For medical designation purposes, your spine is divided into three sections: the cervical spine (neck), the thoracic spine (mid-back), and the lumbar spine (low-back). Therefore, thoracic back pain is when the pain originates in the middle part of the back.
You have likely tried taking pain relievers, but you know that eventually those medicines can cause harm to organs such as your liver – plus, they don’t always work very well to alleviate your mid-back pain. Physical therapy can be helpful but doesn’t always solve the problem, and you would really rather not have back surgery if you can help it. So, you may be considering the revolutionary treatment called platelet-rich plasma, or PRP therapy.
Let’s talk about how platelet-rich plasma therapy can help tamp down your mid-back pain, and where you can go throughout Delaware to receive this natural, regenerative medicine treatment.
What Causes Thoracic Back Pain?
This type of pain can be caused by a variety of issues in the mid-back, including a herniated disc, trauma or injury (such as due to a car accident or sports injury), arthritis in one or more joints in the mid-back vertebrae, or strain of the muscles in the mid-back. Symptoms can include chronic or intermittent back pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion of the torso.
What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy?
Platelet-rich plasma is an innovative medical treatment that uses your body’s own platelets to facilitate healing. To retrieve a small sample of your platelets, your doctor will perform a normal blood draw from your arm.
The sample is then spun in a centrifuge, right there in the doctor’s office, to separate the platelets so they can be concentrated. This concentration of platelet-rich plasma is then injected directly into your injured area, where they help to promote healing and reduce inflammation where it now hurts.
Your doctor will carefully inject the PRP solution into the painful area of your thoracic spine. It is imperative to have an experienced healthcare provider to administer this treatment, so they can avoid causing damage to the delicate spinal cord.
Because PRP works from the inside by fostering healing, it can take a while before you notice beneficial results. However, patients who wish to avoid back surgery are the biggest proponents of PRP therapy for back pain, because the pain will go away slowly but surely. Plus, your body will not reject the treatment, because it comprises your own blood cells.
Benefits of PRP Therapy for Mid-Back Pain
Some of the key ways in which this treatment can work wonders for your back include the following:
- Increased blood flow and circulation: Platelet-rich plasma therapy douses the area with healing platelets, which can help improve blood flow in the spine. The increased blood flow enables your back to heal better, quicker, and more thoroughly than without this treatment.
- Faster healing time: PRP therapy has been shown to speed up the healing process, both for acute injuries and chronic conditions. Platelet-rich plasma contains growth factors and cytokines which assist in the process of tissue regeneration.
- Long-lasting pain relief: One of the main benefits of PRP therapy is that it can provide lasting relief from back pain and neck pain.
Platelet-Rich Plasma for Thoracic Back Pain in Delaware
If you are tired of the negative side effects of back pain medication and do not want to undergo invasive surgery, our pain specialists at Delaware Back Pain & Sports Rehabilitation Centers can offer you a range of options for achieving relief from your symptoms.
Visit our world-class rehabilitation center to discuss your options with our back pain specialists. To schedule an appointment, call our office nearest you or fill out our online request form. We look forward to helping you find relief from your mid-back pain!