Coolief vs PRP Injection Knee Treatments – The Smarter Option?

The rising cases of osteoarthritis is an alarming fact. And, researchers are dedicating more time and resources to finding new solutions for the condition. One of the options that has emerged in recent times is PRP injection knee treatments. It will interest you to know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been keeping a close watch on the disease.

The organization reports that between the years from 2013 to 2015, around 54.4 million or close to 22.7 Americans were diagnosed with some form of arthritis. It also estimates that by the year 2040, 78 million or 26% of Americans will have the disease.

The latest knee pain treatment that is making waves is the Cooled Radio Frequency Ablation procedure marketed under the commercial name, “Coolief.”

How does it work?  Is it a better option to PRP injection knee treatments to help relieve discomfort? 

The FDA has Recently Approved Cooled Radio Frequency Ablation

The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a new treatment modality for knee pain, namely the Cooled Radio Frequency Ablation. Doctors have developed this option mainly for patients who cannot opt for knee replacement surgery. Many patients have severe osteoarthritic pain but cannot get surgery because of various other health issues. This procedure is effective in helping such patients. The treatment works similar to corticosteroid injections that numb the pain so patients can move around more easily.

Although the procedure gives effective results for 6 to 12 months, this interval can also depend on individual patients’ healing abilities. Coolief targets the pain-causing nerves in the knee to numb them. The sooner the nerves regenerate, the shorter will be the pain-free time interval.

Dr. Amin Sandeep is a doctor who performs Coolief at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He reveals, “What we’re changing is the wiring of the knee — so we’re taking away the pain signal and interrupting it.”

Coolief is an Advancement on Conventional Radio Frequency Therapy

Coolief is a non-invasive procedure that uses radio frequency energy to numb the sensory nerves that cause pain. Doctors have been using radio frequency waves delivered through a probe to help patients before.

Coolief is an improvement on the conventional process. That’s because doctors also circulate cooled water through the tip of the probe when hitting the pain-causing nerves. As a result, the targeted area is heated and cooled at the same time. In this way, the procedure can give better results without excessive heating or causing damage to surrounding tissues.

Coolief Does Have Some After Effects and Possible Downsides

For a week or two after the procedure, you can expect some amount of soreness and pain at the treatment site. By applying ice packs and taking pain medications like analgesics, you can ease the discomfort. Your doctor will also warn you in advance of possible side effects like nerve damage, paralysis, infections, or ineffectiveness of the process. As for the cost, you can expect that the treatment will cost you between $2,000 and $4,000.

Why Coolief May Not be the Perfect Solution

Aside from PRP injection knee treatments, to date, there are no effective cures for knee pain and difficulty in movement. The Coolief procedure may work to relieve the discomfort, but the principle behind it can have its downsides. In the absence of pain, you’ll likely continue to use the affected joint as usual. Over time, the disease may progress to a point where you’ll absolutely need knee replacement surgery.

With some amount of discomfort, you’ll not only use the joint with care but also adopt other lifestyle changes like regular exercise and a healthy diet. These precautions will strengthen the muscles surrounding the joints and promote lubricating agents to halt the further erosion of the cartilage.

In Place of Just Pain Relief, You Need a Cure for Knee Osteoarthritis

Given a choice between Coolief and PRP injection knee treatments, you need an option that heals the causes of osteoarthritis in place of simply masking the pain. PRP therapy has the necessary growth factors, cytokines, mesenchymal stem cells, and chondrocytes that form the building blocks of cartilage.

By getting PRP knee injections under the kneecap in the space in the joints, you can stimulate the regeneration of the cartilage. In addition, the growth factors can help replace the synovial fluids that cushion the joints. You may note that the discomfort is gradually easing since the PRP serum also contains natural pain relievers.

PRP Injection Knee Treatments are Economical and Effective

You’ll find that PRP injection knee treatments are more economical as compared to Coolief. Typically, the PRP injection cost of an initial session ranges from $400 to $1000. Depending on the healing capabilities of your body, you may need one or two follow-up sessions that may only cost you up to $300 to $400 each. Since PRP therapy can heal the causes of osteoarthritis, you may want to consider the treatment in place of Coolief that can actually result in long-term damage.

PRP therapy can help you with not just osteoarthritis, but also the various other causes of joint pain. Would you like more information about how it helps? Contact us or call us at (888)-981-9516. Our consultants will help you will all the in-depth details you need.

Have you tried PRP therapy for any health or cosmetic issues in the past? How were your experiences? Were you happy with the results? Please go ahead and share your views using the comment box below.

References:
Arthritis-Related Statistics

Prospective, Multi-center, Randomized, Crossover Clinical Trial Comparing the Safety and Effectiveness of Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation to Corticosteroid Injection in the Management of Osteoarthritic Knee Pain