At the The Foot, Ankle & Body Experts Health Clinic, we’re dedicated to easing your lower limb pain with personalised care. Our team taps into cutting-edge injection treatments like P.R.P, Synvisc, and Prolotherapy to tackle everything from knee osteoarthritis to plantar fasciitis. We harness your body’s natural healing powers to mend tissues, soothe pain, and get you back on your feet with improved function.
Pain Relieving Injection Therapies
Ultrasound Guided
Dr. Kim performs all injections with the help of the diagnostic ultrasound, making the process safer and more precise. This technique allows Dr. Kim to avoid sensitive areas, choose the most comfortable injection spots, and make sure the treatment is applied exactly where it’s needed.
It also means there’s less chance of infection and other complications. Plus, patients can watch the ultrasound screen and see what’s happening, which helps them understand and feel more at ease during the treatment.
What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a pain relief procedure that helps to reinforce weakened tendons and ligaments. By injecting a solution, usually with dextrose, it creates a mild inflammation that encourages the body to heal itself, potentially strengthening tissues and reducing pain. The exact way prolotherapy works isn’t fully understood, but it’s intended to make weak areas firmer and less painful.
This treatment can be applied in two main ways: one targets nerves near the skin surface to quickly ease pain, and the other goes deeper into inflamed tissues, depending on what’s needed for the patient. Generally, prolotherapy is safe, with a low risk of side effects or infections. It often takes a few sessions to get the best results, but many people start to feel better after just a couple of treatments.
What conditions can be helped with Prolotherapy Injections?
Prolotherapy is often considered as a treatment option for chronic musculoskeletal conditions, such as:
- Ligament and Tendon Injuries: Including injuries in the knee, ankle, and other joints.
- Osteoarthritis: Especially in joints with mild to moderate degeneration.
- Chronic Low Back Pain: Due to ligament laxity or instability.
- Sports Injuries: To promote the healing of soft tissue injuries.
What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (P.R.P)
Platelet-Rich Plasma (P.R.P) is a regenerative treatment that uses a concentrated portion of a patient’s own blood to support healing and tissue repair. It is commonly used to treat injuries, reduce inflammation, and promote recovery in muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints.
How PRP Treatment Works
Blood Collection
A small amount of blood is taken from your arm using a standard blood draw.
Centrifugation
The blood is placed in a centrifuge, a device that spins the sample at high speed to separate its components. This isolates the platelets and growth factors from other elements in the blood.
PRP Concentration
The concentrated platelets and growth factors are combined with a small amount of plasma to create Platelet-Rich Plasma (P.R.P), a powerful solution that supports the body’s natural healing process.
Injection
The P.R.P is injected into the area being treated, such as an injured tendon, arthritic joint or damaged ligament. This delivers a high concentration of healing components directly to the affected site to help accelerate tissue repair and reduce pain.
What Conditions Can Be Treated with Platelet-Rich Plasma
P.R.P (Platelet-Rich Plasma) is a regenerative treatment that may help reduce pain, support tissue healing, and improve mobility in a range of lower limb conditions. It uses a concentrated portion of your own blood to stimulate the body’s natural repair processes.
Knee Osteoarthritis
Injections into the knee joint may help relieve pain and improve joint function in people with osteoarthritis.
Tendonitis
This treatment is often used to manage inflammation in conditions such as Achilles tendonitis, jumper’s knee, and hamstring tendonitis.
Plantar Fasciitis
A common cause of heel pain, plantar fasciitis may respond well to regenerative injections that target the inflamed tissue.
Ankle Sprains and Ligament Injuries
Injuries to the ligaments and soft tissue of the ankle can benefit from treatment that supports faster healing and reduces swelling.
Tendinopathy
Long-standing tendon injuries like patellar or Achilles tendinopathy may see improvement with regenerative therapy designed to enhance tissue repair.
Stress Fractures
In some cases, treatment can assist in the recovery of bone stress injuries, especially when combined with rest and proper loading.
Arthritis
For some individuals with arthritis in the foot, ankle, or knee, this approach can help reduce discomfort and maintain joint movement.
Chronic Pain
When other therapies haven’t provided enough relief, this treatment may be considered as part of a broader plan to manage persistent lower limb pain.
As with any medical treatment, results can vary. A personalised assessment is essential to determine whether P.R.P is appropriate for your condition.
What is Hyaluronic Acid (Synvisc)?
Hyaluronic acid is a gel-like substance that can be injected into joints to relieve osteoarthritis pain, often providing relief for up to six months. This treatment mimics the body’s natural joint lubricant, helping to cushion and support smooth movement in affected lower limb joints. The injection is typically performed in a clinic setting and is a quick procedure, with most people able to return to normal daily activities soon after—though it’s best to avoid strenuous exercise for a couple of days.
Many patients begin to notice pain relief within a few weeks of treatment. While the injection is generally well tolerated, some may experience mild and temporary side effects such as joint swelling or discomfort, which can usually be managed with anti-inflammatory medication.
What Conditions Can Be Helped with Hyaluronic Acid Injections?
Hyaluronic acid injections are primarily used to treat osteoarthritis—a common degenerative joint condition that leads to pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. This therapy is especially effective in weight-bearing joints, most notably the knee, though it may be used in other joints depending on the individual case.
Conditions that may benefit from hyaluronic acid injections include:
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Knee Osteoarthritis: This is the most common application. Injections can help reduce pain, improve mobility, and support joint function in people with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis.
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Ankle Osteoarthritis: In some cases, hyaluronic acid may also be used to manage pain and improve movement in the ankle joint.
What is Regenera Activa AMT?
Regenera Activa promotes tissue repair and cartilage regeneration by harvesting a small tissue sample from the patient’s body (from the ear), processing it to isolate regenerative cells and growth factors, and injecting this cell-rich suspension into the damaged joint.
These regenerative cells stimulate chondrocytes to produce essential extracellular matrix components, promote the proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells into chondrocytes, and exert anti-inflammatory effects. This combination of actions leads to the repair of damaged tissue, reduction of inflammation, and overall regeneration of cartilage, aiding in the natural healing process for osteoarthritis.
How does Regenera Activa promote tissue repair, cartilage regeneration?
Autologous Micrografts: The procedure involves harvesting a small tissue sample from the patient’s own body, usually from a healthy area behind the ear. This tissue contains regenerative cells, including progenitor cells and growth factors essential for repair processes.
Isolation of Regenerative Cells: The harvested tissue is processed using the Regenera Activa device to mechanically disrupt the tissue and filter out a suspension rich in regenerative cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and various growth factors.
Injection into Affected Area: This cell-rich suspension is injected directly into the damaged knee joint. The proximity of these regenerative cells to the site of injury enables them to exert their reparative effects more effectively.
Stimulation of Chondrocytes: The regenerative cells and growth factors stimulate the activity of chondrocytes, which are the cells responsible for maintaining and repairing cartilage. This leads to increased production of extracellular matrix components like collagen and proteoglycans, essential for cartilage structure and function.
Anti-inflammatory Effects: The regenerative cells also have anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce inflammation in the joint. This can alleviate pain and create a more favorable environment for tissue repair.
Tissue Regeneration: Growth factors and other bioactive molecules in the suspension promote the proliferation of progenitor cells and enhance the differentiation of stem cells into chondrocytes, further supporting cartilage regeneration and repair of the damaged tissue.
By leveraging these mechanisms, Regenera Activa aids in the natural healing process, promoting tissue repair, reducing inflammation, and facilitating cartilage regeneration in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Practitioners who offer this service:
