Question 1

What is Regenerative Medicine?

Accepted Answer

Regenerative medicine is an innovative medical field that uses substances from your own body to rejuvenate, regenerate, and repair injured muscles, ligaments, and cartilage.

These treatments are natural, minimally invasive, and effective at healing your pain and getting you back on your feet. Often, these treatments involve a simple extraction of blood or bone marrow that is activated. Platelets in the blood are spun in a centrifuge to activate the healing cells from your own body.

The activated substance is then injected into an injury site to enhance your body's own healing potential, targeting wounded joints, muscles, and tendons.

Question 2

What is platelet rich plasma (PRP) and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is blood plasma with a high concentration of platelets. Platelets are blood cells that contain large amounts of healing proteins.

These proteins initiate and accelerate new tissue growth within tendons, ligaments, and inter-vertebral discs to repair damage and relieve symptoms for patients with tendinosis or other causes of chronic pain.

Injecting a patient's own PRP into damaged tissue is an effective, safe, and minimally invasive treatment option. By enhancing the body's own natural healing abilities, patients are able to enjoy a faster and more thorough healing process that relieves symptoms, allowing them to return to their regular activities.

Question 3

Does ARMI specialize in Personal Injury?

Accepted Answer

ARMI specializes in treating people who have pain due to an auto accident. We understand the common types of pain that come from an automobile accident and have developed treatments that are effective, fast, and geared to restoring the patient's previous functioning.

Question 4

What is ARMI's philosophy?

Accepted Answer

ARMI's philosophy is to "Get you in, Get you better, and Get you going". We understand that going to the doctor can be a hassle, and it's our job to make sure that your treatment is effective, efficient, and pleasant.

Question 5

What is the research that ARMI is doing?

Accepted Answer

Currently, we are studying the effects that platelet rich plasma can have on lumbar radiculopathy.

Question 6

What is an epidural steroid injection?

Accepted Answer

An epidural steroid injection, or ESI, is a minimally invasive treatment used to relieve low back and leg pain (sciatica). ESIs have also been shown to be effective in treating pain in the neck (cervical) and mid-spine (thoracic) as well.

While ESIs do not treat the underlying condition, they are often effective in relieving the chronic pain associated with a variety of spinal disorders. Comprised of cortisone and a local anesthetic or saline solution, ESIs work by reducing inflammation and flushing out particles that cause swelling and pain. ESIs are more effective than oral painkillers and steroids, as the medication is delivered directly to the source of the pain and not dispersed throughout the body.

ESIs are typically injected precisely into the epidural space at the site of the presumed pathology, the area between the dura (a membrane covering the spinal nerves) and the posterior disc space.

Question 7

Who is candidate for an epidural steroid injection?

Accepted Answer

ESIs are used to relieve pain in the lower back, arms, legs and neck that originates from conditions such as:

• Lumbar spinal stenosis
• Lumbar disc herniation
• Degenerative disc disease
• Facet joint or nerve root cysts
• Disc annular tear

ESIs can be used alone to provide pain relief or as part of a rehabilitation program to help a patient perform his/her exercises with less discomfort. Duration of relief can vary dependent upon the condition being treated. If you have a disc extrusion, usually one or two injections will provide long term pain relief because this condition has a favorable natural history.

Meaning that with time the extruded disc resorbs on its own. The ESI significantly reduces the pain and inflammation and will shorten the period of disability greatly. If you are being treated for spinal stenosis (a bony encroachment of the spinal canal), the duration of relief from one injection will be from 3 to 6 months, at which time the ESI may be repeated again. In some patients who are diligent with the spinal exercises, one injection can last up to one year.

Question 8

How do I schedule an appointment?

Accepted Answer

To schedule an appointment, please contact our office directly at 404-355-2728. For more information about our services, or any other questions or comments, please visit our Contact Us page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still Have Questions?