Solutions For Knee Pain
When people are in pain, they often turn to:
- Over-the counter medicine
- Arthoscopic surgery
- Hyaluronic acid gel injections
These are not long-term solutions, and they can mask the problem. Not only are they ineffective, but they can also be expensive and require repeated medical appointments. In the case of opioid painkillers, long-term use can lead to abuse, dependence and addiction.
The good news is, patients suffering from any kind of joint pain may be considered as candidates for stem cell therapy.
After several years of suffering due to osteoarthritis , patients come to Native Stem Cell Clinics for relief from knee pain.
Do any of these situations sound familiar?
- Having a hard time getting up from a chair.
- Difficulty walking up and down the stairs.
- Trouble standing for long periods of time.
- Physical activity is painful.
- Your knee feels like it is going to give out.
- Swelling in the knee. Popping. Cracking.
- Difficulty sleeping.
At Native Stem Cell Clinics, stem cell therapy is the most encouraging treatment for knee pain that we have seen in some time.
We have developeda process known as ReVivaStem®, which uses a patients own adult stem cells, injected into the source of the pain, to regrow hyaline cartilage, the type of cartilage that covers the ends of bones in your knees, hips, shoulders and other joints. This cartilage can carry the weight of the body.
Knee Stem Cell Injection Procedure
Stem cell therapy is an in-office procedure and can be performed at any of our three Native Stem Cell Clinics in Michigan.
Do Stem Cell Treatments Work Long
There have been a number of studies into the use of stem cells for the treatment of cartilage damage and arthritis. Most of these studies involve the knee joint, but there are also studies looking at the ankle, shoulder, and other joints too. Most of these studies use injections, as tissue-engineered scaffolds are still being developed and are not well researched.
On a positive note, these studies have often shown improvement in symptoms, with less pain and improved functional scores. On the downside, most of these studies were very small and lasted only months or years. The long-term implications of stem cell injections have not been investigated.
This isn’t because no one is looking into these issues, but rather because the gathering of long-term data takes a long time. Therefore, we are probably a decade or more away from knowing too much about how this impacts the long-term health of a joint.
The other big problem with most of these studies is that they haven’t been shown to be much, if any, better than standard non-surgical arthritis treatments. So while people may have some improvement with stem cells, this may not be all that different than with other treatments considered safer and much less costly. For example, if a cortisone shot or physical therapy has beneficial effects, then why inject an experimental treatment that hasn’t been shown to be much better?
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What Are The Potential Benefits And Drawbacks
Stem cell therapy and orthobiologic treatment are still burgeoning medical fields. Theres a lot were still learning about their uses, benefits, and drawbacks. We dont know for certain if it works for things like cartilage regeneration or healing spinal cord injuries.
Despite this, Dr. Murphy reports that many patients do find orthobiologic treatment to be helpful for their knee paineven if it doesnt reverse bone or cartilage loss. Some of the benefits may include:
- Less pain from osteoarthritis or past injuries
- Reduced joint stiffness
- Reduced dependency on pain medications
- Improved mobility
The majority of patients who receive stem cell treatment for knee pain experience quick recovery times and little to no adverse side effects. That being said, its important to know the potential drawbacks:
- Risk of bacterial infection
Does Stem Cell Treatment Work
Stem cell therapy may help reduce pain but is not a magic solution for any disease or condition. Be wary of any physician or clinic that claims stem cell therapy can completely reverse or heal an orthopedic condition.
As of 2020, the FDA has only approved stem cell treatment for a few kinds of diseases, including some cancers and blood disorders. However, reinjecting a patients own stem cells back into their body is permitted as a therapy for orthopedic purposes.
Many patients do find relief from pain and stiffness caused by knee injuries or osteoarthritis with orthobiologic treatment. It may also be a good alternative to knee replacement surgery in some patients. There has been some evidencethat orthobiologic injections reduce knee pain in patients by as much as 75%, which was supported by a follow-up study. Scientists believe this may be because injected stem cells can help reduce inflammation.
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Bottom Line: Meniscus Tissue Is Hard To Grow
In general current research shows it is hard to grow a new meniscus. The important question to ask is why does my knee really hurt, and what can be done to help? This is not the same answer for everyone. The absent meniscus itself does not cause pain. The concern is what happens to the cartilage protected by the meniscus, and is there something that can be done to protect it, or help it heal? New research is also addressing this concern, and newer treatment methods, including FDA trials, mqy help answer this question.
