Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the capability to morph into any type of cell needed at sites of injury, illness, or trauma. When stem cells replicate, they become area-specific cells, whether that’s muscle, cartilage, or brain, or they become more stem cells.
Medical science recognizes the amazing capacity of stem cells to help the body restore itself, and experts are harnessing the cells to help heal a wide variety of issues. At Leading Edge Medical in Gilbert, Arizona, we use stem cell therapy to help you find relief from a number of concerns, including arthritic joints, joint dislocations, back pain, rotator cuff tears, hip bursitis, and torn menisci in the knee.
Here’s what to expect from stem cell therapy and how it can help you.
The process of therapy
We use stem cells derived from the umbilical cord tissue of healthy birthed babies and healthy mothers. No one is harmed in the extraction of these cells. Stem cell therapy is completely safe and FDA cleared.
The process of stem cell therapy is pretty quick and noninvasive. You don’t need a lot of preparation in advance, but you may want to halt the use of aspirin products and certain supplements, such as vitamin E and fish oil, a few weeks prior to treatment.
The injections take just 10-20 minutes. We clean and prep the specific injection points, depending on the issue to be treated. For example, if you’re being treated for knee joint pain, you’ll receive injections specifically at the knee. This expedites stem cell migration to the tissue that needs it most.
After therapy, you’ll reduce or stop anti-inflammatory medications for 1-2 weeks. You should also refrain from high-impact activity for a couple months. You won’t have to worry about healing from incisions and blood loss, however, because the procedure is minimally invasive. You can resume stretching and light exercises about three weeks after stem cell injections. At 4-5 weeks post injections, you can do more aggressive stretching and light weight training, as long as they don’t cause pain.
By the second month post therapy, you should be cleared for your regular workout routine and any athletic activities. Of course, everyone responds slightly differently to the therapy, so we’ll give you the final OK to get back to everything in your routine whenever we’re sure you’re ready.
Benefits of stem cell therapy
Stem cell therapy uses your body’s resources to heal your joint pain. The process is completely natural and carries little risk of infection. Plus, the stem cells are unspecialized, so it’s unlikely that your body will reject them.
If you have joint or back pain that hasn’t responded successfully to medications, steroid injections, or physical therapy, then stem cell therapy can be a viable alternative. The treatment works well to help weekend warriors continue to pursue their love of athletics and to help serious athletes get back into the game.
If you suffer from osteoarthritis and find it interferes with your daily activities, stem cell therapy can help restore damaged cartilage and reduce inflammation.
At Leading Edge Medical, we want to help you find relief from joint pain and dysfunction. Call our office or schedule an appointment using this website.
