Stem Cell Therapy for Rotator Cuff Tears or Arthritis

oops! actually, I had the procedure in 2019. Time Flies!

I was just diagnosed with some partial tearing and slight capsulitis in one of my shoulders.

Mayo Sports Med feels I'm a good candidate for PRP injections, however, I'm not thrilled with the idea. I'm not a fainter nor would I say I have a "phobia" of needles (blood draws are no problem). However, the idea of having that big needle stuck into an already sore joint really scares me.

So...

I'm going to try some very conservative PT for awhile, but if I don't see significant improvement within a few weeks, I'll bite the bullet and go in for the PRP injection(s). I'm hoping it's only a single injection.

If I do, I'll report back with my experience and results.

Hi @azsingularity, Welcome to Connect. I haven't had a PRP injection in the shoulder area but have had a few cortizone injections in my knee prior to having a knee replacement and I also had a guided injection for some hip pain. To be honest, it wasn't as bad as getting a flu or vaccine shot. They numbed up both the knee and hip area prior to the injections and I'm assuming they do the same for a PRP injection in the shoulder area. I also had PT before the hip injection and it did help some.

Have they given you any exercises to do at home or do you just have to go in for PT?

Thanks for the reassurance on the shots. I've heard mixed stories about numbing and whatnot--seems to depend on the provider. Some providers numb first, others do not. Some use guided ultrasound, others do it freehand. Etc, etc.

If I decide to do it, I'll have a pre-procedure consultation where I can ask all these kinds of questions, thankfully.

I do have PT and mobility exercises, yes, and I've been working on those since finishing a 2-week regimen of prescription-strength NSAID's. I'll do the exercises diligently for a 3-4 weeks and see how things go.

I have a torn rotator cuff from a fall on ice in Dec. 20th 2020. I’ve done physical therapy cortisone shots and gel shots to no avail. I need shoulder surgery. But in 2014 I tore my left rotator cuff and it healed with therapy and kayaking. It depends how bad the tear is. I also have bad arthritis in my right shoulder so nothing is working. Try everything you can before surgery. Feel better.

I consulted with my ortho doctor today about the same thing. Insurance does not cover this procedure.

@nanny23 and @elainepowl, Dr. Loren Fishman, a doctor of rehabilitation medicine and assistant professor at Columbia University stumbled upon a fix for certain tears of the rotator cuff by doing a headstand, which he then modified as a therapy for patients. (there is one type of tear it's not appropriate for ). It doesn't cure the tear. It gets the body to substitute another muscle for the injured one. You can read about his work at http://www.sciataca.org. Click on Other Diagnoses for the drop down menu to rotator cuff. You can also Google, Dr. Fishman Rotator Cuff Tears for numerous articles.

I stumbled across this by accident. I have no formal diagnosis of rotator cuff tear, but my physical therapist suspects it because I couldn't extend my right arm up straight or to the left. I started doing the modified headstand. My pain has decreased and my range of motion has improved. Maybe it would benefit you. It's so frustrating not to have use of an arm!

I see lots ow questions. Where are the answers. I am new to this site.