For many years, corticosteroid injections were a mainstay for osteoarthritis pain treatment. However, a recent study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that corticosteroid injections sped up cartilage loss in the knee joint. For many, this low-cost and effective pain treatment is no longer an option because research now indicates corticosteroids can result in future debilitating pain issues.
All Star Pain Management and Regenerative Medicine, www.allstarpainmanagement.com, is prepared to help patients find solutions to achieve arthritis relief.
New Arthritis Estimates
Arthritis is a term that includes multiple conditions that affect the joints, tissues around the joints, and other connective tissues. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) reports about 91 million U.S. adults may have some form of arthritis, according to a new statistical analysis of data from a self-reported national survey from 2015. This estimate is 68 percent higher than the previously reported estimate for arthritis.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, the most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which affects an estimated 31 million Americans.
A2M: Emerging Treatment in Orthopedic Medicine
Treatments for arthritis include medications, supplements, and joint surgery. At the forefront of emerging treatment options in orthopedic medicine is a procedure called alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) injection. Alpha-2-macroglobulin is a protease inhibitor found in high concentrations of the blood and is one of the largest plasma proteins. Because of its large size, it essentially blocks the progression of arthritis. Research data indicates that A2M is successful in preventing many types of cartilage-degrading enzymes. A2M acts, not only by blocking damaging activity but also by decreasing the progression of joint deterioration.
Within the blood, three proteins break down cartilage. A2M can block all of these degenerative proteins. The protective characteristics of A2M are useful in treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, discogenic spine pain, degenerative disc disease, and other cartilage-related conditions. Additionally, this therapy can be used as a preventive treatment to inhibit joint destruction further.
Proven Pain Reliever
A small clinical trial performed on 24 patients with a history of low back pain (LBP) complaints and who failed conservative pain management using Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), activity modification and physical therapy, resulted in a promising outcome. These patients showed a particular indicator for cartilage degeneration, known as the Fibronectin-Aggrecan complex (FAC). The patients were also suffering from degenerative disc disease (DDD). The study was designed to determine if the A2M injections relieved back pain in patients with LBP from degenerative disc disease and the ability to use FAC as a predictor for the reaction to this biologic therapy.
In the study, A2M was found to prevent the formation of the FAC complex. In addition, patients were more likely to show improvement in their pain at follow-up.
Call today for more information at All Star Pain Management, (443) 808-1808, or visit our website at www.allstarpainmanagement.com, to see if the A2M treatment for arthritis pain relief is right for you.