Regenerative Medicine
Aching knees, a sore shoulder or a tendon that never quite heals can wear you down, especially when steroid shots only help for a short time and surgery feels like too big a step. Regenerative medicine takes a different approach. Instead of only masking pain, these treatments use healing factors from your own blood or bone marrow, or gentle sound-wave energy, to support your body’s natural repair process. At MVM Health, our physicians offer platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), shockwave therapy, Alpha-2-Macroglobulin (A2M) and intraosseous injections, with every injection placed under ultrasound or X-ray guidance for accuracy.
Meet with a regenerative medicine specialist at one of our clinics in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio and Arizona to see which option fits your goals.
- Board-Certified Physicians
- Care Across Multiple Specialties
Meet Our Expert Team
Board Certified Expert
At MVM Health — Movement. Vitality. Medicine. — we are committed to providing exceptional pain, vein, and wellness services that empower individuals to reclaim their health and well-being. With our team of Harvard-trained experts, we strive to deliver transformative outcomes that restore comfort, confidence, and quality of life. MVM Health’s mission is to help every patient relieve discomfort, restore motion, and renew life.
Vwaire Orhurhu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Mariam Salisu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Peter Isaac, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ali Amin, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
THOMAS KHOURY, MD
Harvard Medical School
ANTHONY TURNER, MD
Yale School of Medicine
KIRAN C. TAMIRISA
Baylor College of Medicine
TARIQ ALFARRA, DO
JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL
Rishi Sheth, MD
University of Miami School of Medicine
Henry Onyeaka, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Felicia Todd, CNP
Moravian College
Carrie Ward, CNP
Franklin University
Kruti Solanki, CNP
Drexel University
Christy Daniels, CNP
Chamberlain University
Heerina Kittel, CNP
Maryville University
Vic Urbano, CNP
Walden University
Jameela Azeem, CNP
Hofstra University
Vwaire Orhurhu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Mariam Salisu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Peter Isaac, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ali Amin, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
THOMAS KHOURY, MD
Harvard Medical School
ANTHONY TURNER, MD
Yale School of Medicine
KIRAN C. TAMIRISA
Baylor College of Medicine
Rishi Seth, MD
University of Miami School of Medicine
Henry Onyeaka, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Felicia Todd, CNP
Moravian College
Vic Urbano, CNP
Walden University
Jameela Azeem, CNP
Hofstra University
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What Is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine is a group of treatments designed to support the body’s own ability to repair damaged tissue. In pain care, it focuses on the structures that wear down or get injured over time: joint cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles and the discs and joints of the spine.
Most of these tissues have a poor blood supply, which is why a tendon injury or worn knee can take a long time to heal, or never fully heal. Regenerative treatments aim to bring a concentrated dose of healing signals right to the problem area. Some use your own blood or bone marrow, which is processed in the office and injected back into the injured spot. Others, like shockwave therapy, use energy from outside the body to kick-start the healing response.
This is different from a steroid injection, which mainly calms inflammation and can wear off in weeks. Regenerative treatments work more slowly, often over several weeks to a few months, but the goal is to improve the health of the tissue itself, not only to quiet the pain.
Regenerative medicine is still an evolving field. Research is strongest for some uses, such as PRP for knee arthritis and certain tendon problems, and still developing for others. Your MVM Health physician will be open with you about what the evidence shows for your condition, what results are realistic, and whether another treatment may be a better fit.
Our Regenerative Treatments
Your physician recommends a treatment based on the tissue involved, how long you have had symptoms and your activity goals. Some patients benefit from a combination.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
A small amount of your blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, which carry growth factors that help with tissue repair. The PRP is then injected into the painful joint, tendon or ligament under ultrasound or X-ray guidance. It is commonly used for knee arthritis, tennis elbow, rotator cuff problems and Achilles or patellar tendon pain.
Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC)
Bone marrow is gently drawn from the back of the hip bone using numbing medicine. It is processed to concentrate its healing cells and proteins, then injected into the damaged area during the same visit. BMAC is often considered for more advanced joint wear or when PRP alone has not been enough.
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
A hand-held device sends focused sound waves through the skin to the injured tissue. There are no needles. Treatment sessions take about 10 to 15 minutes, are usually given weekly over several weeks, and are used for plantar fasciitis, calcified shoulder tendons, tennis elbow and other stubborn tendon problems.
Alpha-2-Macroglobulin (A2M) injections
A2M is a protein found naturally in your blood that can block certain enzymes that break down cartilage. It is concentrated from your own blood and injected into the joint, with the aim of slowing cartilage damage and easing arthritis pain.
Common Conditions Regenerative Medicine Treats
Knee osteoarthritis
Worn cartilage that causes aching, stiffness and swelling. PRP, A2M, BMAC and intraosseous injections are all used for knee arthritis, depending on how advanced it is.
Hip and shoulder arthritis
Joint wear in the hip or shoulder that limits walking, reaching or sleeping comfortably. See our page on arthritis.
