Why Mainstream Conventional Treatment is NOT the Best Choice

Regenerative medicine treatment with stem cells and platelet rich plasma (PRP) has been in medical science for years. Its best results are seen in conditions like knee osteoarthritis, shoulder osteoarthritis and shoulder rotator cuff tears along with many back pain related conditions. But there is always a reluctance to prioritize new treatments over conventional treatments. Below lies the answer justified by recent studies that highlight PRP and regenerative medicine treatment over conventional ones. Let’s find out why you should seek regenerative medicine treatment now!

Surprising data from most recent studies:

The conventional treatments for knee osteoarthritis are NSAIDs such as Motrin, Advil, Aleve, Celebrex, and corticosteroid injections. But do you think that these options are still the best for arthritis? These medicines may relieve the symptoms of arthritis, like knee pain, but sadly, we have evidence for you that these treatment options may severely affect knee osteoarthritis instead of treating it. Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative revealed that NSAIDs are not what people think of them. Those who took NSAIDs for knee arthritis had worsened inflammation and cartilage quality, shown at the four-year follow-up, compared to control patients. In the end, patients might have experienced more intense knee pain (3,4) due to poor cartilage development. This was a very profound finding as it showed NSAIDS resulted in more inferior cartilage development that led to accelerated damage when compared to the population of people who did not use NSAIDS. 

More studies highlighting damaging effects of steroid injections:

In another study, where the patients had gotten steroid injections for knee osteoarthritis, the result was not very promising. A total of 44 patients received corticosteroid injections, and 26 got hyaluronic acid shots. When compared with a control group through MRI, it was found that steroid shots caused arthritis progression after 2 years of follow-up. The hyaluronic acid group decreased the progression of arthritis. Overall, it was concluded that corticosteroids were proven to be an inferior option (5). 

Another OAI database study showed that corticosteroids provided no benefit in treating knee osteoarthritis. The subjects were divided based on corticosteroid injections, hyaluronic acid injections, and a controlled group. The same grading system was used for each group. After 3 years, the results were compared with the help of X-rays. The ones with steroid shots showed more disease progression than those with hyaluronic acid and no treatment (5). 

What we know now:

These findings are not all new. We have known about the effect of steroid injections on knee cartilage through various animal studies and randomized trials for some time. However, the adverse effects of NSAIDs on knee osteoarthritis are new; we can say that all of these findings may reject the idea of the conventional treatment plan for knee osteoarthritis pain (6-8). 

So, the question is, what will you do now? A hyaluronic acid injection may seem a good choice, but studies regarding it are somewhat weak and the benefit for some is very short lived. There is a chance that the shot doesn’t get to the desired place inside the joint, making HA ineffective. Another problem with HA is that its effect slowly tapers off with time, of which the cause is unknown. So, you are left with PRP, which has shown the most positive effects than any other treatment (9-11). 

PRP helps you with knee pain to an extent you cannot imagine. Its cost is not very critical, and it has the potential to control the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Many physicians have been using NSAIDs and steroid injections for knee pain, but the harm these treatments cause is not worth the long-term deterioration to cartilage integrity. With these findings, we have evolved from these conventional treatments to PRP and stem cells (12-15).

Overall, the evidence shows that patients with knee osteoarthritis must constantly change their way to stop the disease progression (16-19). With a very large body of evidence supporting the use of orthobiologics such as PRP, mesenchymal stem cells, alpha-2 macroglobulin (A2M) and extracellular matrix, it seems there are finally treatments available that provide a clear path to better treatment with no damaging longterm cost. Many patients are finding that these lead to better activity levels, lower pain, improved sleep and happier life. These have been shown to help with knee meniscus tears, shoulder rotator cuff tears, lower back pain, osteoarthritis of various joints and tennis or golfers elbow. 

At Spectrum Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center we strive to provide the most advanced treatment for many orthopedic injuries and chronic deteriorating conditions. At our clinic you know you will be getting the best treatment with the best results, we stay up to date!

References:

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Ramaswamy Reddy SH, Reddy R, Babu NC, Ashok GN. Stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma in regenerative medicines: A review on pros and cons of the technologies. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2018 Sep-Dec;22(3):367-374. doi: 10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_93_18. PMID: 30651682; PMCID: PMC6306612.

America (RSNA) RS of N. Nsaids may worsen arthritis inflammation.

America (RSNA) RS of N. Steroid injections worsen knee arthritis.

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McAlindon TE, LaValley MP, Harvey WF, Price LL, Driban JB, Zhang M, Ward RJ. Effect of Intra-articular Triamcinolone vs Saline on Knee Cartilage Volume and Pain in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2017 May 16;317(19):1967-1975. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.5283. PMID: 28510679; PMCID: PMC5815012.

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