Shoulder Pain Treatment

What Is Shoulder Pain?

Shoulder pain is any physical discomfort that can be derived from the joint itself, the tendons, or ligaments. About half the population has at least one episode of shoulder pain yearly.^[1] The causes of shoulder pain are numerous. But for many patients, the only thing that matters is that it hurts and it needs treatment. Traditional options for patients include shoulder surgery or shoulder joint replacement. With both surgeries, months of rehab are needed, and the patient must be prepared to take on the accompanying risks. Luckily there is a non-surgical and narcotic-free solution: regenerative medicine, where the central focus is human cells.^[2]

Welcome to Personalized Regenerative Medicine, the top regenerative medicine facility in Orange County, CA, and led by Dr. David Steenblock. He understands that every patient is unique, which is why he utilizes innovative techniques to craft a personalized treatment plan that will tackle your specific issues. His patients’ testimonials alone speak to his level of craft and skill. Dr. Steenblock has focused on pain management and treatment of joint conditions since the late 1970s. He’s one of the world’s leading experts on regenerative medicine. 

At Personalized Regenerative Medicine, we want to encourage and enhance your natural healing ability so that you can keep chronic pain at bay for good. 

All About Shoulder Pain

Our shoulders are composed of several joints combined with tendons and muscles to give ourselves a wide range of motion in the arm.

But mobility can have a price. You might feel pain only when you move your shoulder or all of the time. The pain may be short, or it may be chronic and require medical treatment. 

Anatomy

Your shoulder is made up of three bones: the upper arm bone (humerus), the shoulder blade (scapula), and the collarbone (clavicle). The head of your upper arm bone fits into a socket in your shoulder blade called the glenoid. A combination of muscles and tendons called the rotator cuff keeps your arm bone balanced in your shoulder socket. It covers the head of the upper arm bone and attaches it to the shoulder blade.

Causes of Shoulder Pain

Treatment Options

• Stem cell therapy (SCT)
  • Stem cell therapy uses stem cells (highly adaptable cells that promote healing and can replicate themselves and the functions of a variety of cells) to enhance the body’s repair response to damaged tissue. Studies have shown stem cells to have better healing properties compared to traditional treatments and can increase the amount of fibrocartilage formation and improving their orientation.^[3]
• Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP)
  • Platelet-rich plasma therapy uses a patient’s own blood cells to accelerate the body’s own healing system. Few complications have been reported, and PRP administration carries little risk to the patient.^[4]

Both of these injectable treatments can help you avoid shoulder surgery while getting you on the road to recovery quickly.

Candidates for Shoulder Pain Treatment

The ideal candidate for shoulder pain treatments is somebody who struggles with chronic shoulder pain. Candidates who, on the older side, have strenuous jobs or live a particularly demanding lifestyle may qualify for treatment. Occupations as diverse as construction work and hairdressing are associated with a higher risk of shoulder disorders. Physical factors such as lifting heavy loads, repetitive movements in awkward positions, and vibrations influence the level of symptoms and disability.^[5]

Personal Consultation

If an acute injury is causing intense pain, seek medical care as soon as possible. If the pain is not as severe, it may be safe to rest a few days to see if time will resolve the problem. If symptoms persist, go see Dr. Steenblock.

During your consultation, Dr. David Steenblock will take the time to understand your needs and conditions. He will review your medical history, discuss your condition, as well as your goals and expectations for your shoulders. 

Once he has a comprehensive understanding of your condition and history, he can create a personalized treatment plan designed specifically for your situation to help your body regenerate itself.

Procedure

PRP and SCT treatments offer a far more elegant option for people looking to avoid surgery. A series of injections is all it takes to get the cellular healing medicine to exactly where it will do the most good. 

While you are under a local anesthetic, Dr. Steenblock will inject the stem cells directly into the damaged tissue. He may mix in some platelet-rich plasma serum made from your blood to help repair any damaged cartilage and stimulate healing.

Results

SCT and PRP have been shown to be simple, safe, and demonstrate high levels of patient satisfaction in providing pain relief. They are minimally invasive therapies and have extremely low rates of adverse complications.

Complementary Procedures 

Back Pain

Back pain is a chronic condition that affects millions of adults. But there is a new and effective way to treat it with advanced stem cell transplantation medicine combined with the curative encouragement of platelet-rich plasma.

Hip Pain

Hip pain and injury can be difficult to deal with on a day-to-day basis. It can also be excruciatingly painful, severely limiting, and requiring long-term pain management. We aim to complete a regimen of physical therapy and customized and hip injections of Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy and stem cell transplantation to aid in recovery from hip pain. 

Joint Pain

Joint pain can be inflammation and discomfort from any part of a joint. That includes bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and even muscles. Usually, when people say they have joint pain, it means that there is inflammation from the joint capsule itself, such as the knee joint. Some of the most common causes of joint pain are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and trauma. To treat this, we utilize stem cell therapy.

Knee Pain

Knee pain treatment is the set of remedies that treat the most common knee ailments that affect adults. We offer several types of non-surgical, regenerative treatments to alleviate knee pain and restore functionality.

FAQ

References

1. Brox, J. I., PhD, MD. (2003). Shoulder pain. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 17(1), 33-56. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1521-6942(02)00101-8
2. Mason, C., & Dunnill, P. (2007). A brief definition of regenerative medicine. Regenerative Medicine, 3(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.2217/17460751.3.1.1
3. Valencia Mora, M., Ruiz Ibán, M. A., Díaz Heredia, J., Barco Laakso, R., Cuéllar, R., & García Arranz, M. (2015). Stem cell therapy in the management of shoulder rotator cuff disorders. World journal of stem cells, 7(4), 691–699. https://doi.org/10.4252/wjsc.v7.i4.691
4. Schneider, A., Burr, R., Garbis, N. et al. Platelet-rich plasma and the shoulder: clinical indications and outcomes. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 11, 593–597 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-018-9517-9
5. Mitchell, C., Adebajo, A., Hay, E., & Carr, A. (2005). Shoulder pain: Diagnosis and management in primary care. The BMJ, (331). doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7525.1124