Evidence-Based Therapies

Massage therapy involves working soft body tissues such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue. Massage therapy has many benefits for many ailments. Some use it to alleviate stress and anxiety, while others use it as a means to relax muscles, rehabilitate injuries, reduce pain, and promote general health and wellness. It’s also a beneficial therapy for expecting mothers.

Types of Massages:

• Ashiatsu
• Swedish
• Sports
• Prenatal
• Chair
• Trigger Point
• Reflexology
• Cupping
• Hot Stone

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy?

Platelet-Rich Plasma, or PRP, is produced from your own blood. This procedure involves collecting a sample of your blood and spinning it in a centrifuge to separate the platelets. Blood is made up of 4 main components: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The platelets are the cells in our body that contain growth factors, which stimulate the normal wound healing process, e.g. the same way that your skin heals after a scrape. With PRP, you create a supra-therapeutic level of your own platelets (over 500% more platelets than normal blood) so that you heighten the healing of a chronically injured tissue. The concentrated platelet rich plasma is then injected back into the injured area to stimulate healing and regeneration. All PRP injections are done under ultrasound guidance to confirm placement of the PRP in the correct tissue.

The platelets contain healing agents, or “growth factors.”

Let’s look at some of the growth factors and what they do: 

• Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a protein that helps control cell growth and division, especially blood vessels. When more blood (and the oxygen it carries) is delivered to the site of a wound, there is more healing.
• Transforming growth factor beta (or TGF-ẞ) is a polypeptide and is important in tissue regeneration.
  Insulin-like growth factors are signaling agents. They help change the environment of the damaged joint from diseased to healing by “signaling” the immune system to start rebuilding tissue.
• Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important protein that brings healing oxygen to damaged tissue where blood circulation might be damaged or inadequate.
• Epidermal growth factor plays a key role in tissue repair mechanisms.

Is PRP indicated for me?

PRP therapy is indicated for injuries that have failed to heal despite traditional treatment options as well as for chronic degenerative conditions. It is a viable non-surgical option to help aid in healing tissue. It can be performed in any musculoskeletal structure, including muscles, tendons, and joints all over the body. Some examples include: partial tendon tears, muscle strains, articular cartilage injury, mild to moderate osteoarthritis, and chronic tendon injuries.

How is PRP made?

To prepare PRP, blood is taken from your arm with a special kit similar to a normal blood test. It is then placed in a special centrifugation machine that separates the platelets from the blood in order to be extracted in a concentrated form called PRP. The entire PRP Therapy takes about 30-45 minutes.

How many treatments are necessary?

This can vary depending on the condition which we are treating. For some conditions patients can achieve successful outcomes with only one injection. In some cases, a series of three injections is required to achieve significant results. Each injection is spaced 1-2 weeks apart. There is no limit to the number of treatments you can have; however, literature has shown that about 15% of patients do not see improvement with more than three injections and should consider other treatments.

Are there any side effects with platelet-rich plasma therapy?

Since your own blood is used, there is no risk for transmitted blood-infections. PRP has a strong antibacterial effect so risk of local infection is minimal. It is normal to have increased soreness or pain after the procedure for an average of three days. We will offer you a medication plan to help with this.

Will my insurance pay for this treatment?

Since this is a fairly new procedure, most insurance companies have not incorporated it yet to their list of approved procedures and do not consider this to be a reimbursable expense. While there is growing literature to support the use of PRP as a viable therapy with patient improvements and benefits, the insurance companies still classify this treatment as “investigational” of “experimental” and thus will not cover.

What are the potential benefits of Platelet-Rich Plasma?

PRP stimulates healing of the injured tissue by activating your body’s natural healing capacity. Patients on average report more than 50% improvement in 6 weeks and up to 100% improvement in 12 weeks. This may eliminate the need for surgical interventions in some cases. In addition, PRP Therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that is done in the clinic; therefore, you go home the same day.

What can I do after my Platelet-Rich Plasma injection? Can I resume exercises, sports, and work?

