Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine
Stem cell therapy is an exciting new technique in medicine. Stem cells are very special cells that can become any other type of cell. Using stem cells, your body may be able to activate its repair response and may be able to heal inflammatory conditions, increase cartilage, and even treat painful spinal conditions.
NOTE: If you are a provider looking to refer your patients to this therapy, please read our special section below.*
Stem cells have the potential to treat a wide range of diseases, injuries, and other common ailments. Discover why these cells are such a powerful tool for treating disease and how Stem Cell Therapy treatments work.
WHAT ARE STEM CELLS AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?
In their life process, stem cells have the remarkable ability to develop into many different cell types in the body, serving as the body’s internal repair system, dividing without limit as long as the person is alive. Unlike other cells, when a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a red blood cell.
WHERE DO STEM CELLS COME FROM?
Stem cells are the basic building blocks of the body and come from two main sources:
- Embryos formed during the blastocyst phase of embryological development (embryonic stem cells)
- Adult tissue
The embryonic and adult stem cells vary in their potency and potential to differentiate into which cell types (ex: skin, muscle, bone, etc.).
WHAT CAN STEM CELL THERAPY DO?
Stem Cell Therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, replicates the body’s response system to repair diseased, dysfunctional, or injured tissue using stem cells.
When most people think about stem cell therapy, they think of stem cell transplant, a treatment option in which embryonic stem cells are specialized first and then matured. Those cells, in turn, replace the tissue that is damaged by disease or injury.
This treatment can be used to:
- Help heal inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and tendonitis
- Repair injuries like rotator cuff tears or loss of joint cartilage (i.e. joint injection stem cell therapy), actually regenerating the damaged or lost cartilage and eliminating the need for surgery and joint replacement
- Help treat spinal conditions such as facet arthropathy, degenerative disc disease, SIJ arthropathy, costovertebral joints
SPECIFICALLY, WHAT CAN STEM CELL THERAPY DO FOR JOINTS AND THE SPINE?
Activating your body’s repair response system via stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, we can utilize your natural growth factors to treat degenerative conditions in the spine and neck, bulging or herniated discs, and other conditions that cause daily pain and discomfort.
YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
During your first appointment, you will visit with a physician to discuss treatment history and current options, conduct a medical evaluation, and help you know what to do to prepare for every step in the stem cell therapy process.
After your consultation appointment, you will have your first stem cell therapy appointment. This experience will be very similar to receiving a cortisone shot injection. If you are a candidate for stem cell therapy.
We will determine the source of where your pain is originating and inject stem cells into those target areas, including directly into the affected joint, allowing the cells to disseminate throughout the joint/pain area. The same process is utilized for soft-tissue injections.
A stem cell therapy procedure is an outpatient, in-office process and takes just 15 minutes with no downtime. Patients often start to experience results as soon as a few days but could take up to three months. Please note: stem cell therapy is not currently covered by insurance providers. However, we offer payment plans.
FOR PHYSICIANS: STEM CELL THERAPY AS YOUR NEXT STEP
For physicians currently treating patients who are experiencing chronic pain or didn’t have desired results as a part of post-operative care, we recommend Stem Cell Therapy as a part of total joint rehabilitation.
Patients who are referred to Coastal Health are screened to determine their potential for undergoing stem cell therapy. We pride ourselves on the strong communication of our medical team and maintain a close and collaborative relationship with the referring provider.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
For a more detailed discussion of stem cells, check out the below links:
Stem Cell information for the public from the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR)
A commercial, online newsletter that features stories about Stem Cells of all types.