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Are you so sure about fewer surgeries meaning less need for PT? Because PT is often the ALTERNATIVE (see what I did there?! ) for surgery so I think they'd do okay either way.
If people go thru these major surgeries, they need a lot of PT as they need to learn to walk again. If they can go without the surgeries and do the PRP/Stem Cells, they don't need all that PT.
Some take months to bend their knees to a good degree and many are still stiff and sore years later.
From the studies I have seen and from people I have known that have had PRP and/or stem cell on their hip or knee it is only shown to work about 50% of the time. That means there is a 50% chance of you wasting money on something that doesn't actually work versus actual surgery which has a higher success rate along with the majority of it being covered by insurance.
I personally will not buy into it until there is a much higher success rate and the cost is absorbed through insurance.
Me too, but again it's how much damage is done, 50% isn't bad, but again all these figures, who knows where they come from.
I know I had 3 yrs of NO PAIN in shoulder from regular session (1 session of 8 pokes) in shoulder and it cost me $200 10 yrs ago.
My good friends are keeping their knees going with regular Prolo from the rheumy I've seen after hip replacement for her work to help my damaged body.
So I know it works, I don't lie and my friends don't either.
Ah, I just had a thought -- could be the original Prolo works even better than the new and improved Stem Cells for 10 x's the money. Just like a lot of the old drugs work in my life and I have not gone to the new and supposed better drugs...like the older Armour vs synthroid that is pushed today.
Me too, but again it's how much damage is done, 50% isn't bad, but again all these figures, who knows where they come from.
I know I had 3 yrs of NO PAIN in shoulder from regular session (1 session of 8 pokes) in shoulder and it cost me $200 10 yrs ago.
My good friends are keeping their knees going with regular Prolo from the rheumy I've seen after hip replacement for her work to help my damaged body.
So I know it works, I don't lie and my friends don't either.
Ah, I just had a thought -- could be the original Prolo works even better than the new and improved Stem Cells for 10 x's the money. Just like a lot of the old drugs work in my life and I have not gone to the new and supposed better drugs...like the older Armour vs synthroid that is pushed today.
Armour and other NDTs are making a huge comeback so they are no longer the old treatment. I don't have a thyroid so I take Armour which does better than the T4 only meds.
Armour and other NDTs are making a huge comeback so they are no longer the old treatment. I don't have a thyroid so I take Armour which does better than the T4 only meds.
Armour saved me in 2002. Syn etc are inferior in my book. I've been saying this about Amour since I got here...but those in love with T4 only, fought it like mad. I actually take NatureThryoid as Armour pricing went too high. Another topic, but thanks for comment.
Armour saved me in 2002. Syn etc are inferior in my book. I've been saying this about Amour since I got here...but those in love with T4 only, fought it like mad. I actually take NatureThryoid as Armour pricing went too high. Another topic, but thanks for comment.
I love Narure-Throid but I had to switch to Armour due to the lack of supplies while they were changing their facilities. I will never switch back to T4 only unless I supplement it with T3. Definitely another topic.
I love Narure-Throid but I had to switch to Armour due to the lack of supplies while they were changing their facilities. I will never switch back to T4 only unless I supplement it with T3. Definitely another topic.
Yes, I went thru that too but our homeopathic pharmacy had a huge stock so I bought my supply from them and I'll stick with them...another topic yes.
So how many sessions did you have? It's reported often one does not do it. Often 2-4 depending on the damage of the joints. Darrow talks about this how disappointed people are because their session didn't work. Due to costs, they didn't do more.
Not wonder how many sessions the athletes go thru for their damage..and they can spend the money very easily, the average person cannot..
Just like HA injections, if they work, it's a series of 3 visits to the surgeon's office. I did the 3 sessions, two times some yrs apart....two different type of HA products but both HA. And insurance paid $1000's for these. They may lubricate some but certainly no healing.
Surgery is a huge business with many side business to it. And boy does insurance pay.
