Managing Shoulder OA: Cortisone Injections vs. Regenerative Therapies

May is recognized nationally as Arthritis Awareness Month. While most people know that arthritis is a debilitating condition, many may not realize that it is actually one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. 

While there are many different subtypes of arthritis, the most common type is osteoarthritis (OA), also known as “wear-and-tear” arthritis or degenerative joint disease. OA happens when the protective lining that covers and lubricates your joints (cartilage) breaks down and wears away, causing your bones to rub together whenever you use the joint. 

As your joint structures continue to deteriorate, you can experience pain, joint stiffness and swelling, and limited mobility. OA can develop in any joint, including your shoulder, which studies estimate about 33% of people over 60 have. 

There is currently no cure for any type of OA, but when you’re dealing with shoulder OA, it’s important to seek care to manage symptoms and slow down the disease’s progression. At Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine in Colleyville, Texas, Don Enty, MD, leads our team in offering expert OA treatment and management.

Here, we discuss two innovative treatments for OA that can significantly reduce your pain and restore your quality of life. 

Cortisone injections for shoulder OA

When you have shoulder OA, the bones in your shoulder joint (either your clavicle and acromion or humerus and scapula) rub together and trigger an inflammatory response from your immune system. This is what leads to all those unpleasant symptoms, such as joint pain and swelling. 

Addressing inflammation can significantly reduce those symptoms and restore some mobility — and that’s exactly what cortisone injections aim to do. 

A cortisone injection contains a steroid that reduces inflammation. We inject it into the lining of your shoulder joint, and the cells in the lining react to the steroid and begin working with your immune system to slow down the inflammatory response.

Regenerative therapies for shoulder OA

There are two types of regenerative therapies available for shoulder OA that aim to repair the tissue damage done by OA: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and human tissue allograft (HTA). 

PRP therapy 

The two main components in your blood are platelets and plasma. The platelets contain high amounts of healing properties called growth factors, which your body uses to heal injuries through quick tissue and cell regeneration. 

PRP is made by separating the platelets and plasma from the rest of the substances in your blood and injecting the concentrated platelets into a damaged area to encourage more effective healing. PRP injections can help repair joint deterioration due to OA.

HTA

At Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine, we use a placental allograft. After a planned cesarean section, women can donate their placenta after it’s been tested for transmissible diseases. It’s then reconstituted into materials that can be used for medical treatments, including HTA. 

The placenta contains up to 150 growth factors vital for healing and cell generation, making it an ideal substance for treating joint damage due to OA.

Which treatment is right for you?

Cortisone injections and regenerative therapies are great options for managing and treating OA. However, they serve different purposes. 

Cortisone injections are better for the short term. They can provide more immediate results but can have adverse effects if used too often or too long. If you have severe OA symptoms, these injections can get you relief while you work on a more long-term solution.

Regenerative therapies like PRP injections and HTA can’t provide immediate pain relief because it takes time for the growth factors to encourage healing. However, as you continue with these treatments, your body will start to heal and repair itself, giving you more long-term symptom relief. 

To learn more about our OA treatments, schedule an appointment by calling or using our online booking feature today.