Stem Cell Therapy for Inflammation and Pain

The human body is amazing, with the ability to promote healing and repair damaged tissue. When your tissue is injured or tendons become inflamed, they are often no longer as effective at repairing themselves. Therefore, your body may require a kick to get that process restarted. If so, stem cell therapy may be recommended by your doctor.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are naturally occurring cells in your body that have the capability to turn into a different type of cell. They can prompt the body to promote healing and repair a variety of damaged tissues, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, bone, and cartilage.

What is stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy is the use of your own stem cells to treat injuries and tissue inflammation.

Stem cells are found in bone marrow and fat tissue. Our fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons a needle to take bone marrow cells from your hip, shin, or heel, or we take fat tissue from your abdomen or buttocks. Then, a special process is used to extract stem cells from the tissue or bone marrow. Our doctors then inject those stem cells into the area to be treated, which triggers the natural healing process in the body to decrease inflammation and repair soft tissue. Follow-up appointments monitor the healing process.

Because using cells from your own body eliminates the possibility of disease transmission or rejection it is a safe alternative to surgery. Studies have indicated the treatments are safe and low-risk.

What types of injuries can be treated with stem cell therapy?

The goal of treatments like stem cell therapy is to reduce pain and improve function without the need for surgery. Orthopedic conditions that can be treated using stem cells include sudden injury and chronic injuries of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bone, and cartilage. Conditions that can be treated with stem cell therapy include:

• Mild to moderate osteoarthritis of joints, particularly the hip, shoulder, and knee
• Injuries to tendons, including partial tears of the rotator cuff of the shoulder
• Elbow tendinitis
• Plantar fasciitis

What are the risks of stem cell therapy?

The risks related to stem cell therapy are low. There is some mild discomfort associated with the procedure and a small risk of infection from the injections. Patients with a history of bone marrow disease, leukemia, lymphoma, autoimmune diseases, bleeding disorders, and other chronic medical problems may not be candidates for stem cell therapy.

Is stem cell therapy covered by insurance? 

Stem cell therapy is relatively new as a treatment in orthopedic conditions, so insurance companies rarely cover this type of treatment. The cost of the treatment varies, depending upon the exact procedure and starts at about $700. To learn more or to book your appointment, please call our office at (630) 584-1400.