Interview with Dr. Carsten Braune: How autologous blood therapy can activate the body's self-healing powers
From: Editorial team | October 15, 2025
Many sufferers of chronic pain are looking for alternatives to conventional treatments -- Dr. Braune from Kronberg offers an interesting therapeutic approach. Using a method that only a few doctors in Germany use, he treats patients with a special therapy concept. The treatment is based on the properties of your own blood.
Dr. Braune explains why his patients may need less medication
Interviewer: Dr. Braune, you claim that chronic pain could possibly be treated without medication or surgery. Doesn't that sound too optimistic?
Dr. Braune: I understand this skepticism. But my experience so far has been encouraging: my patients come to me with years of tendon problems and joint pain and often report significant improvements after several treatments. Our approach? We use their own blood.
Interviewer: Your own blood as a therapeutic approach?
Dr. Braune: Exactly. We call this autologous cell therapy. Your blood contains potential healing power - growth factors, anti-inflammatory messenger substances and stem cells. We concentrate these active substances and inject them directly into the affected area. This allows the body to support its own regeneration.
"Fewer side effects - because it's your own body"
Interviewer: But surely there are risks here too?
Dr. Braune: That's interesting: because it's their own blood, allergic reactions are not usually to be expected. After all, it is your own material. Incompatibilities or interactions such as with other medications can therefore occur less frequently.
Interviewer: How does that work exactly?
Dr. Braune: We offer three different forms of therapy. The ACS - also known as "bio-cortisone" - could have an anti-inflammatory effect. Then we have two variants of platelet-rich plasma which, depending on the problem, could possibly have a regenerative restorative or targeted supportive effect. All produced from a defined amount of your blood, only processed differently.
Carsten Braune - jameda.de
Dr. Carsten Braune
Joint specialist and experienced
orthopaedic surgeon
About Carsten Braune, MD
Specialist in orthopaedics, orthopaedics and trauma surgery and additional training in special orthopaedic surgeryAs an attending physician at the Hochtaunus-Kliniken Bad Homburg in Usingen from 2007 to 2012, Dr. Braune made a significant contribution to expanding the range of surgical services, particularly through his focus on shoulder and knee arthroscopy. He then continued his work as an attending physician at St. Josef Hospital in Königstein im Taunus and moved to the Lilium Private Clinic in Wiesbaden after its closure in 2018. Since 2021, Dr. Braune has been working as an attending physician at the state-of-the-art Berger Private Clinic, which is located in the heart of Frankfurt am Main. Until April 2024, Dr. Braune also worked as an accident doctor as part of the medical on-call service in Hesse and also trained in acute care.
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Three different preparations instead of just one - the decisive difference
InterviewerWhat distinguishes your method from conventional PRP treatments?
Dr. BrauneThis is actually the groundbreaking difference: while conventional PRP procedures only produce a single preparation - according to the motto "one preparation for all problems" - autologous cell therapy enables us to produce three specialized groups of active ingredients from the same blood volume. This differentiation could be decisive for the success of the treatment.
Interviewer: Which three preparations are these exactly?
Dr. BrauneFirst of all, the ACS - autologous conditioned serum, also known as "bio-cortisone". This preparation has an exclusively anti-inflammatory effect. In a 45-minute process, we release the anti-inflammatory cytokines and leukotrienes from the blood and concentrate them strongly. The anti-inflammatory effect could be comparable to that of a cortisone preparation - only without its side effects. We use the ACS for activated arthrosis, inflammatory diseases of the spine and all severe inflammation of the musculoskeletal system - especially in the joints.
Dr. Braune: Then we have two different PRP variants: The "White PRP" is low in leukocytes and has an anabolic - i.e. anabolic - effect. It could support healing in the case of sports injuries, after operations or in the case of fresh cartilage damage. Red PRP, on the other hand, is rich in leukocytes and is intended for chronic inflammatory processes - such as Achilles tendinitis, tennis elbow or heel spurs.
"The anti-inflammatory effect could be comparable to that of a cortisone preparation - only without its side effects."