While PRP injections are minimally invasive, non–surgical procedures, it is important to remember that this is still a procedure! In order to achieve the proper tissue healing response that the injections can provide they must be accompanied by the proper after care including initial rest, avoidance of NSAIDs and exercise, and the initiation of a dedicated physical therapy program about 1-2 weeks after the last injection. The healing response initiated by the injections needs to be accompanied by the correct rehabilitation plan to maximize full healing and achieve improved function. Ignoring the therapy after the injection will likely lead to suboptimal results. Remember this is not a quick-fix and will take up to 3 months to complete the rehabilitation process and see the full potential benefits. 

Trigger point therapy is a specialized treatment that addresses trigger points – tight knots or bands of muscle tissue that can cause pain and discomfort. Our professionals use targeted pressure techniques and gentle stretches to release these tense areas, providing relief and promoting relaxation. Trigger point therapy can be beneficial for individuals with conditions such as muscle tension, chronic pain, or sports injuries. In addition to using trigger points through massage, it can also be treated using trigger point injections. Instead of steroids, we use plant-based products called Sarapin or Traumeel.

Sarapin

Sarapin is an FDA-approved, injectable pain medication derived from the pitcher plant that can treat muscular or neuropatic pain.

How it works: Blocks pain signals in the spinal column with out affecting other nerves or motor functions.

Uses: Trigger point injections, joint injections, sciatica, intercostal neuralgia, occipital neuritis, lumbar neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, and more.

Side effects: Virtually no know side effects.

How it’s administered: Injected into muscles and joints, either in one spot or in several different locations.

Aftercare: Lie down for 10-15 minutes after the injection.

Precautions: Only used by professionals, and the procedures should not be rushed or harshly administered.

Sarapin is a biological medicine, which means it’s derived from a natural substance and cannot be patented. Because of this, it’s not marketed by drug companies and many people are unaware of it.

Pain Syndrome: Trigger Points

Common causes: Muscle overuse, muscle injury, poor posture, emotional stress.

Traumeel

Traumeel injections are a homeopathic, plant-based treatment for painful inflammation and musculoskeletal conditions:

What it is: Traumeel is a combination of diluted plant and mineral extracts, including arnica montana root, echinacea, yarrow, belladonna, and sulfur.

How it’s used: Traumeel is injected directly into the painful area or at acupuncture points. The injection is usually preceded by an image test to confirm the source of nerve irritation. A local anesthetic is often used to ease discomfort.

Benefits: Traumeel injections are non-narcotic, non-steroidal, non-addicitive, and don’t interact with most other drugs. They can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including sprains, strains, tendinitis, arthritis, and chronic pain.

Bracing is a solution for immobilizing an area of your body to allow it to heal from injury, degeneration, or overuse. With the help of the expert practitioners at Morse Chiropractic & Physical Medicine, you can get fitted for a brace that’s comfortable and effective. Find out more information about bracing by booking an evaluation or by calling the clinic directly today.

Active rehabilitation plays a crucial role in your recovery and overall well-being. We work closely with you to develop customized treatment plans designed to improve strength, flexibility, mobility, and endurance. Through targeted exercises, manual therapies, and modalities, we aim to optimize your body’s functional ability and facilitate a safe return to your daily activities.

For what conditions need passive therapies, Morse Chiropractic & Physical Medicine offers physiotherapy to support their healing process. We use various techniques, such as heat and cold therapy, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and manual therapies, to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and enhance tissue healing. These passive therapy treatments work best complemented with active rehab.

To prepare PRP, blood is taken from your arm with a special kit similar to a normal blood test. It is then placed in a special centrifugation machine that separates the platelets from the blood in order to be extracted in a concentrated form called PRP. The entire PRP Therapy takes about 30-45 minutes.

Since your own blood is used, there is no risk for transmitted blood-infections. PRP has a strong antibacterial effect so risk of local infection is minimal. It is normal to have increased soreness or pain after the procedure for an average of three days. We will offer you a medication plan to help with this.

PRP stimulates healing of the injured tissue by activating your body’s natural healing capacity. Patients on average report more than 50% improvement in 6 weeks and up to 100% improvement in 12 weeks. This may eliminate the need for surgical interventions in some cases. In addition, PRP Therapy is a minimally-invasive procedure that is done in the clinic; therefore, you go home the same day.