Can stem cell injections help with cartilage loss?
Stem cell injections may help support cartilage healing in joints such as knees and shoulders, since cartilage does not heal well on its own. Stem cells are taken from your bone marrow, concentrated and injected into the joint in a single office visit with local anesthesia. Downtime is minimal, and it may help some patients delay or avoid surgery.
Every day, we forge a battle against time and aging. Sure, we want to stay healthy and active, but we are often hampered by chronic pain which limits the activities we engage in – activities that often require healthy joints. As we get older, we fight against the damage and deterioration of cartilage in our joints, from knees to shoulders.
Because cartilage can’t readily heal or regenerate on its own, it typically deteriorates well ahead of the rest of our bodies. In essence, we need cartilage for much longer than it actually lasts. What if there was a way to support cartilage healing in our joints? Well, stem cell therapy may hold the answer. More on that later. First…
How Does Cartilage Get Damaged?
Cartilage is basically a connective tissue that acts as the smooth lining of a joint. It provides a cushion at the end of a bone right at the joint. Cartilage is tasked with a big job, as it compresses and absorbs energy, with its smooth and slippery nature allowing the joint to glide through ranges of motion.
Cartilage essentially protects against rubbing and friction during movement. Many factors affect the rate at which cartilage deteriorates, such as injuries, arthritis, aging, wear and tear, repetitive motions, and disease. Cartilage does not regenerate on its own. In other words, the body does not regrow cartilage once it’s lost.
Treatment for cartilage loss usually involves surgery, but there is a less invasive treatment out there that can promise results without the need for surgery, which can be very costly and comes with long recovery times.
Stem Cell Injections
When small holes or tears develop in cartilage, this leaves areas of bare bone which can, over time, lead to osteoarthritis. Filling these areas with repair tissue can improve function, relieve pain, and delay or prevent the need for surgery later, says the Arthritis Foundation.
Stem cell therapy involves using your own stem cells to stimulate healing in the affected joint with a single injection that can be done in an office setting with local anesthesia. The downtime is minimal and you can return to normal activity quite soon after.
Stem cells, extracted from bone marrow, are harvested, concentrated and sterilized for injection directly into the area that requires repair, such as the knee or shoulder. The stem cells not only help to repair lost cartilage, they preserve existing cartilage while slowing down loss.
Stem cell injections can also lower pain and inflammation while boosting mobility.
Contact Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine
If you have joint pain caused by cartilage damage or loss, and would like to know more about how stem cell therapy can help, call us at (248) 216-1008 for your free, no-obligation consultation.
By Board-certified Doctor John Santa Ana, DO
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