Blog Posts for Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative Medicine Treatments

Welcome Ryan Riggs, MD

Please join Northwest Florida Bone & Joint Specialists in welcoming Dr. Ryan Riggs to our highly-trained group of expert providers. As a board-certified and fellowship-trained sports medicine physician, Dr. Riggs specializes in treating various musculoskeletal and orthopaedic conditions and injuries of the upper extremities, hip, knee, foot and ankle, and spine.

Shoulder Replacement Alternatives

If you are suffering from shoulder pain, whether it is chronic or acute, you could be a candidate for stem cell therapy or PRP injections. Even if your injury requires surgical intervention, there are regenerative medicine techniques being used today that allow physicians to “stitch” growth factors and/or stem cells into surgically repaired tissue. The only way to know for sure whether or not you could benefit from one of the developing treatments is to consult your treating physician, as there are numerous factors that could affect your eligibility for the procedure.

Arthritis and Hyaluronic Acid

Arthritis literally translates to “inflammation of the joint” and describes the degenerative process through which a joint space loses its “cushioning,” whether are the result of injury, illness or the natural process of aging. It is the leading cause of musculoskeletal pain and can be found in almost every part of the body, from the shoulder all the way down to the smallest joint of the toe. Our joints are intricate structures shaped from cartilage, bone, muscle and connective tissue, all of which can gradually weaken over time or be damaged by acute injury. While there are more than one hundred known types of arthritis, the three most common forms are osteoarthritis, which is by far the most prevalent; rheumatoid arthritis, which is caused by the body’s own immune system generating a chronic inflammatory response in the joints; and post-traumatic arthritis, which is caused by the lingering structural damage of acute injuries.

Aging & Inactivity

Throughout my career, I’ve treated athletes from all walks of life and at various skill levels. From the amateur cross-country runner to both professional and college football players, one thing is consistent, as it is with us all, how we’ve treated our bodies when we were younger impacts our health as we age. I’m reminded of this weekly as I watch from the sidelines serving as a team physician for the University of West Florida football team.

Baseball Injury Prevention

While baseball is considered a non-contact sport, injuries and conditions related to America’s favorite pastime can yield equally traumatic consequences if not correctly diagnosed and treated. Aside from painful strains, sprains and bruises, the most common injuries that players experience are overuse of the rotator cuff in the shoulder and ulnar collateral ligament tears in the elbow.

PRP Therapy Classifications

The healing effects of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy are widely known across various medical specialties, including Sports Medicine. In our practice, we provide PRP treatments to assist patients as they heal from overuse injuries, joint arthritis, strains and sprains of the muscles, tendons and ligaments and those who suffer from Tendonitis and Tendonosis.

What is Stem Cell Therapy?

Stem cell therapy is one of two primary regenerative medicine procedures that harness the power of the body’s stem cells to promote healing and recovery. Adult stem cells found throughout the body can be harvested from a patient’s bone marrow or adipose (fat) tissues. When extracted, processed and injected back into the body, these immature cells have the potential to promote healing and repair by developing into muscle, vascular, cartilage or even bone cells and signal other cells to assist with the restoration of damaged tissue.

Rotator Cuff Injuries & Treatment

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine defines rotator cuff tears as partial or full tears of one or a number of the four muscles that help move the shoulder and keep the end of the long bone of the arm within the shallow socket of the shoulder (the “rotator cuff”). Rotator cuff tears are more common in your dominant arm. The most common symptoms of a rotator cuff tear include:

Partial Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear Study

In partnership with the Andrews Research & Education Foundation, I am serving as the Principal Investigator on a clinical study involving the use of regenerative cells in patients who have partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. These are tears in the tendon that contribute to shoulder pain, dysfunction, and occupational disability. The use of regenerative stem cells is investigational. In this study, regenerative cells from your fat tissue will be isolated, concentrated, and injected into your tendon tear.

NFL Alumni Health Regenerative Medicine & Cell Therapy

The National Football League Alumni Association (NFLA) recently announced a collaboration with Alliance for Cell Therapy Now–an independent, non-profit group dedicated to advancing safe and effective regenerative cell therapies–to educate its members on the risks, benefits, and science surrounding regenerative medicine and cell therapies. These developing treatments include platelet-rich plasma (PRP), stem cell therapies, bone marrow aspirate (BMAC) and are of great interest to retired professional football players. Many of them live with the toll of years of hard play on the gridiron. However, the newness of these treatments can leave patients with more questions than answers, so the NFLA took the initiative to gather experts in the field to educate, inform, and empower their members.

Ultrasound: Not Just for Babies!

Ultrasound: Not Just for Babies!

Sports Medicine: Not Just for Athletes

When most people think of sports medicine, they envision a physician treating their favorite player who was carted off the field after receiving a game-ended injury. However, a fairly common misconception is that you have to be an elite athlete to see a sports medicine doctor.

Research and the Evolution of Sports Medicine

Research and the Evolution of Sports Medicine

Three Reasons to Consider Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy

Three Reasons to Consider Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy

Is Platelet-Rich Plasma A Treatment Option for Me?

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)?

What Is Regenerative Medicine?

What Is Regenerative Medicine?