To this specific patient, while these ideas here are informative, I would not really be able to give a personalized answer without seeing your knee, your xrays, perhaps an MRI, and the most recent scope pictures taken during the last surgery. It all goes together to come up with the right treatment plan. As always, I love trying to help people solve these problems and look forward to seeing you in my office soon to discuss it all in detail.
IF you have a meniscus tear, had meniscus surgery, have a cartilage injury, are wondering about meniscus regeneration, and are worried about your knee and its future, please dont hesitate to contact me and set up a consultation.
References:C. Thomas Vangsness Jr., MD, et al.: Adult Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Delivered via Intra-Articular Injection to the Knee Following Partial Medial Meniscectomy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Study, J Bone Joint Surg Am, 2014 Jan 15 96
With Better Drugs And Stem
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The Future of Everything covers the innovation and technology transforming the way we live, work and play, with monthly issues on education, money, cities and more. This month is Health, online starting Sept. 3 and in the paper on Sept. 10.
A sports injury or trauma to cartilage around the knee, hip or shoulder joint can lead to osteoarthritis later in lifeor, worse yet, the need for a new joint. So can the wear and tear that comes with age. One day, new drugs and stem-cell therapies may stop the degeneration before it starts.
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Can Stem Cells Help Regenerate Knee Cartilage
Damage or loss of cartilage due to certain medical conditions like osteoarthritis till date is a major cause for knee pain causing disability and missed days from work. A cartilage connects bone to bone and aids in smooth motion of the bone during any activity which in the case of knee is walking. Damage to the cartilage results in increased friction between bones due to rubbing against each other with resultant pain and difficulty ambulating.
Treatment options for cartilage loss or damage begins with conservative treatment which is aimed at pain relief and better quality of life. It starts with use of NSAIDs for calming down pain and inflammation. This is then followed by physical therapy for strengthening and then short term opioid medications. These treatments for cartilage loss tend to pacify the symptoms to a significant degree but the underlying problem is not resolved resulting in recurrence of symptoms when the medications and therapy are stopped. The next line of treatment for cartilage loss or damage is injection of steroids and hyaluronic acid for symptom relief.
If all treatment measures fail, then surgical route is considered and surgery in the form of arthroscopy or microfracture is done to repair the cartilage. There is some success achieved with these treatments however, there are many patients who continue to live with excruciating knee pain due to cartilage damage or complete loss of cartilage.
Can Prp Regenerate Cartilage
The PRP helps in boosting the knee pain and repairs the significant amount of damage.
Also, according to research there is being said that PRP can actually help in regenerating the damaged cartilage due to arthritis.
Note: Dr. Ramakant Kumar the preeminent Orthopedic Doctor in Patnaprovides the best and finest PRP treatments in Patna with the highest recovery rate.
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Stem Cell Therapy For Knees
Quick Read
Native Stem Cell Clinics offers stem cell therapy and PRP injection therapy for knee pain, hip pain and shoulder pain and arthritis of the knee, hip and shoulder. Dr. Crawford and the expert staff of Native Stem Cell Clinics will help you learn more about our therapies, including ReVivaStem®. If you are in pain:
- Set up a free in-person or telemedicine call.
- Visit our board-certified orthopedic surgeon for an in-person consultation.
- Learn about how stem-cell therapy can help regrow cartilage.
Many people are curious:
- Does stem cell therapy work for knee pain?
- Can stem cell therapy repair damaged knees?
- Does stem cell therapy regrow cartilage in knees?
In many cases, the answer is yes! If you would like more information, call our Native Stem Cell Clinics in Bloomfield Hills, Grand Rapids or Houghton Lake, or fill out this form to set up an appointment.
If you are suffering from knee pain and want to rebuild cartilage, stem cell therapy is a promising treatment option. Your browser does not support the video tag.Stem Cell Therapy For Knee Injuries And Arthritis
Many people with knee pain are looking for solutions for pain, limited mobility and instability. Our patients have reported positive results.
Stem cell therapy is an effective alternative to much more invasive solutions, such as knee replacement surgery.
Further References For Msc Bmc Stemcell Secretome And Evs
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Regenerative Injection Therapy With Whole Bone Marrow Aspirate For Degenerative Joint Disease: A Case Series
Hauser R, Orlofsky A. Regenerative injection therapy with whole bone marrow aspirate for degenerative joint disease: a case series. Clinical Medicine Insights: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2013 6:65-72.
