A common question we hear surrounds the type of injections we teach to medical professionals. As our name suggests, we teach aesthetic or cosmetic injections, but many people want to know if we also teach therapeutic injections as part of our program.
At the present time, our focus is on injections that provide an aesthetic effect. Naturally, these cosmetic injections can have a therapeutic effect for clients psychologically, but that is not the same thing as a “therapeutic injection.”
Here’s a quick rundown to explain the differences:
Cosmetic Injections
The injections we teach as part of our educational courses include Botox and dermal fillers like Juvederm or Restylane. These products are designed to remove facial lines and wrinkles by affecting the muscles that create the lines or actually filling the wrinkle in so it’s no longer visible. Sometimes, fillers are also used to plump up or add volume to the cheeks or lips.
Each one of these treatments is provided for aesthetic purposes; to enhance the client’s physical appearance in their own eyes. Usually, an aesthetic injection is given so the client feels she looks younger. They are purely for looks, and no therapeutic value is added.
Therapeutic Injections
By contrast, a therapeutic injection is given to treat a specific ailment, injury or disorder. Botox was originally used to treat different eye muscle disorders and other muscle tightness before getting FDA approval for cosmetic uses. That would be a therapeutic injection.
Some of the other therapeutic injections that doctors prescribe on a regular basis include injections to treat joint disorders or spinal problems. The epidural that some women get when in labor is an example of a therapeutic injection.
Some of the joint conditions that are often helped via injection include rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, gout and tendonitis. Joints in the shoulders, wrists, elbows, knees, hips, ankles and feet are common areas for therapeutic injections.
As you might expect, correct needle placement is crucial for these types of injections because the purpose is to either break down tissue and/or reduce pain. Depending on the issue and the joint involved, if the treatment is successful the patient is often scheduled for regular injections to maintain the therapeutic effect.
The aesthetic effects of aging and physical injuries or degenerative physical conditions are two very different things. We have mastered the approach to teaching the art of aesthetic injection, and we will continue to build upon this base into the future.