If you’re suffering from osteoarthritis, you’re not alone. Over 32.5 million adults in the US have osteoarthritis. Every day, they experience pain, stiffness, swelling, and decreased range of motion.
Previously, there were no treatment options beyond alleviating symptoms and ultimately replacing the affected joint. However, regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, offers new hope for those suffering from osteoarthritis and looking to avoid surgery.
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is often associated with wear and tear on the joints, as it occurs most frequently on the joints that incur more pressure, such as the knees, hips, and hands.
This condition develops when the joint’s cartilage breaks down, and the lack of cushioning and lubrication between the bones causes irritation and eventually changes the bone.
Osteoarthritis gradually worsens. Eventually, the condition reduces the joint’s range of motion and function and causes debilitating pain.
What Is Stem Cell Therapy?
Stem cells exist throughout the body and possess the unique power to either divide to create more stem cells or differentiate to create specialized cells, like blood or muscle cells. One of stem cells’ roles is to repair and replace damaged tissue in the body.
Stem cell therapy administers the cells to the targeted sites of tissue damage. As a result, the new influx of stem cells can reduce inflammation and prompt the body’s natural healing response to restore comfort and function to the area.
How Does Stem Cell Therapy Treat Osteoarthritis?
Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are present in the bone marrow, fat tissue, and in small concentrations in areas throughout the body. When used for stem cell therapy, they’re typically collected from bone marrow in the pelvis.
Depending on the need and surroundings, these stem cells can differentiate into specialized cartilage, muscle, ligaments, bone, tendons, and fat cells. They also contain anti-inflammatory agents and growth factors that promote healing and reduce pain.
Benefits of Choosing Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells may allow patients to restore their range of motion, alleviate discomfort, and ease swelling without undergoing treatments with adverse side effects or completely replacing their affected joint through surgery.
Although osteoarthritis treatments like corticosteroid injections alleviate pain, they can also expedite the disease’s progression, damaging cartilage, thinning the skin and soft tissue around the injection, and weakening the tendons.
In contrast, stem cell therapy can potentially reduce pain and promote healing, so you feel better and can improve your daily activity that may have been impacted prior to therapy.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for osteoarthritis, also known as stem cell therapy for Osteoarthritis. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.