Regenerative medicine is a branch of the medical field that uses cells, tissues and organ substitutes to restore normal functioning of an individual’s body. The primary goal of this type of treatment is to help the body heal itself more effectively.

Physical therapy, on the other hand, is an important component of recovery for patients with musculoskeletal issues. It is often made part of the rehabilitative phase of treatment after receiving regenerative therapies.

Types of Regenerative Therapies Available

• Tissue engineering
• Stem cell therapy
• PRP therapy
• Immunomodulation

Why combine the two?

Many people opt for regenerative procedures in place of surgery as the former is considered minimally invasive. When such procedures are paired with physical therapy, the recovery can be a lot of practical and less limiting.

For instance, regular exercise before and after stem cell therapy can help prevent the individual from losing strength and overall activity levels. However, exercising too hard or incorrectly may be harmful.

In a clinical trial conducted by Dr. Sabaawy of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, it was observed that treatment delivered more successful results when stem cell therapy was administered along with physical therapy. This combination could potentially yield a more sustainable improvement in the quality of life for patients with chronic injuries.

Physical Therapy Benefits

• Provides motivation

The goals of the physical therapy component in all of this are not only to improve the physical mobility of the injured or damaged site but also to keep the patient motivated. Many people do indeed become weak, dependent and depressed due to their illness, but physical therapists make sure that patients in individual or group therapy sessions interact, exercise and gain confidence in their abilities.

• Speeds up internal healing

Physical therapists also administer practices that improve internal healing. Since regenerative medicine involves grafts, transplants, and donors, subsequent rehabilitation should also assist in post-transplant recovery. Physical therapists aim to do this by engaging individuals in appropriate exercise programs.

• Helps regain function

Patients with regenerative therapies need to work with a well-structured regimen of appropriate rest, tissue mobilization, and specific protocols to ultimately regain function.  A customized physical therapy program for such patients can help them return to their prior level of functioning and performance.

• Improves pain management

Some localized pain is always associated with regenerative procedures and follow up exercises such as joint and soft tissue mobilization can assist with relieving the pain. The same can also restore joint and muscle function to limit the pain as well as prevent pain from returning in the future.

A Winning Combination

Since the reestablishment of normal functioning of diseased or injured tissue is the eventual goal of regenerative medicine, the practice needs to be complemented with classical rehabilitation such as physical therapy. A combination of the two is a win all situation for patients and therapists.

All Star Pain Management Maryland is a comprehensive pain management practice that utilizes a multimodal, narcotic sparing approach to treating pain. The staff here deals with the regenerative medicine component of treatment and refers patients to accredited physical therapists to complete their recovery.