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Stem Cell Therapy
Conditions Treated by Stem Cell Therapy
Stem Cells for Back Pain
The upper and mid back is made up of 12 bones (vertebrae) stacked one above the other, and is called the thoracic spine. It extends from the base of your neck to the level of your lowest rib. This region has less mobility than the neck and lower back, so pain is less common.
What are the causes for upper and mid back pain?
Causes of upper and mid back pain include:
- Poor posture
- Strain or injury of the supporting muscles or ligaments
- Fracture of vertebrae
- Wear (arthritis) or damage to the spongy discs (cartilage) present between two vertebrae
- Myofascial pain that affects the connective tissue surrounding muscles
Upper and mid back pain can be experienced as a dull, sharp, burning pain associated with muscle stiffness. Weakness, numbness or tingling sensation in your arms and legs may also be present.
How do stem cells help in the treatment of back pain?
Stem cells
Stem cells are present in all of us acting like a repair system for the body. However, with increased age sometimes the optimum amounts of stem cells are not delivered to the injured area. The goal of stem cell therapy is to amplify the natural repair system of the patient’s body.
How do you prepare for the stem cell procedure?
Preparing for the procedure
It is important that you stop taking any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at least two weeks before your procedure.
Preparing for a stem cell procedure is relatively easy and your doctor will give you specific instructions depending on your condition.
How are stem cells derived from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood used for treatment of back pain?
Procedure using stem cells derived from bone marrow
The procedure begins with your doctor extracting stem cells from your own bone marrow. Bone marrow is usually aspirated from your hip region. Your doctor will first clean and numb your hip area. A needle is then introduced into an area of your pelvic bone known as the iliac crest. Bone marrow is then aspirated using a special syringe and the sample obtained is sent to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the aspirate is spun in a machine for 10 to 15 minutes and a concentrated stem cell sample is separated.
Your doctor then cleans and numbs your affected area to be treated and then, under the guidance of special x-rays, injects the stem cells into the diseased region. The whole procedure usually takes less than one hour and you may return home on the same day of the procedure.
Procedure using stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood:
The same procedure can also be performed using pre-packaged, ready-to-use umbilical cord blood. Donors undergo a rigorous screening process to meet the highest industry standards. State-of-the-art scientific technology is used to create a cellular suspension of mesenchyme cells. These cells can differentiate in different cell types such as bone, cartilage, and muscle. The product is frozen to maintain cellular integrity. No synthetic or chemical preservatives are used. UCB has been scientifically proven to have concentrations of mesenchymal cells and other cell populations necessary to stimulate the regenerative process.
What postoperative precautions must be taken?
Post-operative care
- You will most likely be able to return to work the next day following your procedure.
- You will need to take it easy and avoid any load bearing activities for at least two weeks following your procedure.
- You will need to refrain from taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) for a while as this can affect the healing process of your body.
What are the risks and complications of stem cell therapy?
Risks and complications
Stem cell therapy is generally considered a safe procedure with minimal complications, however, as with any medical procedure, complications can occur.
Some risks factors related to stem cell therapy include infection as the stem cells may become contaminated with bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that may cause disease during the preparation process.
The procedure to either remove or inject the cells also has the risk of introducing an infection to the damaged tissue into which they are injected. Rarely, an immune reaction may occur from injected stem cells.
Stem Cells for Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Injuries Can Be Treated with Stem Cell Injections
What are the common shoulder injuries?
The shoulder is the most flexible joint in the body enabling a wide range of movements. The most common shoulder injuries/diseases include
- Shoulder Arthritis
- Rotator Cuff Injury
- Shoulder Bursitis
- Glenoid Labrum Tear
- Inflamed Synovial Membrane
How do stem cells help in the treatment of shoulder pain?
Stem Cells
Stem cells are present in all of us acting like a repair system for the body. However, with increased age sometimes the optimum amounts of stem cells are not delivered to the injured area. The goal of stem cell therapy is to amplify the natural repair system of the patient’s body.
How do you prepare for the stem cell procedure?
Preparing for the Stem Cell Procedure
It is important that you stop taking any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at least two weeks before your procedure.
Preparing for a stem cell procedure is relatively easy and your doctor will give you specific instructions depending on your condition.
Procedure using stem cells derived from Bone Marrow
The procedure begins with your doctor extracting stem cells from your own bone marrow. Bone marrow is usually aspirated from your hip region. Your doctor will first clean and numb your hip area. A needle is then introduced into an area of your pelvic bone known as the iliac crest. Bone marrow is then aspirated using a special syringe and the sample obtained is sent to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the aspirate is spun in a machine for 10 to 15 minutes and a concentrated stem cell sample is separated.
