How Do We Get the Needle in the Right Place?

A question that some patients ask when learning about regenerative medicine is this: how do we know where and how to administer the regenerative treatment in the right place? Tears, joint issues, and pain are not always visible with the naked eye, and sometimes the issues lie much deeper beneath the skin and muscle and behind layers of fat and other tissue. It would be risky, dangerous, and not effective for your desired health outcomes to simply inject cells, even if they are coming from your own body. So, what is the answer?

The answer is just as simple as the question itself: with imaging! At Progressive Rehabilitation Medicine, we make use of imaging equipment including fluoroscopy units and ultrasound to get clear view of your body. We are able to see precisely where your treatment area is. We are able to inject regenerative treatments including stem cells or PRP into the target area with a real-time view, so we know exactly what is going on at all times. The result? A safe, effective, and minimally-invasive treatment aimed to provide optimum outcomes.

In the video clip accompanying this blog post, you are seeing an ultrasound view of a rotator cuff tear being treated using regenerative biologics. The real-time view allows us to have a constant view of the needle as it enters the body into the rotator cuff tendon tear and watch the injection fill up the space. This allows for a localized injection that both limits the injection to the rotator cuff and ensures it gets all of the benefits of regenerative medicine. Note that this is just an example for a rotator cuff tear, and that other conditions can benefit from imaging and precision!

To learn more, contact us at Progressive Rehabilitation Medicine of Cedar Rapids to find out about how regenerative medicine can treat your conditions and injuries.