Tendon injuries (tendinopathy)
Long-lasting tendon pain such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, Achilles or patellar tendon pain, often from overuse.
Rotator cuff strains and partial tears
Shoulder pain and weakness from irritated or partly torn rotator cuff tendons that have not healed with rest and therapy.
Plantar fasciitis
Stabbing heel pain with the first steps in the morning. Shockwave therapy and PRP are both common options.
Ligament sprains and instability
Stretched or weakened ligaments in the knee, ankle or sacroiliac joint that cause pain and a loose feeling. Learn more about SI joint injections.
Sports and overuse injuries
Muscle, tendon and ligament injuries in active adults and weekend athletes who want to return to their sport.
Spine joint and disc-related pain
In select cases, regenerative injections may be used for painful facet joints or degenerated discs. See our page on degenerative disc disease.
Risk Factors
Joint, tendon and ligament damage is more likely if you:
- Are over 40, when cartilage and tendons naturally lose some of their ability to repair
- Play sports or do work with repeated motions, such as running, tennis, lifting or overhead work
- Have had a past joint injury, ligament tear or surgery
- Carry extra body weight, which adds stress to the knees and hips
- Have a family history of osteoarthritis
- Have joints that are misaligned, such as bow legs, knock knees or flat feet
- Smoke, which slows healing and reduces blood flow to tissues
Symptoms
You may want to ask us about regenerative treatment if you have:
- Joint or tendon pain that has lasted more than three months
- Steroid injections that help less, or for shorter periods, each time
- Pain that limits walking, climbing stairs, playing sports or working out
- Swelling, stiffness or a grinding feeling in a joint
- A tendon or ligament injury that has not healed with rest, bracing and therapy
- A goal of delaying or avoiding joint replacement or other surgery
- A preference for treatments that use your own tissue rather than medication
When Pain Needs Urgent Care
Regenerative treatments are planned care for ongoing problems. Get medical care right away if your pain comes with:
- A joint that is suddenly hot, red and swollen, especially with fever
- A joint or limb that looks deformed after an injury, or that you cannot move or put weight on
- A loud pop followed by sudden weakness, which may be a full tendon tear
- Calf pain and swelling, which may be a blood clot
- Numbness, tingling or weakness that spreads down an arm or leg
- Back pain with loss of bladder or bowel control
- Chest pain or trouble breathing (call 911)
These symptoms can be signs of infection, a fracture, a complete tear, a blood clot or a serious nerve problem.
Book a pain evaluation
Getting the Most From Regenerative Treatment
Regenerative treatments work with your body’s healing process, so what you do before and after matters.
Pause anti-inflammatory medicine. Ibuprofen, naproxen and similar drugs can blunt the healing response. Most patients stop them for about a week before and several weeks after treatment. Acetaminophen is usually fine. Follow your physician’s exact instructions.
Expect some soreness at first. Many people feel more achy for a few days after PRP or BMAC as the healing response starts. Ice for short periods and rest the area.
Protect the area early on. Avoid heavy lifting, running or intense workouts for the time your physician recommends, often one to two weeks.
Start rehab on schedule. A guided exercise program, usually starting a few weeks after treatment, helps new tissue grow stronger in the right way.
Be patient with results. Improvement often builds over 6 to 12 weeks and can continue for several months. Some conditions need more than one treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may be a good candidate if you have joint, tendon or ligament pain that has not improved with rest, therapy or steroid injections, and you want to delay or avoid surgery. People with active infection, certain blood disorders or cancer may need a different option. Your physician will review your history and imaging first.
For PRP, a small blood sample is drawn and processed for about 15 to 20 minutes. For BMAC, marrow is collected from the hip bone after numbing. The concentrate is then injected into the target area under image guidance. Most visits take one to two hours, and you go home the same day.
It varies by condition and person. Many patients with knee arthritis or tendon problems report relief lasting six months to a year or longer. Some benefit from a repeat treatment over time.
Some people improve after one injection. Others need a series of two or three, spaced a few weeks apart. Shockwave therapy is usually given in three to six weekly sessions.
You may feel pressure and some discomfort during the injection, and soreness for a few days afterward. Numbing medicine is used for BMAC collection and often for the injection site.
Not exactly. BMAC contains a small number of your own stem cells along with many other healing proteins, but PRP, A2M and shockwave do not use stem cells. MVM Health only uses your own tissue processed during the same visit.
The devices used to prepare PRP and BMAC are FDA-cleared, and these treatments use your own tissue. However, the FDA has not approved them as a cure for any specific condition. Your physician will explain the current evidence for your situation.
Because your own tissue is used, allergic reactions are very rare. Possible side effects include soreness, swelling, bruising and, rarely, infection or nerve irritation at the injection or collection site.
Most plans do not yet cover PRP, BMAC or A2M, so these are often self-pay. We provide a clear cost estimate before treatment and accept HSA and FSA cards.
MVM Health offers regenerative medicine at clinics in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio and Arizona. See our locations page to find the clinic closest to you.
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