Can you feel it? Spring is in the air!! Trees are budding, bulbs are springing up from the soft earth, the birds are scoping out the area to start their nesting. Life is renewing itself, and so should we.

Spring is a great time to access our workout routines as well as our individual physical condition and how we can renew ourselves.

Let’s take our friend Glen as a prime example. Glen is in his early-60’s. In his youth, he was an athlete and competed in several sports in high school and college. He continued his love of sports and working out throughout his adult life.

Unfortunately for Glen, his lifetime of sports activity has worn down some of his essential joints, making participating in sports and workout routines painful. Wear and tear usually begin around 60 years old, especially for people who do a lot of repetitive movements which can put stress on joints.

So, his mind says GO, get out there and enjoy spring, but his body is yelling NO!!!!

Why does this happen to some people and not others? Part of the issue is genetics; you may be predisposed to joint issues. Medical conditions like Osteoarthritis, Bursitis, Tendonitis, previous injuries, and even posture affect how you use your hips and other joints. The hip is surrounded by large muscles that support the joint and enable movement. If any are injured or weakened, this would affect your hip.

The hip is essentially a ball and socket joint surrounded by connective ligaments and cartilage, which provides cushioning to ease movement. The other surfaces of the hip joint are covered by a thin layer of smooth tissue called synovial membrane, which produces a small amount of lubricating fluid so that the bones of the hip joint will not rub against each other.

Glen was told by many orthopedists that his only relief will come from total hip replacement surgery. This was not something Glen was interested in doing. He has other medical conditions that will be affected by major surgery, his out-of-pocket expenses would be prohibitive due to his insurance plan, and a myriad of other reasons he did not want the surgery. He has been trying to tough it out until Medicare kicked in and changed the finances of surgery, and then he would reassess.

Watching Glen on the dance floor with his fiancé was painful, seeing him struggle to smile through his pain. Seeing him limp back to the table sealed the deal.

Until he heard about Dr Dan Savarino from APEX Center for Regenerative Medicine. The operative word here is REGENERATIVE.

Regenerative medicine became key when tissue engineering became popular for stem cell research and procedures like skin grafting in the 1990’s. The goal of regenerative medicine is to replace or reboot tissues or organs damaged because of disease, injury, age, or other issues instead of treating symptoms with medication and procedures.

Regeneration in humans happens at three levels:

• Molecular. This includes small molecules that are the building blocks of your body, like DNA, fats, and carbohydrates.
• Cellular. This includes cell structures like neurons or axons that are responsible for cell growth and reproduction in your body.
• Tissue. This includes blood, skin, bone, or muscle

In Glen’s case, it is tissue that needs to regenerate to protect the bones of his hip joint. His repetitive movement playing sports and living life has worn down the natural cushioning

Dr. Savarino explained the amazing results from PRP Therapy (Platelet-Rich Plasma). This amazing procedure allows the body to heal itself, harnessing the ability to amplify the natural growth factors your body uses.

Plasma is the liquid portion of whole blood. It is composed largely of water and proteins, and it provides a medium for red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets to circulate through the body. Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are blood cells that cause blood clots and other necessary growth healing functions.

Platelet activation plays a key role in the body’s natural healing process. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses injections of a concentration of platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints.

The procedure is done right in their Tinton Falls office. Dr. Savarino draws blood from the patient and places it in a special centrifuge. The centrifuge separates out the red blood cells, which are discarded. The resulting platelet and plasma concentrate is used for the PRP treatment. The treatment takes about 15-20 minutes, and the treatment area is anesthetized to limit discomfort.

For even better results, all of their PRP injections are given under direct ultrasound guidance to ensure accurate placement of the platelet concentrate. Dr. Savarino is one of the country’s leaders in musculoskeletal ultrasound, so patients of Apex Center for Regenerative Medicine will receive the safest, most-effective treatments possible.

Some of the key advantages of PRP injections are that they can reduce the need for anti-inflammatories or stronger medications like opioids. In addition, the side effects of PRP injections are very limited because, since the injections are created from your own blood, your body will not reject or react negatively to them.

Every individual heals at their own rate, but the results promise Glen will be back to doing what he loves best, and spending Saturday night’s dancing with a genuine smile.

So, if you are looking for Glen, you may try the golf course, the local hiking trail, outside working in his garden or anywhere else he wants to be, thanks to Dr. Dan and PRP.

Come and speak with Dr. Savarino, a highly skilled physician with over 10 years of experience and expertise. He has brought cutting-edge technology and new trends in medicine to Central Monmouth County to benefit his patients. He will be happy to discuss and address your medical questions and concerns with an individualized treatment plan.