In this study, patients reported improvements with respect to pain, as well as gains in functionality and quality of life. Three patients, including two whose progress under other therapy, had plateaued or reversed, achieved complete or near-complete symptomatic relief, and two additional patients achieved resumption of vigorous exercise. These preliminary findings suggest that osteoarthritis treatment with whole bone marrow aspirate injection merits further investigation. Read Full Article
In this study, we suggested that to make stem cell therapys ability to regrow cartilage more effective, a supportive treatment, Prolotherapy, injections of simple dextrose, should be considered. This is explained further below and demonstrated in the videos of this article. In our paper we noted:
This was a case history study. These are the cases we presented:
Right ankle pain Stem Cell Treatment alone
Pain in Both Knees Stem Cell Treatment alone
Case 2: A 69-year-old male with pain in both knees. In his left knee, he reported pain of 4/10 and a 30% frequency of what that pain occurred. His right knee was worse. He reported a 7/10 pain scale and a 90% frequency. The pain almost all the time.
Pain in Both Hips Stem Cell Treatment alone
Umbilical Cord Stem Cells And Placenta Derived Stem Cells Are The Primary Stem Cells That We Use In Treatment
Umbilical cord stem cells and placenta derived stem cells are a rich source of haematopoietic stem cells: Research shows these stem cells to be effective in repairing joint damage because they are undifferentiated. Undifferentiated means that they could turn themselves into material needed to repair a joint, for example bone, cartilage, or ligament and tendon cells.
The appeal of using Umbilical cord derived stem cells and placenta derived stem cells are that they are the youngest stem cells available for osteoarthritis treatment. They are considered Day Zero Cells. On the other hand, your own stem cells are as old as you are. The young stem cells are considered more robust, have more energy, and are in a better position to start the regenerative process.
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Does Stem Cell Therapy Regrow Cartilage
So lets now return to the original question. Does stem cell therapy regrow cartilage? The answer is yes, but we must have a realistic expectation of how much, how fast, and how effective this can be. The treatment will not work for everyone with poor candidates having a less than likely successful outcome.
How does stem cell therapy regrow cartilage? Researchers are not sure.
In early 2017, doctors writing in the medical journal Stem Cells International wrote that Although the role of stem cells in cartilage regeneration is certain, the mechanism underlying this process in cartilage repair is not yet clear. The full range of limitations and possibilities, with respect to clinical application of various stem cells, remains to be established, but the advantages of stem cells seem obvious.
What does all this mean?
- Stem cells in cartilage regeneration are certain it has been proven to work.
- Not all applications of stem cells work, please see Ross Hausers, MD article Why didnt stem cell therapy work for my knee pain?
The Conclusion of this paper: Some efficacy has been shown of mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage repair in osteoarthritis however, the evidence of the efficacy of intra-articular MSCs on both clinical outcomes and cartilage repair remains limited. Despite the high quality of evidence to support, MSC therapy has emerged but further refinement of methodology will be necessary to support its routine clinical use.
There Are A Lot Of Stem Cells In A Knee Waiting To Repair The Problem Is They Are Confused And Not Getting The Correct Instructions Stem Cell Therapy Has The Potential To Fix The Communication Problem And Reboot The Repair Process
In 2014, a study published in the journal Stem cell research & therapy suggested that synovial fluid plays a role in attracting NATIVE stem cells to areas of damage within a synovial joint. This role is crucial for maintaining joint homeostasis. The researchers suggested that exploring how synovial fluid attracts stem cells to damage seems to be the way to find a potential treatment for cartilage degeneration.
Now we know that there are many stem cells in the knee, and, when there is damage to the knee, there are even more stem cells. If we can figure out how to get these stem cells turned on to the healing mode, the knee could heal itself of early stage osteoarthritis. So the problem is not the number of stem cells, there is a lot of them already in the knee, BUT, communication. Introduction of new stem cells with fresh communication, from the sideline may change that.
A recent paper from a research team in Australia confirms how this change of joint environment works. It starts with cell signalling a new communication network is built.
- When introduced into a diseased joint, stem cells display plasticity and multipotency
University of Iowa research published in the Journal of orthopaedic research discusses meniscus injury and osteoarthritis development:
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