How does stem cell therapy help foot and ankle pain?
Stem cell therapy uses your body’s own stem cells, re-injected into the injured area, to promote healing and create an anti-inflammatory effect that may reduce pain. It is a less invasive option than surgery for chronic foot and ankle problems such as Achilles tendinosis, osteoarthritis, ligament sprains, plantar fasciitis and bunions, usually with a quick recovery.
About 87 percent of people experience foot and ankle pain at one time or another, whether from injury or even from poorly-fitted shoes. It’s no wonder so many people have foot pain: the average person spends four hours a day standing on their feet and takes 5,000 steps. Obviously, for certain occupations, these numbers can be much higher.
Sometimes foot and ankle pain can be chronic, meaning it lasts more than three months. When your feet and ankles don’t feel well, this can pose problems for getting around, which in turn can lead to weight gain, weakness, and worsening heart function.
For chronic foot and ankle pain, surgery isn’t the only answer. Stem cell therapy can often provide long-lasting relief for these conditions and more:
- Achilles Tendinosis
- Osteoarthritis
- Sports Injuries
- Ligament Sprains
- Ankle Tendon Tears
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Bunions
The Stem Cell Solution
Stem cell therapy is a less invasive option than surgery, usually with a quick recovery. Your body’s own stem cells can be re-injected into the area of injury to promote healing.
The surrounding cells begin to mimic the stem cells, introducing an anti-inflammatory effect that reduces pain. Best part is, stem cell injections contain hyaluronic acid, which serves to lubricate joints and tendons. This further eases the pain and helps to restore mobility.
Depending on the location and severity of the damage, usually only one stem cell injection is necessary for recovery. This is one of the biggest benefits of stem cell therapy: when pain from arthritis subsides or a joint regenerates, treatment is often no longer necessary — unless of course the area is re-injured (as in the case of a sports injury, for example).
The wear and tear of everyday activities can result in micro injuries to tissues in our bodies, especially to ligaments (plantar fasciitis), weight-bearing joints (foot/ankle arthritis) and lower-extremity tendons (Achilles Tendinitis). As we age, our bodies’ own defense mechanisms can’t rapidly repair micro-traumas due to running or tennis as they could when we were young.
The ability to heal becomes diminished with the older we get, resulting in dormant cells that can no longer divide. As a result, scar tissue forms rather than healthy tissue. When you think about how long people live these days, staying active and pain free throughout life can be very challenging to many.
This is why so many people turn to regenerative medicine — specifically stem cell therapy – to reduce intense heel pain, tendonitis, and injuries to the Achilles tendon and arthritic joints. Not only does this ensure less risk, it ensures a faster recovery than traditional surgery.
Contact Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine
If you suffer from foot and ankle pain, call us at (248) 216-1008 to learn how stem cell therapy can help. We would be happy to provide you with a no-obligation consultation.
By Board-certified Doctor John Santa Ana, DO
Keep learning
Related Articles
Stem Cells & Orthobiologics · Joint & Spine Pain
What Is Stem Cell Therapy and Could You Benefit From It?
Learn what stem cell therapy is, how bone marrow concentrate is used to support healing, which conditions it may help and how to find out if you are a candidate.
Joint & Spine Pain
A Nonsurgical Approach for Painful Joints with Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a nonsurgical injection treatment that aims to strengthen ligaments and tendons and relieve chronic joint pain. Learn how it works and who it may help.
PRP Therapy · Joint & Spine Pain
How Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections May Help Knee Pain and Arthritis
Learn how platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections may help relieve knee pain and arthritis without surgery, what treatment involves and who may be a good candidate.
