Stem cell therapy may replace surgery for torn muscles, sports injuries

Professional athletes may soon turn to stem cell therapy when treating arthritis, muscle pain and torn tendons, according to two doctors in the Philippines.

Last Sunday, De Castro and Dr. Franklin Domingo explained that autologous stem cell therapy could speed up the healing of musculoskeletal and sports-related injuries, which could be soon provide an alternative treatment before undergoing surgery.

To the surprise of the stem cell therapy NYC community, the doctors explained the new procedure would require taking stem cells from the patient’s blood, fat tissue or bone marrow and injecting them to the injured area of the same person.

This specific stem cell method is far less controversial than using embryonic stem cells and only involve the person undergoing treatment without threatening any form of life.

“If you have arthritis and you take anti-inflammatory drugs, you will not feel the pain so you will move around and further damage the cartilage. Whereas stem cells will regenerate tissues and ease the pain, making the damaged cells become young again,” De Castro said.

According to Domingo, stem cell therapy is not for everybody and is not a quick-fix solution because it uses the body’s natural ability to heal.

Patients who have cancer and infection are not allowed to undergo stem cell therapy, and so are those under the influence of alcohol or who have taken blood-thinning medicine like Coumadin at the time of extraction.

“If your knee hurts and you underwent stem cell therapy but you remained overweight, the relief will not last forever. You have to lose weight, too,” Domingo said. “Stem cell therapy is not the only treatment, but part of a whole spectrum of treatment that enhances healing.”

De Castro said 60 cubic centimeters of blood would be the optimum amount to be extracted in harvesting stem cells. A centrifuge machine will isolate the stem cells from the blood, which will then be injected to the injured area.

For severe arthritis in old people, a combination of stem cells from the blood, fat tissue and bone marrow will be used for the initial injection but just stem cells from the blood will do for young people.

“When we are young, we have a lot of stem cells. As we speak, we have stem cells. But the number dwindles as we grow older,” Domingo explained.

An injured David Ortiz hopes PRP injection will get him back on the field

Sports medicine advances and innovates with each passing year, but over the last decade, one scientific development has been evolving and surpassing others, becoming a top option for injured professional athletes.

Platelet-Rich Plasma injection, also know as PRP injection, is a process where doctor’s extract some blood from an injured patient, spin it at high velocities to get the plasma out, and then re-inject the plasma rich blood into the injured area. According to PRP injection NJ specialists, the treatment can help wounds heal 60-70 percent faster.

This year, one of the highest profile athletes to try out the PRP injection will be the Red Sox designated hitter, David Ortiz, who has received the shot about two weeks ago to alleviate pain in his injured achilles.

The shot comes with specific restrictions: players can’t travel at high altitudes, which explains why Ortiz didn’t join the Red Sox on their recent series. Players also need time to recover from the injection. Ortiz is still wearing a protective boot two weeks after the treatment.

Ortiz said he wants to be absolutely positive that he’s in good health before he steps back onto the field. Ortiz originally suffered the injury on July 16 and missed a total of 35 games before he was activated on Aug. 24, but was limited to one game.

“To be honest with you, what I’m looking for right now is to make sure I heal up the right way,” he told reporters at press conference. “I pushed it once, it didn’t work, so I’m not going to push it again. If I’m good to go, I’m good to go.”

“I don’t want to have another setback,” he continued. “I want to make sure I resolve this problem. The last time I had a setback, I basically asked them, ‘Do I need surgery for this?’ They told me no, I didn’t need surgery. So, OK, let’s fix this and I don’t have to worry about it. I’m pretty sure our doctors will do whatever it takes to get me to where I want to be and I think we are on our way right now. I’m feeling good after the [platelet-rich plasma injection].”

When the season ends, Ortiz will become a free agent. He’s made it no secret that he wants a long-term contract in order to retire in Boston, and he hopes that the injury won’t affect future negotiations.

