Chemicals are NEVER a solution to a mechanical problem
Whether you’re having pain in your neck, back, shoulder, knee, elbow wrist… Injections are rarely the answer. Why you ask?……Because most orthopedic injuries are due to a mechanical problem. Mechanical just means how the body moves. This mechanical problem creates wear and tear on the surrounding supportive tissue creating pain. Injecting any type of chemical, will not fix the mechanical problem.
Cortisone injections will simply reduce the inflammation caused by the poor mechanics. May you get a reduction in pain, sure! Will your mechanical problem get worse over the following weeks, months, years? Absolutely yes! The injection actually stops the healing process and the research shows 100% further degeneration at 1 year follow up.
PRP injections will simply create an increase in some form of healing to the tissues being damaged. Will it fix the mechanical problem, again NOPE! Therefore, if the PRP injection helps with some form of healing and pain reduction, you can bet your bottom dollar that mechanical problem is still there and it’s just a matter of time before the tissues wear down or become irritated again. Think another PRP injection will work? Research shows less and less effectiveness with repeated attempts, just the same as repeated cortisone.
Stem Cell injections…. Ugh. The new rage! Unfortunately, stem cells are not at the point where they are consistently and reliably reproducing positive growth in discs and cartilage to the point where they are worth being a viable option. And guess what else, they don’t fix the mechanical problem that caused your disc, cartilage, joint to degenerate and become painful in the first place!
Trigger Point injections are simply more cortisone and/or form of lidocaine that helps to reduce pain….. Temporarily. They again, do not fix any mechanical problems. The injection will need to be repeated anywhere from 1-6 months at a time for the rest of your life to get consistent pain relief, UNLESS you FIX the MECHANICAL PROBLEM.
So, at this point, the intelligent question would be “What fixes mechanical problems?”
WE DO!
Doctors specifically trained in Integrative Diagnosis receive massive amounts of training (Dr. Zelasko has personally completed over 600 hours of Post-Doctoral training) to reliably and reproducibly examine, test, diagnosis, and treat mechanical problems in the human body. By fixing the mechanical problem we normalize load, reduce / decompress the affected joint, disc, and/or tissues allowing them to heal, resulting in less pain and better function for decades to come. You will actually be HEALTHIER after our treatments.
So the question becomes, do you want to be out of pain and HEALTHY or out of pain and UNHEALTHY? As with many other situations, the “quick fix” is not the healthiest longest lasting option.
Dr. Brian A. Zelasko
Neck & Upper Extremity Specialist
Board Certified Doctor of Chiropractic
Prime Spine Associates
2701 Transit Road, Suite 135
Elma, NY 14059
P: 716-677-5525
www.Prime-Spine.com