Alternative Treatments Specialist

Michael Rieber, MD -  - Orthopaedic Surgeon

Orthopedics Unlimited

Michael Rieber, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Physician located in West Orange, NJ & Newark, NJ

If you suffer a sports-related injury or regularly experience joint pain, you might think your only treatment option is surgery — but that’s not necessarily the case. At Orthopedics Unlimited in Livingston, New Jersey, orthopaedic surgeon Michael Rieber, MD, uses alternative treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, stem cell therapy, and LIPOGEMS to ease pain, improve mobility, and encourage the body’s natural healing process. To schedule an appointment, book online or call the office today.

Alternative Treatments Q&A

What are alternative treatments?

Alternative treatments use regenerative medicine to address orthopedic injuries. Thanks to recent breakthroughs in sports medicine, it’s possible to safely and effectively treat joint pain, ligament tears, and muscle strains without time-consuming or invasive procedures.

Alternative treatments are safe, minimally invasive, and provide almost instant results. They work in coordination with your body, limiting your risk of side effects like swelling or stiffness.

What alternative treatments are available?

At Orthopedics Unlimited, Dr. Rieber offers several types of alternative treatments, including:

Platelet-rich plasma

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) uses your body’s own growth factors to promote healing. Though your blood is mainly a liquid, it also contains microscopic solids like red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. 

Injecting a highly concentrated solution of platelets into an injured joint, ligament, tendon, or muscle encourages circulation. It also triggers the production of new, healthy cells, which limits pain, relieves swelling, and restores function.

Amniotic stem cell therapy

Amniotic stem cell therapy is an alternative treatment that uses stem cell injections. Stem cells are unique because they’re pluripotent, meaning they can turn into any other type of cell, including muscle, bone, or blood cells. 

During stem cell therapy, Dr. Rieber injects a solution of stem cells into damaged or diseased tissue. Once the solution enters your body, it encourages the production of new, healthy cells. Like PRP, this process limits pain, eases swelling, and restores your function.

LIPOGEMS

LIPOGEMS is an alternative treatment that uses microfragmented adipose tissue to cushion and support your body’s natural healing process. It can support, repair, replace, and ultimately reconstruct damaged or injured tissue. 

During treatment, Dr. Rieber harvests a small amount of fat from your body. He processes and cleans it in the LIPOGEMS device and injects the fat into specific areas of your body to promote healing.  

Are alternative treatments safe?

Alternative treatments are safe and usually well-tolerated. PRP, stem cell therapy, and LIPOGEMS are all minimally invasive and performed on an outpatient basis. Following treatment, it’s normal to experience some mild swelling and sensitivity at each injection site. 

Follow Dr. Rieber’s recovery instructions carefully, attend all of your follow-up appointments, and avoid rushing back to physical activity. Alternative treatments are cumulative, meaning your symptoms improve over several weeks or months.

To see if you’re a candidate for alternative treatments, schedule an appointment at Orthopedics Limited by phone or online today.