Good morning,
So I had 2 "therapies" consistening of 4 injection each therapy. I agree that it sucks that it cost so darn much.
Not sure how "surgery is huge business" is relevant, again my situation was pretty darn straight forward.
1) suffer from severe osteoarthritis in both knees.
2) starting in 2008, begin journey of finding relief. there is no cure. age at time 48
3) try every available treatment from 2009 until december of 2016. arthroscopic surgery, p/t, cortisone, HA, stem cell, supplements and knee replacement. some worked very well, some did not work at all (stem cell).
4) had my left knee totally replaced end of 2016 at the time of surgery I was bone on bone, not able to walk, excruciating pain yep had lots of p/t. as of today August 13th it was a huge, unmitigated success. I live in Center city Philadelphia (think midtown Manhattan) I am again walking around town, my job requires me to stand on my feet for up to 4 hours a day. I'm a chemist so I'm running experiments and testing. some times at the end of the day my joints are achy but I make sure to do cold/heat therapy and that usually solves the issue. Yes some days I am achy but since the surgery I have never NOT been able to do my daily routine. this was not the case prior.
5) I exercise at least 2-3 times a day. I'm currently about 7 pounds over weight which I'm trying to lose because I recognize that every extra pound does matter. unfortunately it's been difficult because my serious passion is baking. lol hard to lose weight when you scarfing down croissants but that's another story.
6) currently my right knee is beginning to wear down. Yes, I am fighting to maintain it for as long as humanly possible. I have a wonderful orthopedic surgeon who insist on it. I have not decided if I am going to try stem cell therapy for my right knee but I do recognize that because it did not work for my left does not mean it will not work for my right and it's been 2 more years so it maybe better. I have not taken it off the table. I still exercise and take supplements.
7) Yes I know people who's surgery did not go well, I also know more people who are tap dancing their way again because of knee replacement. my hairdresser in february actually had both her knees done at once. her profession requires her to be on her feet. she is doing great, she too is 58 and felt she was way to young to be dealing with the pain for the next 30 years.
8) everyone has their own "threshold". I have read your post and feel bad you are dealing with these issues. I have chosen not to live like that. does not make me "bad" for making the choice to have knee replacement. I know you think we are all some ignorant lemmings that blindly followed the medical "cut" machine, I assure you I am not. My due diligence took me months and lead me to hospitals and doctors in 3 major cities and 5 major medical centers. I am more than satisfied.
Last edited by eliza61nyc; 08-13-2018 at 06:04 AM..
So I had 2 "therapies" consistening of 4 injection each therapy. I agree that it sucks that it cost so darn much.
Not sure how "surgery is huge business" is relevant, again my situation was pretty darn straight forward.
1) suffer from severe osteoarthritis in both knees.
2) starting in 2008, begin journey of finding relief. there is no cure. age at time 48
3) try every available treatment from 2009 until december of 2016. arthroscopic surgery, p/t, cortisone, HA, stem cell, supplements and knee replacement. some worked very well, some did not work at all (stem cell).
4) had my left knee totally replaced end of 2016 at the time of surgery I was bone on bone, not able to walk, excruciating pain yep had lots of p/t. as of today August 13th it was a huge, unmitigated success. I live in Center city Philadelphia (think midtown Manhattan) I am again walking around town, my job requires me to stand on my feet for up to 4 hours a day. I'm a chemist so I'm running experiments and testing. some times at the end of the day my joints are achy but I make sure to do cold/heat therapy and that usually solves the issue. Yes some days I am achy but since the surgery I have never NOT been able to do my daily routine. this was not the case prior.
5) I exercise at least 2-3 times a day. I'm currently about 7 pounds over weight which I'm trying to lose because I recognize that every extra pound does matter. unfortunately it's been difficult because my serious passion is baking. lol hard to lose weight when you scarfing down croissants but that's another story.
