Pain control procedures proven very effective; Informative presentations offered at VMH

Veterans Memorial Hospital will again be offering a pain control presentation for the public March 13 and March 14. Dr. Dave Schwartz will be hosting these informative pain control presentations which will both detail the two new pain control options he offers at Veterans Memorial Hospital. Both presentations will include the same information, but are being offered on two different days at different times to try to suit more schedules.

The Wednesday, March 13 presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital. The Thursday, March 14 presentation will begin at 10 a.m. and will also be held in the hospital’s Large Conference Room.

These two new options for pain control that are now offered locally at Veterans Memorial Hospital help people with chronic joint pain or soft tissue/musculoskeletal pain. These new procedures provide patients with another option for pain control instead of only traditional means, such as surgery or pain pills.

Both procedures involve injections, and have been successful in reducing or relieving pain, making it possible for many patients to enjoy benefits like being able to resume their normal activities or delay surgery. However, because insurance companies view these procedures as new and “experimental”, they are an out-of-pocket expense.

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection is a procedure that utilizes the anti-inflammatory nature of the body’s own blood components to reduce inflammation and promote healing. PRP injections involve taking blood from the patient, processing it to concentrate the platelets in the plasma, and then injecting it into the problem areas, such as the back, shoulders, SI joints or knees.

The other procedure uses bone marrow concentrate (BMC), which contains stem cells, to promote healing and pain relief. The procedure involves taking a small volume of the patient’s bone marrow, processing it, and then injecting it into the problem area.   PRP and BMC/stem cell procedures are frequently used hand in hand.

“I was the first to receive the bone marrow aspiration procedure together with the PRP last summer and noticed improvement in my knee pain right away,” states Jon Hawes, PA and full-time Emergency Department Provider at Veterans Memorial Hospital. “It then tapered off a little bit since the bone marrow and stem cells take longer to work, so again now after many months out, I am noticing more improvement which is attributed to the stem cells. I am walking better and in less pain. I still have arthritis, but I am noticing definite improvement.”

“I plan to boost it again by repeating the procedure for even more relief. The PRP procedure is good as an anti-inflammatory for soft tissue injuries, but the stem cells get into the joints and work better for my arthritis,” adds Hawes. “Prior to this, I was getting steroid injections in my knee twice per year, but was needing to have it done more often for relief, and I didn’t want to do that.  I am trying to avoid a total knee replacement and this procedure is doing just that. I am happy to follow this pain relief program as I continue doing exercises to strengthen my knees.”

For more information, call the Veterans Memorial Hospital Surgical Coordinator at 563-568-3411, who can arrange for a consultation.