Acupuncture Proven to Relieve Pain in Largest Study of its Kind

Acupuncture, an ancient form of Chinese medicine has been used and fine-tuned for more than 2000 years, so it was no surprise to pain management practitioner when the latest study on the treatment found inserting needles into specific pressure points can reduce back and neck pain, arthritis and headaches, according to the largest analysis of the treatment.

Approximately three million U.S. adults get a form of acupuncture treatment each year, mostly for chronic pain. Western doctors still don’t understand why the Chinese therapy can help relieve pain and more studies are needed to determine how the treatment fits with remedies such as drugs, surgery and physical and behavioral therapy, but the truth is in the pain management Longview Texas numbers: Acupuncture works.

Statistics gathered from 29 studies of almost 18,000 people found that acupuncture was better at relieving pain than not having the treatment at all or undergoing a sham procedure, according to research reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine today.

Traditional Chinese medicine defines acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy, also known as “chi”, in a person’s body,. Inserting needles into specific points along pathways in the body changes the flow. In contrast, many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue to boost blood flow and the body’s natural painkillers.

Researchers looked at data from 17,922 patients in trials in the U.S. and Europe that measured acupuncture’s effect on chronic pain. The trials compared acupuncture with patients who had no treatment or those who had a procedure that faked acupuncture by putting the needles into the body in different places and depths than usual.

The findings mean in real terms that about half of patients receiving acupuncture would have a 50 percent or more reduction in their pain compared with 30 percent in the no treatment group and about 43 percent having fake acupuncture.

The difference between real, professional treatment and sham acupuncture may be more modest because people feel better if they think they are getting the real therapy or putting any needle in the body may have some positive effect. Regardless, certified acupuncture specialists are gaining more respect in among pain management Tyler Texas communities that once shunned their practice as voodoo or bad science.

A Healthy Diet Can Reduce Chronic Pain

While there is no single cure for chronic pain, studies show a healthy diet mixed with an active lifestyle can help patients improve their pain management programs.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that patients with neck or back pain who took 1200 mg per day of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil supplements in addition to their non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug experienced noticeable pain-relief during the treatment.

Another study found diets containing soy products help suppress chronic neuropathic pain. Scientists from Hadassah University Hospital fed rats two soy-free diets and a soy-containing one for 28 days. It was found that the soy-containing diet prevented the development of tactile and heat allodynia.

Experts in pain management Freehold New Jersey also recommend a healthy diet to reduce chronic pain. A Mediterranean diet with with a mix of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthful unsaturated fats can help build strong bones and muscles, and has been proven to fight pain. A wholesome diet also helps prevent pain-aggravating weight gain and boosts energy levels and mood, helping chronic pain sufferers live a higher quality life.

Eating whole grains also serves as a good source of magnesium, a mineral that has been shown in animal studies to fight muscle pain. Examples of whole grains inculde: whole wheat bread, wheat berries, quinoa, amaranth and bulgur.

Foods that may help manage pain caused by conditions such as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis include cherries, soy, oranges, peaches, asparagus, cranberries, cauliflower and kiwi. In the case of an inflammatory illness such as rheumatoid arthritis, dairy products, chocolate, eggs, meat, wheat, corn and nuts can theoretically worsen inflammation and, therefore, pain symptoms.

Olive oil is also a good tool to supplement pain reduction techniques. Not only is it the healthiest of all oils, known for high levels of good fatty acids, but olive oil is rich in antioxidant polyphenols that help inhibit a common pain-causing mechanism in the body.

In uses, olive oil makes a great substitute for butter, which is high in saturated fat, which is important because high levels of saturated fat in a diet has been known to erode bone strength and trigger pain. Olive oil also makes a great salad dressing when mixed with lemon or balsamic vinaigrette.

In the end, chronic pain management is like most health conditions. It is caused by unhealthy diets and lifestyles and it can be cured by paying more attention to what you eat and staying active.