Your doctor then cleans and numbs your affected area to be treated and then, under the guidance of special x-rays, injects the stem cells into the diseased region. The whole procedure usually takes less than one hour and you may return home on the same day of the procedure.
What postoperative precautions must be taken?
Post-Operative Care
- You will most likely be able to return to work the next day following your procedure.
- You will need to take it easy and avoid any load bearing activities for at least two weeks following your procedure.
- You will need to refrain from taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) for a while as this can affect the healing process of your body.
What are the risks and complications of stem cell therapy?
Risks and complications
Stem cell therapy is generally considered a safe procedure with minimal complications, however, as with any medical procedure, complications can occur.
Some risks factors related to stem cell therapy include infection as the stem cells may become contaminated with bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that may cause disease during the preparation process.
The procedure to either remove or inject the cells also has the risk of introducing an infection to the damaged tissue into which they are injected. Rarely, an immune reaction may occur from injected stem cells.
Stem Cells for Hip Pain
Hip Injuries Can Be Treated with Stem Cell Injections
What are common hip injuries/diseases?
Any injury or disease of the hip will adversely affect the joint’s range of motion and ability to bear weight. The most common hip injuries/diseases include
- Hip Arthritis
- Labral Tear
- Trochanteric Bursitis
- Avascular Necrosis
- Inflamed Synovium
How do stem cells help in the treatment of hip pain?
Stem Cells
Stem cells are present in all of us acting like a repair system for the body. However, with increased age sometimes the optimum amounts of stem cells are not delivered to the injured area. The goal of stem cell therapy is to amplify the natural repair system of the patient’s body.
How do you prepare for the stem cell procedure?
Preparing for the Procedure
It is important that you stop taking any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at least two weeks before your procedure.
Preparing for a stem cell procedure is relatively easy and your doctor will give you specific instructions depending on your condition.
How are stem cells derived from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood used for treatment of hip pain?
Procedure Using Stem Cells Derived from Bone Marrow
The procedure begins with your doctor extracting stem cells from your own bone marrow. Bone marrow is usually aspirated from your hip region. Your doctor will first clean and numb your hip area. A needle is then introduced into an area of your pelvic bone known as the iliac crest. Bone marrow is then aspirated using a special syringe and the sample obtained is sent to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the aspirate is spun in a machine for 10 to 15 minutes and a concentrated stem cell sample is separated.
Your doctor then cleans and numbs your affected area to be treated and then, under the guidance of special x-rays, injects the stem cells into the diseased region. The whole procedure usually takes less than one hour and you may return home on the same day of the procedure.
Procedure using stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood:
The same procedure can also be performed using pre-packaged, ready-to-use umbilical cord blood. Donors undergo a rigorous screening process to meet the highest industry standards. State-of-the-art scientific technology is used to create a cellular suspension of mesenchyme cells. These cells can differentiate in different cell types such as bone, cartilage, and muscle. The product is frozen to maintain cellular integrity. No synthetic or chemical preservatives are used. UCB has been scientifically proven to have concentrations of mesenchymal cells and other cell populations necessary to stimulate the regenerative process.
What postoperative precautions must be taken?
Post-Operative Care
- You will most likely be able to return to work the next day following your procedure.
- You will need to take it easy and avoid any load bearing activities for at least two weeks following your procedure.
- You will need to refrain from taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) for a while as this can affect the healing process of your body.
What are the risks and complications of stem cell therapy?
Risks and complications
Stem cell therapy is generally considered a safe procedure with minimal complications, however, as with any medical procedure, complications can occur.
Some risks factors related to stem cell therapy include infection as the stem cells may become contaminated with bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that may cause disease during the preparation process.
The procedure to either remove or inject the cells also has the risk of introducing an infection to the damaged tissue into which they are injected. Rarely, an immune reaction may occur from injected stem cells.
Stem Cells for Knee Pain
Knee Injuries Can Be Treated with Stem Cell Injections
What are the common knee injuries/diseases?
Any injury or disease of the knee will adversely affect the joint's range of motion. The most common knee injuries/diseases include
- Knee Arthritis
- Ligament Tear
- Meniscal Tear
- Patellar Tendinitis
- Patellofemoral Instability
- Cartilage Injury
How do stem cells help in the treatment of knee pain?
Stem Cells
Stem cells are present in all of us acting like a repair system for the body. However, with increased age sometimes the optimum amounts of stem cells are not delivered to the injured area. The goal of stem cell therapy is to amplify the natural repair system of the patient’s body.
