Non-surgical treatments and injections
Climbing stairs with an arthritic hip or knee and pushing off to jump with a painful tendon place different demands on the body.
At your appointment, we identify what is causing the pain and which movements matter most to you. We can then plan how to build up loading and decide whether an injection could complement your rehabilitation.
PRP for sports-related tendon pain
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is prepared from a small sample of your own blood.
In sports medicine, it can be considered when tendon pain persists despite targeted rehabilitation. The choice depends on which tendon is involved, how long symptoms have lasted and how the tendon responds to exercise.
Here are three examples of persistent tendon problems seen in sports medicine.
- Elbow extensor tendons — lateral elbow tendinopathy (tennis elbow).
- Patellar tendon — patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee), often painful during take-off or landing.
- Achilles tendon — persistent Achilles tendinopathy, which may limit running and push-off.
Mesenchymal “stem” cells and osteoarthritis
For mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, researchers are studying injections of preparations made from the patient’s own fatty tissue or bone marrow. These contain several types of cells, including mesenchymal stromal cells, often called “mesenchymal stem cells”. In selected patients with osteoarthritis, these therapies may substantially reduce symptoms and improve quality of life, potentially postponing joint replacement surgery.
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