Stem Cell Doctor Shawnee KS
The future of medicine is intensely personal. From personalized cancer therapies specific to a person’s genetic code to supplement and lifestyle plans specific to results from comprehensive lab testing. Gone are the days (or so we hope) of standard protocols implemented the same for everyone. Among the most emerging and promising individualized therapies is regenerative therapy. These cells allow a person’s body to make the exact cells needed for their specific degeneration, injury, or immune system malfunction.
Arthritis is a condition in which regenerative therapy is particularly useful. Arthritis is a general term referring to joint pain or disease. The root cause can differ for each individual, making it difficult to get true relief for many. Despite over 50 million people suffering from arthritis, there is still no tried and true method of relief available. Most people move from over-the-counter pain relievers to prescription anti-inflammatory drugs, with intermittent help from physical therapy. In some cases, there are surgical interventions available but a lasting and favorable outcome is not guaranteed. The use of regenerative therapy for arthritis is showing long-lasting pain relief for many people. The following is an overview of regenerative therapy. A stem cell doctor in Shawnee KS can offer more detailed information.
What Are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are essentially the starting point for cell replication and differentiation. Every human begins with regenerative medicine which develop into each organ system, tissue, bone, and cartilage. There are a few different types of regenerative medicine, with each type being researched and used for different purposes. However, there are three properties which every stem cell shares:
- Every stem cell is capable of dividing and replicating itself, also known as proliferation.
- Every stem cell begins as an unspecialized cell, meaning it does not have any DNA or characteristics of a specific tissue or organ.
- Every stem cell develops into a specialized cell type.
This differentiation is why regenerative therapy not only works so well but has such promise for the wider medical community. Stem cells ability to differentiate and proliferate means they can be administered to specific parts of the body that are injured or damaged. The cells then begin to replicate into the type of tissue in which it is placed.
Stem Cells for Arthritis
For the purposes of arthritis, most of the research has been done in knee injury/joint disease since this is a particularly debilitating arthritis that affects a large number of people.
Mesenchymal regenerative medicine have the ability to grow new tissue in the knee. Mesenchymal refers to cells forming in tissue like bone, cartilage, and muscle. On one study administering mesenchymal regenerative medicine resulted in safe, non-invasive, positive results. About one month after regenerative medicine were administered, the patient in this case study experienced “statistically significant cartilage and meniscus growth on MRI, as well as increased range of motion and decreased…pain scores.”
A larger, more comprehensive study had similar results and neither study had any treatment-related adverse effects. In the larger study, the size of cartilage defect decreased, the hyaline-like cartilage regeneration improved the function of the knee. The high-dose group showed the highest results in range of motion, new cartilage growth, and decrease in pain. The mid-dose group showed some improvement, and as expected, the low-dose group showed minimal results. This study followed results and improvements over six months after injection of regenerative medicine with continued improvement along the six-month study duration.
When considering treatment for a knee injury and arthritis, regenerative therapy is not only an effective treatment option but also a minimally invasive alternative to arthroscopic surgery options. Using the body’s own ability to heal itself is at the core of who we are at LifeWorks Integrative Health. The use of regenerative therapy is an extension of that passion that results in real healing and restoration of tissue, not just temporary pain relief. Contact a stem cell doctor Shawnee KS patients trust today to find out how we may be able to help you.
