This post is part of our complete guide to Hip Pain Treatment in Medical Lake & Spokane. Browse the guide for more in-depth information on treatments, exercises, and recovery strategies.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) One Treatment Option for Hip Pain and Iliotibial Band Syndrome
What is it? Iliotibial band syndrome is inflammation of the Iliotibial band on the outside of the knee as it rubs against the outside of the knee joint. Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is one of the most common causes of hip and/or knee pain among athletes.
Symptoms of ITBS. Symptoms include pain over the outside of the knee which will come on gradually over time getting progressively worse until running must stop. Typically the athlete will rest for a period of time until symptoms go only for them to return so far into a run when training resumes. The pain is caused from swelling or inflammation of a muscle group, the tendons that attach muscles to the knee or hip, and/or the bursa that surrounds the attachments at the hip and/or knee.
What is the clinical presentation? Typically, ITBS presents with a history of pain with activity (walking, running, cycling, etc.), with soreness at the outside of the knee just above the joint. Pain can radiate up or down and include the hip and/or ankle. Climbing steps and running downhill are common irritating activities. Rest can help alleviate symptoms in the short term but isn’t a long-term remedy.
Regenerative Medicine Techniques to treat ITBS – There are various regenerative medicine techniques that are used to heal ligaments and joints. The use of platelet-rich plasma is one such therapy. Platelets are not just for clotting, immune response, or angiogenesis. Four percent of blood volume is platelets. They are the first cells to arrive at the injury site, they initiate the healing cascade, and – importantly – they contain the growth factors required for collagen regeneration.23 Put simply, instead of stimulating an inflammatory healing cascade to bring platelets and growth factors to the site of injury, with PRP the platelets are extracted from whole blood via a variety of centrifuge methods, and injected in high concentrations directly into the target sites. The result is an enhanced healing response, with less discomfort and fewer treatments.
Ready to feel better?
Our team at Essential Health Group in Medical Lake & Spokane is here to help. Same-week appointments available.
Dr. Christopher Wellwood, NP-C, MSN, DC, MS
Dr. Christopher Wellwood is a dual Board Certified Chiropractic Physician and Family Nurse Practitioner — a combination that puts him in a category of his own. His Doctorate in Chiropractic comes from the University of Western States, and his Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner from Purdue University.
His clinical focus spans physical medicine, regenerative injection therapy (prolotherapy, PRP, stem cell, ozone), interventional pain management, functional neurology, and primary care. He is a published author in scientific journals — his research on adrenal and thyroid disease treatment is indexed in the Library of Medicine — and served as a Clinical Research Specialist at the Center for Health Research, contributing to the Premier Blood Pressure Study.
Dr. Wellwood believes the body has the ability to heal itself when given the right conditions. His approach addresses root causes rather than symptoms, combining conservative physical medicine with regenerative therapies to help patients recover, adapt, and thrive.