In a boost to sportspersons and professional athletes in Chandigarh, sports injury specialist Axis Clinics has joined hands with Apollo clinic and city hospital to give “quick back to game” solutions and offer chronic joint pain management.

Using proprietary therapy developed in the US, the new facility mitigates the need for painful, invasive surgeries in cases of knee meniscal, shoulder tears and slipped disc related injuries, Apollo said in a statement.

The new technique is expected to benefit athletes from Chandigarh and its neighbouring states that have given the country sportspersons like Neeraj Chopra, Kapil Dev, Jeev Milkha Singh, Sujjan Singh, Abhinav Bindra, Yuvraj Singh and Manjeet Singh.

The regenerative orthopaedic intervention, called mononuclear cell therapy (MNC), helps patients heal damaged soft tissues like meniscus, ACL ligament and cartilage that, in turn, help revive muscles, knees and shoulders, without undergoing an arthroscopic surgery.

Dr Madhur Chadha, head, regenerative medicine, Axis Clinics, said, “Almost eight out of 10 athletes or patients can avoid arthroscopic surgery if they opt for MNC.” The technique’s main USP is that it can be performed with minimal hospitalisation and the patients can take the treatment in OPD mode, he said.

Panchkula-based physiotherapist, Anuja Behl said “I have seen good results with MNC therapy especially with the use of Axis clinics unique USG diagnostic scans which are helping clients with joint injures come to a clear diagnosis and also in improving their management regarding physiotherapy.”

American basketball star Kobe Bryant, whose injury very nearly ended his career, also used the MNC treatment to return to NBA matches in less than 12 weeks.

Apollo said Axis Clinics is a brain child of three young doctors who have come together to offer affordable regenerative treatment for arthritis, sports injury and joint pains, saving patients from costly, forced arthroscopic surgery. Apart from catering to the needy in urban centres, spine and pain specialist Dr Madhujeet Gupta and his colleagues also offer free consultancy to poor patients in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Dr Saurabh Garg, interventional pain management expert, said if we compare a conventional joint arthroscopic surgery with MNC, patients can get several benefits in the latter. “A shorter recovery period for MNC patients is a key plus point,” he said.