Interviewer: Why is one preparation not enough?
Dr. BrauneImagine you only had one medication for all diseases. This could not work optimally. It's the same here: A fresh sports injury requires different healing impulses than chronic tendonitis or activated osteoarthritis. With differentiated cell therapy, we can specifically use the right preparation for the respective clinical picture. The particular advantage of ACS over cortisone is that it can be used as often as required without damaging the musculoskeletal system. In osteoarthritis patients, we no longer have to worry about the joint cartilage being additionally damaged by the anti-inflammatory treatment - a risk that exists with cortisone injections.
IMPACT technology offers new possibilities
Interviewer: What makes you different from other doctors?
Dr. Braune: IMPACT technology offers interesting new treatment options. This system represents a technical advance. While many therapy concepts still work with conventional centrifuges, which only allow the production of a PRP preparation, we have a fully automated system that can produce a wide variety of blood products in a single operation. The production of these preparations, also known as "orthobiologics", appears to be a promising new approach in medicine.
Interviewer: That sounds expensive...
Dr. Braune: In fact, it is not. 70% of private health insurers now cover the costs. The trend is rising. The insurers may have recognized this: A €270 treatment could be cheaper in the long term than years of medication or costly operations.
Interviewer: Can all doctors offer this?
Dr. Braune: No, definitely not, you need a special permit from the relevant regional council to manufacture orthobiologics. Production is subject to the German Medicines Act. This is subject to strict conditions and requirements.
Interviewer: How did you arrive at this method?
Dr. Braune: The previous approach that one preparation should be able to do everything, as was the case with previous PRP applications, did not seem comprehensible and sensible to me. I became aware of this innovative form of therapy through intensive further training, observations in user centers and participation in scientific symposia of the German Society for Orthopaedics and my long-standing partnership with the company Plasmaconcept.
Patients report noticeable improvements
Interviewer: What is your experience?
Dr. Braune: The feedback is encouraging. Arthrosis therapy always combines a bio-regenerative and an anti-inflammatory therapeutic approach. Until now, the anti-inflammatory approach has been represented solely by corticosteroids in intra-articular injections. However, this can also have damaging effects on the remaining cartilage. With ACS, we have a preparation that appears to have a highly potent anti-inflammatory effect and may not have these side effects. In addition, PRP preparations rich in splint leukocytes and low in leukocytes can achieve good results in chronic tendonitis - where those affected often suffer for years and support healing processes. For Achilles tendon problems, I combine cell therapy with shock wave therapy. Some patients who previously needed daily painkillers report that they need them less often.
Interviewer: How many treatments might you need?
Dr. Braune: This varies greatly from person to person. Some people report an improvement after the first session, others need several treatments. But compared to years of physiotherapy or medication, this could be an interesting alternative.
"A promising approach for chronic pain"
Interviewer: Who might the treatment be suitable for?
Dr. Braune: For people who suffer from musculoskeletal complaints, i.e. joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. The treatment could be a promising approach for chronic pain: tendonitis, joint problems, sports injuries that persist. Especially when conventional treatments have not brought the desired success and to support the body's own healing processes after accidents or operations.
Interviewer: Is the treatment painful?
Dr. Braune: Usually less than a normal injection at the GP. We use very thin needles. The treatment is carried out under completely sterile conditions, with ultrasound guidance under local anesthesia. Most patients are surprised at how uncomplicated the procedure is.
Interviewer: What advice do you have for those affected?
Dr. Braune: Don't give up. Just because previous treatments have not brought the desired success does not mean that you have to live with the pain. The body's own regeneration may be stronger than we think - you may just have to activate it properly.
Interviewer: Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview.
Dr. Braune: With pleasure!
Do you suffer from chronic pain? Dr. Braune will be happy to explain to you personally whether autologous cell therapy could be suitable for you.
Book appointments with Dr. Braune online
Dr. Braune consultation hours in Kronberg im Taunus
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If you have any questions, please call us at 06173-4717 during office hours.
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