Avoid Knee Replacement with PRP Prolotherapy
Dr. Noel Peterson
“Just come back in a year or so when the pain gets too bad to walk, and we can give you a new knee,” said Mary’s doctor. X-rays showed that her 70 year-old knee was wearing down to the bone. “In the meantime, just take more Advil to control the pain.”
But ibuprofen was not an option: it was too hard on her kidneys and caused her feet to hurt and swell up like balloons. And the idea of taking daily doses of something known to be toxic just didn’t sound like good medical advice.
Eight months later Mary was walking up stairs without a second thought. She had just returned from visiting her sister’s in Arizona where they were able to take short day hikes, something that would have been impossible just one year ago. “My friends thought I was crazy to put off surgery, but now they see that there is another option. I’m so very glad I tried prolotherapy which allowed my knees to heal without surgery.”
Since 2006, my colleagues and I have developed and tested a cost-effective method of harvesting PRP, or Platelet Rich Plasma. We developed this method of using PRP concentrates in prolotherapy because the science of PRP is so compelling. We have just completed gathering our data documenting the effectiveness of this method and are preparing our paper for publication.
I have used PRP effectively to regenerate worn out hip and knee joints in many of my patients. These results have been so compelling that I am convinced that we can prevent total knee replacement surgery in the majority of patients, provided they begin treatment before their joint degeneration is too advanced. I am collaborating with a colleague working in Argentina who will measure cartilage thickness before and after PRP therapy to document cartilage changes. Stay tuned for more information on these exciting developments by tracking Dr. Peterson’s blog, www.prolodoctor.wordpress.com.