Stories of chronic pain sufferers and the increasingly few viable alternatives for relief seem to crowd the news lately. We unfortunately hear similar tales from some of the individuals who seek care at Beverly Medical Center—but here, we offer many options and alternatives!
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| The Beverly Medical Center team, from left: Dr. Beverly Goode-Kanawati, DO, ABPS, Sandra L. Britt, MS, APRN, and Sharon Price, MS, CNS, LN |
To provide a better answer to our patients suffering with chronic pain, we pair the best traditional medical techniques with integrative lifestyle and nutrition modifications and with the latest therapies and treat-ments. One of those therapies is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), which we use for the healing of chronic injuries, such as tendon injuries, arthritic joints, muscle tears, and even labral tears, which are notoriously difficult to heal.
WHAT IS PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP)?
Platelet Rich Plasma therapy uses the patient’s own blood and growth factors to heal parts of the body. A small amount of blood is drawn-just like when you get a blood test done. This blood is spun in a centrifuge where it separates into its different components.
Your own platelets – along with growth factors and stem cell markers – are concentrated from your blood and then injected into an area or areas of pain or damage. This spurs a healing reaction that continues for weeks and even months. PRP injections can be used for the healing of chronic injuries, such as tendon injuries, arthritic joints, as well as tears of muscles, and even the labral tears!
But what does the experience look like in real life?
A treatment typically takes an hour or less and there is very little downtime. Many individuals experience such significant improvement over time that they no longer need surgery or can stop long term use of medication like corticosteroid injections. The Platelet Rich Plasma injections stimulate healing with fewer side effects, and provide a gradual reduction of pain and improvement of function.
PRP THERAPY HELPS PATIENTS GET BACK TO MOVING AND LIVING!
Take a patient we’ll call Leo—a 65-year-old former athlete and avid traveler. When Leo had first come to the practice some years prior, he regularly experienced spinal and neck pain, bad headaches, muscle spasms, and other symptoms that interfered with his daily life. But Leo was motivated to change his situation! He saw physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and more for symptom relief. Then Leo came to us looking for a sustainable approach that would also help prevent future issues.
Dr. Goode-Kanawati worked with Leo to understand his concerns and needs, performing extensive testing and investigation. She sent him to me—I’m the nutritionist—to help with his vitamin deficiencies and to gradually shift him to an anti-inflammatory eating approach and supplements. He saw Nurse Practitioner Sandra L. Britt to work on hormone balance; bio-identical testosterone helped improve Leo’s energy and muscle mass, while also helping decrease muscular stiffness and pain.
Over time, Leo had seen results that complemented and extended those from physical therapies and chiropractic care alone. Leo also noticed how certain pain symptoms would wax and wane based on his eating habits—more sugar consumption led to more pain! That knowledge helped motivate him to continue following a new, healthier eating approach. We continued to use different levers across our practice to help sustain Leo’s active lifestyle, and Leo’s chronic pain and headaches became an occasional issue rather than his day-to-day reality.
But now a different Leo came to us; he seemed angry, frustrated, and even a little depressed. He shared that he was no longer able to ride his bike, exercise, or travel much because of escalating and intense arthritic knee pain and the re-emergence of previous injuries. Leo even teared up, talking about all the things he could no longer do—how he couldn’t even dance with his wife or sleep through the night due to pain.
As usual, Leo had already tried many different approaches to symptom relief, but with only limited success this time. And he had no interest in wearing a brace or using compression: “It makes me feel old!” he said, frustrated.
Although I made adjustments to his food plan to help with mood balance and sleep, Nurse Practitioner Sandra L. Britt found him to be a good candidate for PRP therapy. Leo enthusiastically scheduled his first session for the following week, excited to try PRP rather than face indefinite steroid treatments or even surgery.
By his second session, a smiling Leo mentioned that he already felt a lot less knee pain. And by the third, Leo enthusiastically shared his plans for an upcoming cycling trip in Europe. With less than three hours of PRP therapy performed over a few weeks’ time, Leo was back to feeling like himself and moving forward with plans for the future!
EXPANDING WHAT WE DO
Leo is only one example of how we bring together different procedures and healing possibilities to achieve the best outcome for our patients. All of us constantly assess new developments and how to safely integrate them with proven healing principles and therapies.
At Beverly Medical Center, we all see ourselves as part of a collaborative wellness community dedicated to helping individuals achieve the quality of life they deserve!