Companies should err on the side of caution

Occupational therapy (OT) centers on the prevention and management of illness as professionals strive to assist in the adaption of the workplace to the employee and the employee to the workplace. While the role of an occupational therapist is not strictly defined as it can range from helping children improve their writing skills to assisting companies in the management of injuries sustained at work. Specialists at occupational medicine Tyler Texas are dedicated to improving their clients lives, be it at work or at home.

Managers in small businesses or large corporations frequently have to deal with different injuries and illnesses. This can prove a difficult task as the manager is required to maximize the team’s output while minimizing the effect of an absent employee on the team. As companies attempt to restructure and reduce costs, occupational therapists could be an area which the employer decides is surplus to requirements, such a decision could prove costly.

According to the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, occupational therapists can save employers money, while ensuring a quick return to work for an ill or injured employee. Their role in the workplace could in fact be more important now than ever before as limiting the potential damage caused by an absent employee could cost the company not only in salary payments, but in team moral and the negative effects on output.

The therapists at occupational medicine Longview Texas find solutions to issues which involve the worker, the workplace and the job itself, developing plans which acknowledge each of the previous, as the need for companies to retain their best employees is more pressing than ever.

The difficulties resulting from the recession which began in 2007 has meant that companies are looking to streamline processes; reducing costs (workforce), which directly results in an increase in the workload for the remaining employees. As companies across the United States continue in the struggle to return profits, it is paramount that companies remain cognizant of the need to ensure measures are in place to prevent excessive absenteeism which could result from the increased workload placed on their diminishing workforce.

Dealing with Unexpected Anesthesia Fees

When patients schedule routine doctor’s appointments for check-ups or consults, they usually get charged pre-determined fees. If you go to your primary care physician, for example, chances are you have a flat co-pay amount. The same probably goes for visits to the dentist or dermatologist, where the medical debt collection process is generally cut and dry, with specialists charging set fees for treatments such as root canals, fillings, or chemical peels.

For hospital or surgery center procedures requiring anesthesia, however, billing rates can vary greatly, as final payment amounts have to cover additional staff services and facility fees.

According to a recent New York Times article, one Sag Harbor, N.Y. couple learned this lesson the hard way after undergoing colonoscopies. While each patient was careful to select a gastroenterologist covered under their insurance plan, in both cases the doctor opted for full anesthesia, which happened to be administered by an out-of-network anesthesiologist. The couple, of course, was billed for the anesthesiologist’s services and is now having to deal with a debt collection agency due to thousands of dollars in unforeseen charges.

The frustrating part for patients in similar situations is that doctors often adopt more costly practices that aren’t always necessary. For colonoscopies, for example, several notable gastroenterology societies recommend conscious sedation in cases where there are no complications. Yet, more and more patients receive full anesthesia and wind up with large, unexpected bills and calls from medical debt collection companies.

For patients considering a colonoscopy – or other procedures performed by specialists who aren’t normally covered under insurance plans – it is best to find out ahead of time whether certain services will have to be paid out-of-pocket. This way, you can make necessary preparations or look for other physicians covered under your plan.

Statins Have Cognitive Effects

Some patients experience memory loss while taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins, according to a recent article in the Well section of the New York Times.

Statins are the most prescribed drugs in the world. They lower risk for heart attack and stroke. Florida cardiologists, for example, help their patients reduce treat heart disease in the safest way possible through both invasive and noninvasive treatments. While statins are highly effective for people at risk for cardiovascular problems, they come with some high risks for other health conditions, including diabetes, muscle pain, and cognitive side effects.

According to the article in the New York Times, doctors have been getting reports from patients for many years that the drugs leave them feeling “fuzzy” and greatly affect their ability to remember small and big things such as where they parked the car or something they had recently memorized.

In the United States almost 21 million people were prescribed statins last year. However, the number of people that experienced cognitive effects is unknown. Associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Beatrice Golomb, is looking into this question and has collected 3,000 patient reports related to statin. She found that doctors often overlook patients’ complaints about memory lapse and muscle pain.

If you are worried about the cognitive effects of statins, you should contact your Florida cardiologist or a specialist in your area