At Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists, we think our patients deserve the absolute best, most effective, and most sophisticated treatment options available for their foot and ankle pain.
Sure, sometimes all you really need is a better pair of shoes—and if that’s the case, we’ll gladly tell you so! But when stubborn pain is keeping you awake or from enjoying your daily activities, and just isn’t going away, you need every advantage to get back to full strength as quickly and safely as possible.
One of the most exciting new procedures we have available is perinatal tissue injections. Unlike cortisone injections, which simply dull the symptoms of an injury, perinatal tissue injections actually stimulate accelerated healing within the tissue, dealing with both the symptoms and the cause—and all without the need for unnatural drugs or surgery.
What Are Perinatal Tissue and Growth Factor Injections—and How Do They Work?
This is an injectable product made from ethically donated and rigorously screened perinatal tissue (such as amniotic fluid, placental tissue, and umbilical cord tissue). Each injection contains tens of thousands of proteins and growth factors, transformative growth factors, and well-documented natural anti-inflammatory agents.
When injected into the site of an injury, the perinatal tissue and growth factor injection can dramatically accelerate the healing process, or even “restart” a healing process that has stalled out and become chronic.
Along with other positive biological effects, the injection stimulates your body’s mesenchymal stem cells, which can differentiate into any lineage of tissue needed for healing and repair. It also stimulates the formation of new blood vessels, which allows more stem cells, growth factors, and oxygen into the area of damaged tissue, further accelerating the repair work.
Is It Safe and Ethical?
Yes—for all people involved.
The perinatal tissue is voluntarily donated after scheduled c-section births. There is no risk of harm to the mother or baby during the collection process. In fact, this material is ordinarily discarded as medical waste—but thanks to scientific advances, it’s now being used to provide healing for others.
The tissue matrix is immunoprivileged, meaning it won’t trigger an immune reaction or rejection from the host. (This is a natural attribute of perinatal tissue, as it protects a growing fetus from being attacked by the mother’s immune system.)
It’s also minimally manipulated, rigorously screened, and sterilized to ensure health and safety, then cryopreserved at temperatures far below the freezing point of water to ensure no further enzyme or chemical activity that could damage the tissue can occur.
Plus, the treatment doesn’t require any anesthesia or medications. The injection delivers only natural, normal biological tissue already familiar to the body.
The treatment is FDA-approved and very safe.
What Conditions Can Be Treated by Perinatal Injections?
The injectable product we use can be beneficial in treating or managing a wide range of painful conditions, including:
- Osteoarthritis
- Most forms of heel pain
- Tendinopathy
- Many other inflammatory conditions
Does It Work? What Can I Expect From Treatment?
If you’ve ever gotten a cortisone shot before, the in-office experience should be fairly familiar to you.
After the injection, it’s normal to feel a bit of mild soreness and tenderness in the area for about 3-4 days. Most people tolerate this extremely well.
Usually only one injection is required. However, for some conditions we may recommend you combine the injection with another form of regenerative therapy, such as EPAT or MLS laser, to enhance and accelerate the results even further.
Success rates are extremely high with these procedures, with the vast majority of patients reporting significant reduction in their symptoms, and long-term relief. It’s not unusual for us to see the “standard” recovery timeline for many injuries cut in half thanks to the accelerated healing processes that are triggered.
And for injuries that have become chronic, perinatal tissue and growth factor injections often provide a drug-free, nonsurgical road to recovery—even if you have been suffering for months or years.
Is It Right for Me?
While the results are extremely encouraging and the treatment is effective for a wide range of conditions, it’s just one of many treatment options we offer here at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists—including traditional technologies as well as other advanced options like laser therapy and 3-D printed orthotics.
We will always take the time to carefully examine and understand your condition, as well as your goals, before recommending any specific treatment plan. If we think that perinatal tissue injections are a good option for you, we’ll tell you why, as well as explain other alternatives to you, so that you can make an informed decision regarding your care.
Are You Looking for a Perinatal Tissue Care Specialist in Austin, TX?
If you are looking for perinatal tissue care, you should reach out to an experienced podiatrist. Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help. Our office provides a wide variety of advanced, effective treatment options for all kinds of painful conditions. Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact us online or call our Austin office at 512.328.8900.