Orthobiologic Treatment for Pain Relief

Musculoskeletal pain is something that a great number of people experience, and for that reason is an ongoing area of interest for many of my patients. A frequent question is: what’s the most effective treatment for my particular pain issue and how long will it last?

There is no straightforward answer to this question since different patients respond differently to the same therapies. This is as true for orthobiologic treatments as it is for conventional treatments. What can be said, however, is that the benefits of orthobiologic treatments can be every bit — or even more — effictive than standard treatments when it comes to reducing pain, improving function, and delaying or avoiding surgery. 

But let’s take a quick look at orthobiologic treatments for pain and the typical duration of results.

• Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections. Typically used to support healing and regeneration after traumas like tendon or joint injuries, the pain-relieving benefits of PRP injections typically last for six to twelve months, though some patients can experience relief for up to 2 years after a series of treatments.

• Bone marrow stem cell therapy. Results of this type of therapy, especially for arthritic conditions, can be highly effective with pain relief lasting from one to five years depending on the severity of the condition and how well the body responds. Some patients can experience long-term relief, while others may require repeat treatments.

• Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections. Hyaluronic acid injections are an increasingly common treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. They typically provide pain relief for between three and twelve months, though are most effective for mild to moderate osteoarthritis. In more severe cases repeat treatments may be necessary.

All of which raises the question: how do these treatments compare to a conventional pain relief therapy like cortisone injections? The answer is that orthobiologic treatments, when successful, can last a good deal longer than cortisone injections, which typically provide relief for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months (effects of course will vary depending on the severity of the inflammation and the patient’s response).

A critical differentiator, however, is that while cortisone use eventually leads to diminished benefits — and can potentially lead to tissue breakdown — orthobiologic treatments do not. In fact, orthobiologic treatments often have regenerative effects on tissue.

All of which means that orthobiologic treatment should be a serious consideration depending on the nature of your condition or injury. For more on orthobiologic treatments and their effects on specific conditions, look at my other posts!