therapy (RIT)
RIT is a more permanent and non-surgical solution to chronic pain and injuries using Ozone Prolotherapy (Prolozone) and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy to accelerate the regeneration of injured tissue and enhance healing of joints, ligaments, and tendons. Steroid shots can reduce inflammation and pain but in most cases does not rebuild, restore, and heal function; repeated steroid shots can actually damage function. My belief is that RIT should be attempted before more invasive measures like surgery. RIT is minimally invasive with very little recovery time, while being well tolerated by patients.
What is Ozone Prolotherapy (Prolozone) Therapy?
Prolozone therapy uses ozone gas to cause the proliferation and regeneration of new cartilage and collagen at the site of injection; typically in joint spaces and around ligaments and tendons. The injected ozone gas acts as a proliferative agent to increase the blood supply and flow of healing nutrients. More importantly, it stimulates the activity of fibroblasts and chrondroblasts that are critical for healing. These cells synthesize the collagen and cartilage the body uses to repair damaged joints, tendons, and ligaments. This increase in cellular activity strengthens and tightens the injured tissue; thereby stabilizing the area, and removing the cause of pain. A liquid solution of procaine, homeopathic anti-inflammatory, dextrose, Glycyrrhizic acid, and vitamins are injected prior to adding ozone gas to affected area. Adding PRP therapy will super charge the Prolozone healing response.
How PRP Therapy Can Help!
When tissue injury occurs due to chronic or acute stress, platelets collect at the site of injury and begin to repair it. By concentrating these platelets and administering them straight into the injury site, we can deliver a powerful mixture of growth factors and stem cells exactly where you need it, dramatically enhancing your body’s natural healing process. This treatment may lead to a more rapid, more efficient, and more complete restoration of the tissue to a healthy state.
What is PRP?
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) contains many components that aid in the natural process of tissue repair and healing like growth factors and stem cells. PRP has been use for over 20 years in numerous surgical fields to enhance bone grafting and accelerate wound healing. Elite athletes like Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning among many others have been using PRP to heal injuries and stay competitive while avoiding surgery. Platelets, the main component of PRP, are essential for turning on the natural process of tissue regeneration. I tell my patients the PRP growth-factor cocktail helps you heal like you are 20 years old again. PRP causes the production of new collagen and cartilage at the site of injection. Wherever there is injury, there are stem cells present for healing but with age the stem cells become more dormant, they are not active. PRP helps to activate these stem cells to super charge the goal of enhancing the body’s ability to heal itself.
How Do You Get The Platelets for PRP Therapy?
PRP uses the patients’ own blood to concentrate platelets by a factor of 7-10x normal blood levels. It is a simple blood draw procedure to harvest the platelets, typically filling 3-6 vials of blood, which are then spun in a special centrifuge machine to isolate the platelets into what is called the buffy coat layer. An aspirating needle is used to harvest this buffy coat, which is then transferred to a syringe for use in your PRP procedure. The entire process from blood draw to harvesting the PRP takes about 15-20 minutes. Also, since your own blood is used, there is no risk of a transmissible infection and a very low risk of allergic reaction.
What Conditions Are Treated With RIT?
The most common ailments treated with Ozone Prolotherapy (Prolozone) and PRP therapy is usually arthritis pain due to degeneration, tendonitis conditions, and ligament injuries common to sports injuries or motor vehicle accidents. Ozone Prolotherapy (Prolozone) and PRP therapy can be used to treat a variety of acute and chronic pain including the following: Osteoarthritis of knees, hips, shoulders, spine, and thumbs; Tennis and Golfers tendonitis (elbow pain); Plantar Fascitis; Morton’s Neuromas; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Trigger Finger; MCL and ACL partial tears and sprains; Bursitis; Sciatica; Lower back pain due to mild to moderate hermiated disc; Sacroiliac pain; Shoulder pain from rotator cuff injuries; Ankle pain; TMJ pain.
Conditions that do not respond to injection therapies are the following: Fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain syndrome, pain from cancer, pain from autoimmune conditions like Rheumatoid arthritis, severely herniated discs, central spinal stenosis, complete rotator cuff tears.
Are You a Candidate For Restorative Injection Therapies?
Physical exam, symptoms, and medical history are the primary means for determining whether a person is a candidate for RIT. An MRI or imaging study is not needed but good to review if acquired before treatment. I will order an MRI when the response to treatment is not progressing as expected. Generally, most people of any age with chronic joint, tendon, and ligament pain are candidates for the Ozone prolotherapy (Prolozone) and PRP treatment. At times, a diagnositic treatment is necessary to determine whether you will respond to the therapy.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
The response to treatment varies form person to person and depends upon one’s healing ability, the location and level of injury, and the amount of pain you are experiencing before starting treatments. Age, diet, degree of chronic disease, amount of rest and many other factors affect a person’s healing ability. Some people may only need one or two treatments, while others may need as many as six to eight treatments; along with multiple booster shots. Once you begin treatment, your initial response will determine how many treatments you will need.
What Can I Expect?
You can expect to have some mild stiffness, swelling, and discomfort 1-3 days (rare up to 1 week) after treatment with injection therapies especially when getting treated with the PRP therapy. This is a normal response and is a sign that the treatment is working due to the gentle stimulation of the inflammatory response. Although, not everyone gets this response and it depends on the area being treated.
Actual pain with the injections and after treatment is mild; most people tolerate the injections well. It is important to refrain from vigorous activity for up to 1-2 weeks following the procedure in order to receive the maximum benefit from the restorative injection therapies. Ozone Prolotherapy and PRP therapy relieves pain without the risk of surgery, general anesthesia or hospital without a prolonged recovery period; safe, effective, and lasting results.
For more information or to schedule an appointment call (307)307-0164
