When you have an ongoing, chronic, or degenerative condition like arthritis, you’re willing to do anything to fix it. In some cases, you may be able to change your condition with surgery. In many others, there isn’t a lot you can do other than keep moving and take medication.
That is, of course, until the regenerative medicine that is stem cell therapy came about.
Can stem cell therapy improve arthritis? How can it help? Can it outright cure it? This guide gets into everything you need to know about using stem cell therapy to help treat and manage your arthritis, wherever it appears.
The Two Main Types of Arthritis
Arthritis, in practice, feels the same. It is joint pain that ranges from dull aches to sharp pains. It’s stiffness, swelling, and tenderness. It causes you to suffer when you move, and, as a result, limits how much and how often you want to move.
There are two major types of arthritis:
1. Rheumatoid Arthritis
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, then you have an autoimmune disease that causes your own immune system to attack your tissues, including your joints. You’ll deal with inflammation, swelling, and pain in several joints all at once.
2. Osteoarthritis
The most common type of arthritis, however, is osteoarthritis. This happens when the cartilage between the joints breaks down. It’s most common in weight-bearing joints, like your knees, hips, or spine, but can also occur in your hands or other delicate joints in your body.
How Can Stem Cell Therapy Improve Arthritis?
The good news is that stem cell treatments can help you with either type of arthritis, as it works to:
· Reduce Inflammation
Stem cells directly work to inhibit and reduce inflammatory processes. This is because stem cells contain what’s known as cytokines, which are signaling molecules. They work to regulate your immune response, which can help those with Rheumatoid arthritis in particular.
· Repair Joint Damage
The big reason why those with arthritis are now looking to stem cell treatments, despite having to pay the stem cell therapy cost themselves, is because of how effective they are at repairing damage. Stem cells are progenitor cells, which means they can become other types of cells as needed. This means they can help repair damaged cartilage.
· Ease Autoimmune Causes
Stem cells also play a role in balancing the immune system, which can help those with rheumatoid arthritis by helping tackle the cause behind their symptoms.
How Stem Cells Work
What are stem cells, that they can do all that? And help you gain improved memory, beat cancer, and manage chronic pain? They’re master cells. This means that they can become other types of cells as needed.
The true golden child of stem cell research is embryonic cells, but it is a challenge to get them ethically. Getting enough of them for everyone is impossible – at least until further development into induced pluripotent stem cell production reduces its staggeringly high costs.
For now, stem cell treatment uses adult cells. Sure, these adult cells can become fewer cells than pluripotent cells, but they can still help with conditions like arthritis.
Stem Cell Treatments: an Overview
You may be asking yourself, what are stem cell injections, and if there’s anything else in them that you need to be concerned with. The good news is that a stem cell injection is typically nothing more than stem cells and maybe a growth hormone to kick them into gear.
Treatments can be injected via a needle, but in the case of those with arthritis (particularly if it’s widespread) you’ll likely get treated via an IV.
The exception is if your pain is in the spine. In this case, you may be put under anesthesia. We’d also use an ultrasound device to help direct the needle where it needs to go safely.
Stem Cell Therapy at Bioxcellerator
You can get stem cell therapy here at Bioxcellerator to help you manage your arthritis condition. We use stem cell based on Wharton’s Jelly. This type of stem cell is safe and effective, particularly since your immune system is less likely to recognize cells from this source as foreign.
Now, the Food and Drug Administration has only approved of stem cell therapy for the treatment of blood conditions like leukemia. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many studies and cases of those with arthritis experiencing an improvement in their condition, just that there isn’t enough to become FDA approved.
Not having that approval doesn’t mean it’s not safe and effective, either. If you need proof of concept, read through the studies for yourself, or talk to others who have invested in the treatment. After all, getting proof of concept is critical whenever you choose a private treatment for yourself.
To help, we conduct thorough examinations during your consultation. This is so we can thoroughly understand your health, condition, and medical history. We’ll only take you on as a patient if there’s a high chance you’ll see success with the treatment.
Ready to Get Started with Your Condition?
Those with arthritis live with arthritis. Therefore any new treatment that can finally help them enjoy a new lease of life and movement is something to consider. If you aren’t yet sure if you want to try out stem cell therapy and want to ask more questions, get in touch with our team. If you’re ready to make the leap, get in touch with our team.
However, going in with a realistic perspective and a fully-informed understanding of stem cell therapy is important. You can either look through our website for more information, send us a message, or ask us directly at your appointment.
To get started, simply look at the locations we cover and book an appointment. We’ll happily explain the ins and outs of stem cell treatments for you, so you can make a fully informed decision as to whether or not this treatment is right for you. We can even help put together a payment plan if needed.
