Regenerative medicine is an emerging field of medicine that is a great alternative to surgery and medications. It utilizes the body’s innate healing properties to aid in restoring and repairing damaged tissue with little to no side effects and low risk as compared to traditional medications or invasive surgical procedures.
While medications are used to mask symptoms, regenerative medicine works to get to the root of the problem by stimulating and restoring damaged cells and tissue throughout the body. The most common and effective types of regenerative medicine treatments are cellular therapy and platelet-rich plasma therapy.
These regenerative therapies can be used to treat a multitude of conditions such as:
- Fibromyalgia
- Sciatica
- Neuropathy
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Hip pain
- Torn ligaments
- Bone disease
- Arthritis
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Plantar fasciitis
Platelet-Rich Plasma
There are many natural healing components found in the blood, containing a number of proteins and growth factors that are essential to healing damaged tissues. When they are concentrated and put into an injured area of the body, the healing is rapid and effective. This is the idea behind platelet-rich plasma therapy.
During this treatment, a small sample of your blood is drawn at your doctor’s office. These platelets are then separated from the red and white blood cells and undergo a process to increase and concentrate the platelets called centrifugation.
This new mixture of highly concentrated platelets is then injected into the area of the body in need to accelerate healing. One of the major and appealing benefits of this treatment are the minimal side effects. Because the components of your own blood are being reintroduced to your body, it is much less likely for you to experience any adverse reactions or serious side effects.
Cellular Therapy
Our bodies contain hundreds of specialized cell types, such as those in muscle and bone. These cells conduct specific actions within the body. When we are injured, have a disease, or age, a loss of these specialized cells occurs. Typically, over time, the damaged or lost cells can no longer be replaced by healthy cells. Cellular therapy is used to introduce fresh, healthy cells back into the body to replenish the damaged ones.
Mesenchymal cells are one of the most effective cell types for cell therapy use. These cells are taken from a substance called Wharton’s jelly. This is a gelatinous substance found in the umbilical cord tissue of babies born from cesarean section. The Wharton’s jelly is collected at the time of birth from consenting mothers who are carefully prescreened. The collection of Wharton’s jelly also causes no harm or discomfort to the mother or child.
The mesenchymal cells found in Wharton’s jelly contain many important growth factors, proteins, and cytokines that are very effective at healing and cell regeneration. These cells are effective and essential to cell regeneration because they are young and abundant with healing properties. The cells that we already carry age as fast as we do, which is why it becomes more difficult to heal as we get older. When introducing mesenchymal cells, the healing process is significantly greater because they are younger and stronger. Regenerative medicine treatments are an effective, non-surgical option that can help treat a multitude of painful conditions or injuries.
For information on how our doctors use regenerative medicine treatments for effective pain relief, call us today for a complimentary consultation (214)-221-2525.