Stop Nerve Pain and Regain Function
What is Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a general medical term for sick or dysfunctional nerves. Nerves can get injured through a wide variety of mechanisms such as compression, chemical abnormalities, lack of nutrients or even toxins. Nerves can also get attacked by infections or our own immune system. Often, a combination of factors are involved. Neuropathy causes a variety of symptoms such as pain, weakness and numbness. It can also cause a feeling of tightness, heaviness and coldness of the extremities as well as swelling and skin changes.
Can Neuropathy and Nerve Injuries Be Treated?
Regenerative medicine injections are a safe and effective treatment for neuropathy and nerve injuries. Nerves have the ability to heal, but often they need the right stimulus and environment to do so. Injections with natural agents such as PRP or dextrose can stimulate nerve healing:
- Eliminate nerve pain
- Restore strength and sensation
- Improve Balance
- Regain function and quality of life
How Do We Treat Neuropathy and Nerve Injuries?
We use nonsurgical injection technique called Nerve Hydrodissection to free up inflamed and injured nerves and to restore their function. The word hydrodissection comes from two words: “hydro” fluid and “dissect” to open up or separate. Even slight compression of the nerves can cause them to swell and function abnormally. Tissues such as fascia, scars, muscles and tendons can congest the nerves on their path in the extremities. Freeing up the nerves with hydrodissection allows the nerves to regain normal function and heal.
For the procedure, the course of the nerve is mapped using a high resolution ultrasound. Next, under ultrasound guidance, a thin needle is used to carefully inject solution around the nerve, separating it from the surrounding tissues. Once the nerve is released, nerve inflammation resolves and symptoms quickly improve.
What Do We Inject to Treat the Nerves?
We use two natural agents for our nerve injections: Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Dextrose
Are You a Candidate for Nerve Injections?
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Can Heal Nerves!
PRP is a gift from your own body to help you heal. It is a solution of concentrated platelets made by spinning your blood in a centrifuge. When the platelets are injected around the nerves, they release their growth factors that initiate the healing process. As the nerves heal, the pain resolves and the nerves regain normal function.
Animal and human studies have shown that PRP injections can:
- Activate special helper cells that support nerve health and regeneration
- Promote growth of myeline (the outer sheath of nerves) and axons (inner fibers)
- Improve blood supply to nerves
- Resolve nerve inflammation
- Stimulate muscle growth and recover muscle function
Dextrose Injections Can Resolve Nerve Pain and Inflammation
Dextrose is a type of sugar solution that has been used therapeutically in various ways. Dextrose is diluted in sterile water and used to inject around inflamed nerves. It can very quickly turn off neurogenic inflammation better then steroids or other anti-inflammatory medications. Numerous studies have shown that 5% dextrose is more effective than steroid injections for painful nerve conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy, sciatica and cervical radiculopathy. A series of repeated dextrose injections delivered to the proper location along with a hydrodissection technique can actually heal inflamed nerves and provide a long term cure for chronic pain and numbness.
PRP Treatments Work Best When Combined with Other Therapies:
- Physical therapy that includes: Neuromuscular re-education, Strength training, Balance training, Vibration therapy
- Laser & LED Therapy can further decrease nerve inflammation, stimulate nerve regeneration and increase muscle growth.
- Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) Low intensity electromagnetic waves pulsed at the earth’s natural frequencies can increase cellular energy, improve blood flow and nutrient utilization and stimulate tissue healing
- Diet and Nutritional Support is often added to optimize the healing environment within the body. Nutritional deficiencies may also be addressed by high quality nutritional supplements.
Foot drop can result from nerve injury in the back/spine, or at the knee, or a combination of both. Dr. Sebastian shows how a fibular nerve hydrodissection is a safe and effective non-surgical treatment for drop foot.
Dr. Sebastian shows how Nerve Hydrodissection with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) can be used as a treatment for neuropathy (after Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), COVID neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy).
What to Expect with Your Nerve Injection Treatment
Some conditions may improve with 1-3 treatments and some may require 4 or more. Dextrose injections are spaced 1-4 weeks apart while PRP injection may be spaced further (2-6 weeks) to allow adequate time for healing. Between injections, patients are enrolled in specific physical therapy the above mentioned healing modalities and nutritional support.
On the day of your procedure, the medical staff will first collect your blood for processing if PRP is used. Next, Dr. Sebastian will map out the nerve path with an ultrasound and may anesthetize the nerve and injection site with lidocaine. Once everything is ready, Dr. Sebastian will inject the solution along the course of the nerve and into the target muscles under ultrasound guidance. The injection area will be covered by a dressing. After the procedure, there may be some soreness, bruising and swelling which is normal and expected. Often, patients feel significant improvement of their symptoms within 15-20 mins, but sometimes it may take several hours to days.