How do you prepare for the stem cell procedure?
Preparing for the Procedure
It is important that you stop taking any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at least two weeks before your procedure.
Preparing for a stem cell procedure is relatively easy and your doctor will give you specific instructions depending on your condition.
How are stem cells derived from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood used for treatment of knee pain?
Procedure using stem cells derived from bone marrow
The procedure begins with your doctor extracting stem cells from your own bone marrow. Bone marrow is usually aspirated from your hip region. Your doctor will first clean and numb your hip area. A needle is then introduced into an area of your pelvic bone known as the iliac crest. Bone marrow is then aspirated using a special syringe and the sample obtained is sent to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the aspirate is spun in a machine for 10 to 15 minutes and a concentrated stem cell sample is separated.
Your doctor then cleans and numbs your affected area to be treated and then, under the guidance of special x-rays, injects the stem cells into the diseased region. The whole procedure usually takes less than one hour and you may return home on the same day of the procedure.
Procedure using stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood:
The same procedure can also be performed using pre-packaged, ready-to-use umbilical cord blood. Donors undergo a rigorous screening process to meet the highest industry standards. State-of-the-art scientific technology is used to create a cellular suspension of mesenchyme cells. These cells can differentiate in different cell types such as bone, cartilage, and muscle. The product is frozen to maintain cellular integrity. No synthetic or chemical preservatives are used. UCB has been scientifically proven to have concentrations of mesenchymal cells and other cell populations necessary to stimulate the regenerative process.
What postoperative precautions must be taken?
Post-Operative Care
- You will most likely be able to return to work the next day following your procedure.
- You will need to take it easy and avoid any load bearing activities for at least two weeks following your procedure.
- You will need to refrain from taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) for a while as this can affect the healing process of your body.
What are the risks and complications of stem cell therapy?
Stem cell therapy is generally considered a safe procedure with minimal complications, however, as with any medical procedure, complications can occur.
Some risks factors related to stem cell therapy include infection as the stem cells may become contaminated with bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that may cause disease during the preparation process.
The procedure to either remove or inject the cells also has the risk of introducing an infection to the damaged tissue into which they are injected. Rarely, an immune reaction may occur from injected stem cells.
Hyaluronates
In order for joints to move smoothly they must contain an adequate amount of synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant and shock absorber. Osteoarthritis causes synovial fluid to lose its properties by depletion of a component called hyaluronan. This leads to loss of cartilage and painful rubbing of the bones in the joints. A gel-like form of hyaluronan called hyaluronates or hyaluronic acid may be prepared and injected into the joints to increase their lubricating and shock-absorbing properties. Hyaluronate injections can relieve pain, improve mobility and delay the need for surgery.
Hyaluronate injections are usually performed after other non-surgical treatments for osteoarthritis such as medications, physical therapy and steroid injections have failed.
The procedure, also called viscosupplementation, first involves removal of any excess joint fluid with a syringe. Hyaluronates are then injected into the joint. Immediately following the injection, you may experience pain, swelling and warmth, which can be eased by ice applications. Avoid weight-bearing or strenuous activity involving the joint for the next 48 hours. The pain and swelling from osteoarthritis is gradually relieved with effects lasting for several months. A single dose or a total of 3 separate doses over several weeks may be required for optimum benefits.
Complications are rare but occasionally an allergic reaction may develop, intensifying symptoms.
PRP
Ultrasound Guided Injections
Introduction
Ultrasound is a common imaging technique that employs high frequency sound waves to create images of organs and other internal structures of the body. These images provide valuable information of underlying pathology of the tissues and assists with diagnosis and planning the treatment of a particular condition. Ultrasound provides a clear view of the organs, tendons, muscles or joints and any associated disorders.
Ultrasound guided injection is a minimally invasive procedure used for treating various musculoskeletal painful conditions such as tendonitis, bursitis and neuritis or to perform cyst aspiration.
It is also an excellent tool for guiding the placement of needles for both diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes.
Injection of a pain medication in combination with a local anesthetic directly to the site of injury helps to relieve pain. The advanced imaging of ultrasound provides high resolution images that enable the physician to precisely locate the injections deep into the target tissue without harming surrounding tissues.
Advantages
The advantages of ultrasound imaging compared to other imaging techniques include the following:
- No patient exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Able to assess tendons, ligaments and muscles under high resolution.
- Provides direct visualization of the area being treated.
- Ensures accurate placement of the needle to targeted areas.
Indications
The indications for diagnostic ultrasound imaging technique includes the following:
- Diagnose conditions such as tendon/ligament tears, inflamed bursa, joint fluid and cysts.
- Assess painful pops and snaps that occur during movement.
- Deliver diagnostic injections to specific targets including joints and tendon sheaths or bursa.
- Help guide needle placement during needle aspirations or injections for patients with challenging anatomical variations or people taking blood-thinning medications.
- Aspiration of a ganglion cyst.
- Guide needles in percutaneous therapy for the treatment of calcific tendonitis.
Procedure
The procedure is used for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes. Anti-inflammatory medications such as corticosteroids and hyaluronans are the most commonly used medications to relieve pain, inflammation and swelling or to stimulate synovial fluid production to improve lubrication.
Shoulder joint injection technique
Shoulder joint injections are commonly used for certain conditions such as osteoarthritis, frozen shoulder, or tendonitis. The administration of the injection to the shoulder joint depends upon the condition to be treated. The approach for application of the injection may be anterior, posterior, superior or inferior aspect of the joint.
During an ultrasound guided injection, the patient will be asked to lie or sit down on a table depending on the site of the injection. A clear water based conducting gel is applied over the skin to assist with transmission of the sound waves. The doctor moves a hand-held probe, called a transducer, over the targeted area. The transducer emits sound waves and detects the rebound echoes from the tissue. Images are created from these sound waves and can be viewed on the video display screen attached to the scanner. The waves provide a clear view of the targeted area and helps the doctor locate the correct site for injection.
Knee joint injection technique
Knee joint injections are frequently used for knee conditions such as osteoarthritis, baker’s cyst or knee bursitis.
During the administration of the injection the patient will be positioned lying down and a clear water based conducting gel is applied over the targeted site. The gel is used for transmission of the sound waves to deeper structures. The doctor moves the hand-held transducer over the targeted area to provide images of internal structures. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the doctor inserts the needle into the skin to reach the targeted location. The procedure can be used for injecting medications or to aspirate fluid from the affected tissue.
Risks
Ultrasound guided injection is a relatively safe and painless procedure. Some of the associated complications include bleeding at the site of insertion, and injury to adjacent structures. Patients can resume their normal activities immediately after the completion of the procedure.
Viscosupplementation
In order for joints to move smoothly, they must contain an adequate amount of cartilage and synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant and shock absorber. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage to wear and synovial fluid to lose its properties causing painful rubbing of the bones in the joints. Viscosupplementation is a procedure where a gel-like substance called hyaluronic acid, which is a component of synovial fluid, is injected into the joints to increase its lubricating and shock absorbing properties.
It is usually performed after other non-surgical treatments for osteoarthritis such as medications, physical therapy and steroid injections have failed. Although it does not cure osteoarthritis, it can relieve pain, improve mobility and delay the need for surgery.
Viscosupplementation first involves the removal of any excess joint fluid with a syringe. The joint is then injected with hyaluronic acid, which may be repeated weekly for several weeks.
Immediately following the injection, you may experience pain, swelling and warmth, which can be eased by ice applications. Avoid weight-bearing or strenuous activity involving the joint for the next 48 hours. The pain and swelling from osteoarthritis is gradually relieved with effects lasting for several months.
Complications are rare but occasionally an allergic reaction may develop, intensifying symptoms.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine is a field of therapy that harnesses the regenerative properties of certain cells in your own body to help heal diseased or damaged tissues and organs. It uses the body’s tissue components to replace lost tissue, accelerate healing and recovery, and provide pain relief.
Regenerative medicine focuses on 3 areas:
- Improving the body’s ability to heal
- Replacing lost organs and tissue with a healthy tissue from a donor
- Using stem cells, which have the capability of transforming into any type of tissue, as well as cell products such as growth factors to restore tissue and organ function.
Regenerative medicine is useful in the treatment of bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle, nerve and soft tissue injuries as well as chronic wounds that were previously thought to be irreparable.
Why Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine-based therapy is increasingly being recommended in the management of various orthopedic conditions due to its diverse benefits listed below.
- It uses natural components of your body tissues, thus reducing the risk of adverse reactions or infection.
- In addition to regenerating tissues, it also provides pain relief.
- Certain degenerative conditions and injuries which were previously only treated by surgery may now show significant improvement with regenerative medicine, delaying or altogether avoiding the need for surgery. This is particularly beneficial for the aged and those with health conditions in whom surgery is not recommended.
- In combination with surgery, it enhances healing and recovery.
- Regenerative medicine procedures take no more than 2 hours and you can return to your activities in a day or two, making it ideal for sports professionals and those who do not wish to be disabled by a surgical procedure and a long recovery period.
- The effects of treatment are usually long lasting and may be repeated if necessary.
