Managing chronic pain has long been a challenge. Even when you find a medication that works and has minimal side effects, your body can change its response over time, building resistance to the medication’s effects. This scenario requires increased dosages, increasing the risks of increased complications or addiction.
At Westside Pain Specialists, we explore medication-free alternatives when considering your pain management plan, keeping the long-range impact of your plan in mind as well as your immediate pain relief needs.
Learn more by asking us if any of these medication-free options are right for you.
Of the estimated 30 trillion cells that make up your body, there are around 200 different types of cells. When you need to heal, the body may need a variety of these to make repairs. Storing supplies of all of the different cells isn’t efficient, so your body has stem cells of various types instead.
These are special cells with two abilities, to make copies of themselves or to convert to the type of cell needed for healing. Stem cell therapy increases the body’s supply of stem cells at the site of the pain’s source, like an arthritic joint or soft tissue injury.
Dr. James Nassiri specializes in two types of stem cell therapies. Amniotic allograft therapy uses amniotic fluid, the liquid that surrounds a child before birth. This is donated without harm to mother or child, much like blood is collected, through birth tissue donation programs.
Bone marrow therapy collects stem cells from your own bone marrow, which is then processed before reinjection. Each method provides your body with more stem cells and growth factors than can be supplied naturally through your blood supply.
Adding stem cell therapy to pain management plans often reduces a patient’s reliance on medications.
Platelets do more than form clots when you bleed. They also carry growth hormones that stimulate the conversion of stem cells into differentiated cells used by the body. Just as bone marrow can be collected, so too can platelets be separated from a small sample of your blood.
This serum, called platelet-rich plasma or PRP, can be used on its own or in conjunction with stem cell therapy. PRP therapy seems particularly effective for pain that results from conditions where tissue like cartilage, tendons, and ligaments are deteriorating.
These tissues are normally not well-supplied with blood flow, so the raw materials of healing are in short supply. PRP injections help to correct this.
Vitamins and minerals are typically derived from the foods you eat. When you have a condition that causes chronic pain, your dietary sources may not fulfill your body’s needs. Taking oral supplements may close the gap, but many of the benefits may be lost in the digestion process.
Intravenous (IV) vitamin therapy delivers a controlled cocktail of nutrients directly to your bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system completely. A 30-minute infusion can give you a healing boost to energy while reducing pain, without additional pain medication.
Dr. Nassiri also offers ketamine infusions, which can be an effective alternative to narcotic pain relief.
Since there’s nothing simple about chronic pain, it’s good to know you have plenty of options for pain management.
Call the closest location of Westside Pain Specialists in Beverly Hills or Rancho Cucamonga, California, to explore your options for medication-free pain treatments today.
