Steph Curry is the only unanimous MVP in NBA history. So, when he gets injured it’s big news, which also makes his treatment plan big news. A few weeks ago he received platelet-rich plasma prolotherapy injections to help regenerate a mild grade I sprain in his medial collateral knee ligament. THIS is a very interesting article about the process many professional athletes go through with an acute injury like this. It was particularly interesting when the the head trainer for the Chicago Bulls talked about treatment based on a combination of symptoms and imaging. Basically, if you simply base treatment on MRI results you are likely missing part of the diagnosis and unlikely to provide thorough treatment.
PRP prolotherapy has become more and more utilized in professional sports to get players back in the game as quickly as possible from acute injuries. I wanted to discuss this article because most of us are not pro athletes and most of us can heal from acute injuries without drastic measures. In my practice, prolotherapy and PRP are used mostly for chronic conditions that have had at least 3 months to heal but unfortunately have not healed completely.
PRP is likely the best treatment for the acute injury of a high-end athlete with deep pockets. Prolotherapy often shines best for every-day-people with chronic pain due to “soft tissue” damage. Prolotherapy is our most cost-effective approach at regenerating ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue that are required to keep the musculoskeletal system together. When these tissues are too loose, torn, or compromised the end result is chronic pain and muscle tension. Treatments that focus on the symptoms of pain and tension are usually not enough to completely resolve the chronic issues. When prolotherapy or PRP are utilized to regenerate the soft tissue the result is more stability, which allows other therapies to become effective. In most cases of chronic joint pain, a combination of prolotherapy and physical therapies gives a person the best chance to finally overcome their pain and muscle tension.
