Advancements in Spine and Sports Medicine

Exciting research is rapidly being published in the field of Spine and Sports Medicine, leading to advancements in the treatment of pain and injury. Desert Spine and Sports (with locations in Mesa and Phoenix Arizona) recognize the importance of staying “up to date” for our patients and maintain a commitment to lifelong learning and education. We hold a journal club each month to analyze the latest research in our field, and also attend meetings throughout the year in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), sports medicine, and spinal interventions. We bring the latest evidence-based medicine to our practice, incorporating advancements into our nonsurgical treatment plans in order to reduce patients’ pain and improve their function.

Spine and Sports Medicine Advancements:

In the field of Interventional (ie. using specialized injections) Spine and Sports Medicine, there are many ground-breaking advancements that help reduce pain. Some of the notable ones include:

• Ultrasound Guidance: Over the past decade, ultrasound has become an increasingly indispensable modality for needle guidance for the injections of musculoskeletal structures like tendons and joints. Such guidance results in targeted and accurate injections while visualizing soft tissue and vascular structures and reducing ionizing radiation (ie x-ray or CT). More precise injections help to treat pain and improve mobility more effectively.
• Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy: Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy is one of the latest advancements in treating musculoskeletal injury and joint arthritis with regenerative medicine. PRP is a method of concentrating and then injecting platelets from a patient’s own blood which contain healing cells (ie. growth factors) vital for tissue repair and regeneration into an injured area. This injection helps repair and strengthen tissue thereby improving pain and overall function.  
• Vertebral Augmentation:  Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are procedures where bone cement is injected into a fractured vertebrae to support the bone and relieve severe pain. While vertebral augmentation has been performed for decades by surgeons with an open incision, advancements have led to our physicians being able to successfully deliver this treatment in on-site fluoroscopic suites. This minimally invasive treatment can lead to immediate pain relief and improvement in quality of life.

Whether you are suffering from back pain, neck pain, sciatica, tendonitis, arthritis, or any other injury, it is important to remember that the treatment of spine and musculoskeletal pain and injury is an exact science. The most optimal results arise from combining the latest advancements resulting from scientific research with the expertise and skills of the doctors. We at Desert Spine and Sports Physicians are committed to staying “up to date” on clinically proven research so that we can bring these advancements back to our patients. 
Life does not have to be filled with pain. Our goal is improve your quality of life by tailoring specialized treatment options to your individual needs and lessening the pain you experience on a daily basis. To learn more about the technological advancements in pain management that we pride ourselves on, contact us today.  With offices in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona, we offer a multitude of services to help reduce your pain, improve your function, and get you back to a healthy and happy life.  

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (10/28/2017) Mark Skipper (Flickr)