Jason Rau, a black belt in brazilian jiu-jitsu and professional grappler, faced a daunting challenge: knee pain threatening his upcoming fight in just two months. Determined to avoid surgery and its lengthy recovery, he opted for regenerative medicine.
Upon initial consultation, an ultrasound examination of the knee, under stress, revealed significant disruption in his meniscus, joint effusion (fluid), and a cartilage defect on the lateral condyle.
Following treatment with two PRP injections and five hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions, Jason experienced remarkable progress. He's now back in training, fully preparing for his upcoming match.
Patient Age: 34
Gender: Male
Presentation: Inflamed, painful knee. Ultrasound examination showed joint effusion, a tear of the radial meniscus and lateral meniscus and a cartilage defect on the lateral condyle.
Health History: Previous surgeries to the right knee (not the current knee in pain)
Personalized Treatment Protocol:
2 PRP injections over 2 weeks, under ultrasound guidance, each coupled with a sessions of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at a 2.4 ATA for 90 minutes. 5 HBOT sessions in total.
Patient Outcome: Healed meniscus and a complete return to training.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) are regenerative medicine treatments that effectively help patients recover from wounds, muscle injuries, pain, and more.
When these innovative therapies are combined, they create a synergistic effect, helping patients achieve optimal health. You can expedite healing without the need for intensive procedures, surgeries or medications.
In this case specifically, the athlete wanted to avoid surgery and expedite recovery so he could get back to training for his professional fighting career.
Many athletes operate in a “Chronic Cytokine Storm” as a result of stress, fatigue, and lactic acid overload incurred during training, and even due to frequent air travel (low oxygen and pressure environment). Tissues chronically exposed to hypoxia over-express inflammatory cytokines which can disrupt normal immune responses.
HBOT can help by: