How adult stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine can help you heal
by Donna Werking
Your Cells. Your Life.
Adult Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine can help you heal naturally, safely, and in most cases, faster than with traditional surgery or therapy alone.
The Science of Adult Stem Cells.
For decades, physicians have used adult stem cells in spinal applications. Recently, scientists and physicians have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects for orthopedic applications. Today, physicians are using stem cell therapies in the treatment of a wide array of medical diseases, disorders, and traumas. The use of stem cells is becoming common practice with orthopedics as it may help deter a knee replacement or a surgical procedure and improve function of joints following injury. Practitioners today are also using stem cells within disciplines like pain management, cardiology, rheumatology, and neurology.
What are stem cells?
Because stem cells have the potential to develop into many different types of cells, they serve as a repair system for the body. There are two main types stem cells: embryonic stem cells, and adult stem cells.
Stem cells are different from other cells in the body in three ways:
- They can divide and renew themselves over a long period of time.
- They are unspecialized, so they cannot do specific functions in the body.
- They have the potential to become specialized cells, such as muscle cells, blood cells, and brain cells.
Stem cell therapy is a direct therapy; it is derived from bone marrow concentrate. Within your bone marrow you have mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, growth factors, and proteins. The benefits of these stem cells, growth factors, and proteins include:
- Anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-apoptotic, and anti-angiogenic properties.
- Matrix remodeling.
- Cell differentiation.
- No risk of immune response.
Stem Cell Therapy Compared to Surgery.
Another major benefit of utilizing Stem Cell Therapy compared to undergoing the knife in surgery is that the post-procedure down time is slim-to-none. Also, when someone undergoes a surgery, they pay their deductible, out-of-pocket after the deductible, and the costs of time off, and they often need a longer recovery time. Stem Cell Therapy could potentially be a cheaper and easier route than surgery. The cost of stem cell injections are on a case-by-case basis. Stem Cell Therapy is typically a cash pay market; however, insurance may cover some of the treatment costs.
Northern Arizona Pain Institute is at 3769 Crossings Dr. in Prescott. For more information visit https://northernarizonapaininstitutes.com or call 928.458.7343.