Stem Cell Therapy is another form of regenerative medicine that uses the healing properties that the human body already possesses. This therapeutic method is performed by gathering stem cells and creating an injection for the symptom management of inflammation, pain, and chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s, Crohn’s disease, and more.
There are ongoing clinical studies into the power of this form of therapy and the results are very promising.
What are stem cells, how are they gathered, and how can they help you find relief from pain?
What Is Stem Cell Therapy?
Let’s begin by looking at stem cells themselves. Stem cells are specialized cells that exist within the human body. They come in two forms: multipotent stem cells and pluripotent stem cells. Stem cells are the cells from which all other cells branch. We only utilize adult mesenchymal stem cells.
We consider it unethical to do otherwise. Additionally, it is illegal in the USA to utilize pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic reasons. Therefore, we only use donated or your own adult stem cells.
- Multipotent cells can renew themselves by dividing and forming into other specialized types of cells within the tissue or organ that they are injected into. These are effective for treating injuries and diseases, from spinal cord injuries to arthritis and autoimmune issues.
- Pluripotent cells, also called master cells, also have the ability to self-renew and replicate themselves, but they can develop into any type of cell that exists in the body. These cells can grow into skin and nervous system cells (from the ectoderm layer), cells from the intestinal and respiratory tracts (from the endoderm layer), and bone, muscle, cartilage, or connective tissue (from the mesoderm layer).
For the purposes of stem cell therapy, these cells are gathered from your body tissue or grown in a lab and injected into the site of pain or injury. These stem cells interact with the area to regenerate damaged tissues and promote faster healing.
Why Are Stem Cells Controversial?
Though stem cells are an innovative, effective method of regenerative medicine, they have been a common topic of discussion due to the controversy surrounding them. This is due to the various ways that stem cells are gathered and the disparate experiences some have reported. Also, all insurance companies will not cover the cost of stem cell therapy and therefore complex studies are difficult to perform.
Additionally, there may be a vested interest by many to limit the utilization of this powerful remedy. The results of stem cell therapy is extremely promising in almost all areas of medicine and we hope that academic research continues into this exciting field.
Again, we only advocate for the use of adult mesenchymal stem cells for any anti-inflammatory and regenerative therapies.
Please be aware that this is not the only way that stem cells can be gathered.
More often than not, stem cell therapy utilizes adult mesenchymal stem cells, or multipotent stem cells found in the patient’s own bone marrow or fat tissue. This negates the need for cells gathered from fetal tissue.
Currently, stem cells gathered from adipose tissue is not considered ‘minimally manipulated’ due to added enzymes; therefore we don’t advocate for this particular method. One day this will likely be OK in the regulatory world, but for now it is not.
Our preference is to harvest your own stem cells from bone marrow or to use mesenchymal cells found in donated umbilical cord tissue from live births only.
How Can Stem Cells Help With Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder pain is among the most common forms of musculoskeletal disorders. While surgical correction is available and your physician may recommend this as a final method of relief, stem cells have been especially effective for treating shoulder pain!
By injecting stem cells into the affected joint or muscle tissue, you can find relief without the need for invasive, surgical intervention.
These are a few common causes of shoulder pain:
- Arthritis
- Bursitis
- Overuse Injuries
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Labral tears
Stem cells can help to naturally reduce inflammation and stimulate cellular and muscular repair. Following a singular injection, the patient can see results as soon as six weeks following the procedure with gradual improvement continuing over six months.
Stem Cell Therapy At Warner Orthopedics & Wellness
At Warner Orthopedics & Wellness, we believe in function recovery with regenerative medicine. By utilizing stem cell therapy, we can offer patients minimally-invasive treatment options with high levels of effectiveness.
Please know that we always use adult mesenchymal stem cells, never stem cells gathered from fetal tissue.
If you are interested in finding healing through regenerative medicine, we are ready to help you find the right methods of treatment for you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!