6) currently my right knee is beginning to wear down. Yes, I am fighting to maintain it for as long as humanly possible. I have a wonderful orthopedic surgeon who insist on it. I have not decided if I am going to try stem cell therapy for my right knee but I do recognize that because it did not work for my left does not mean it will not work for my right and it's been 2 more years so it maybe better. I have not taken it off the table. I still exercise and take supplements.
7) Yes I know people who's surgery did not go well, I also know more people who are tap dancing their way again because of knee replacement. my hairdresser in february actually had both her knees done at once. her profession requires her to be on her feet. she is doing great, she too is 58 and felt she was way to young to be dealing with the pain for the next 30 years.
8) everyone has their own "threshold". I have read your post and feel bad you are dealing with these issues. I have chosen not to live like that. does not make me "bad" for making the choice to have knee replacement. I know you think we are all some ignorant lemmings that blindly followed the medical "cut" machine, I assure you I am not. My due diligence took me months and lead me to hospitals and doctors in 3 major cities and 5 major medical centers. I am more than satisfied.
Thank you for this post. I was kind of in the same situation but with my right hip. Doctors tried to push as much PT on me as possible and all it was doing was making it worse. My hip was bone on bone and just walking was a huge chore. I had it replaced on June 4 and after two months I have to say it was a major success. I got the all clear from my doctor just over a week ago and I am have restarted my exercise routine. I am 47 and I was told this hip should last me well into my 70s.
On the flip side I had several people from my work tell me to go try the PRP/Stem Cell thing. I researched it heavily and I just couldn't find any benefit to getting it done. I also learned if you have any type of autoimmune disorder the chances of stem cell therapy failing are even higher.
So I'm not going to regurgitate a lot of information but this is MY EXPERIENCE and my experience only.
I had stem cell therapy on my left knee in 2016. I have a wonderful orthopedic surgeon from the Rothman institute in Philadelphia, I was on a 2 year journey for my left knee prior to even discussing the possibility of TKR.
It was unsuccessful. did absolutely nothing. did not give relief from pain. no growth of cartilage, no slow down of degenerative disease. It cost me a couple of grand as it was not covered by my insurance (I had Aetna at the time).
I had a successful total knee replacement 6 months later. I still have osteoarthritis, stem cell therapy is not a cure for it. I will discuss with my doctor if we are going to try it with the right knee.
I am 1 year out from my TKR, I am about to go on a 2 week vacation with my family, a journey I would have in no way been able to take prior. the bone on bone pain would have made in inconceivable
I believe in living the best life I can, I worked hard and saved hard to enjoy my late life, I will use all available options to have the best life I can.
One more thought on this, did the surgeon in fact take stem cells from your bone marrow and inject into your knee, live cells from your own body. There are some "imposter" stem cells out there that are dried out and injected in joints and they do not work. And again as I mentioned if they were live stem cells from you, so often more than one session is needed. I know it gets pricey but for those who have the money, they can do it.
This is why I'm not concentrating on stem cells, as I am on PRP and Dextrose Prolo, much less money.
Thank you for this post. I was kind of in the same situation but with my right hip. Doctors tried to push as much PT on me as possible and all it was doing was making it worse. My hip was bone on bone and just walking was a huge chore. I had it replaced on June 4 and after two months I have to say it was a major success. I got the all clear from my doctor just over a week ago and I am have restarted my exercise routine. I am 47 and I was told this hip should last me well into my 70s.
On the flip side I had several people from my work tell me to go try the PRP/Stem Cell thing. I researched it heavily and I just couldn't find any benefit to getting it done. I also learned if you have any type of autoimmune disorder the chances of stem cell therapy failing are even higher.
My hip replacement was a success until after the 5th month post op. Then FOR ME, it all went downhill...shorter leg showed it's ugly head and body was so off and I live with all that now, 8 yrs coming up soon. Hope you are more successful ongoing. And then there is all the nerve damage from Anterior approach....my surgeon did a sloppy job and was in a hurry to go home. That's my thinking on it all.
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) for surgery so I think they'd do okay either way.