Stem Cell Therapy
Most cells in the body have a specific purpose: some make up bones, some make up nerves, some make up muscles, and so on. Each cell has its own function, but stem cells are considered non-specific cells. That is, they don’t have a defined and specific purpose just yet. They are present in the body almost as a backup—when the body needs them, the stem cells will turn into the particular type of cell that is needed and go to work. Stem cell therapy has long been of interest to doctors, scientists, and researchers, and many believe that they hold the key to curing a number of currently incurable diseases. At AICA Orthopedics, we know the value that stem cells can bring to the healing process of an injury, illness, or pain, and we are proud to utilize this innovative treatment method to help our patients feel better faster.
Tissue-Specific Adult Stem Cells
Stem cells are present in embryos and adult body tissues. While embryonic stem cells can turn into a larger variety of cell types, adult stem cells are used more commonly in treating injuries or localized pain in adults. Tissue-specific adult stem cells are less versatile and durable, but they can be utilized to treat specific areas similar to where they came from. Adult stem cells can be removed from bone marrow, blood vessels, the brain, muscles, skin, the heart, the liver, and more. If possible, doctors will utilize tissue-specific stem cells to treat whatever health concern you’re dealing with—in other words, if you’re having muscle problems, muscle-specific adult stem cells will be used in treatment. Stem cells are so fundamentally useful because they are able to divide and divide and divide to suit the needs of the cells they surround, and they can change to whichever type they need to aid recovery. If you think this groundbreaking method of treatment is right for you or someone you love, contact our experts at AICA Orthopedics today to set your healing process in motion. We will work with you to see you pain level decrease using comprehensive care and state of the art diagnostic tools.
Stem Cell Therapy Is Less Invasive & More Effective
Stem cell therapy is very innovative and are proving to be very effective. Though this treatment option has not been around for hundreds of years like some other treatments, scientists are being blown away by the effectiveness of stem cell therapies. The treatments are far less invasive than surgery and they often bring about faster healing, less recovery time, and more long-term results.
Important Factors to consider with Stem Cell Therapy
It is of the utmost importance that the physician performing this type of treatment be experienced and meticulous. That’s why AICA Orthopedics should be your first choice if you are seeking pain relief or injury healing via stem cell therapy. Our orthopedic doctors perform these stem cell therapy sessions regularly and with a complete understanding of the procedure itself.
Secondly, the technique employed to harvest the cells used to bring you relief or accelerate your healing process is very important to the success of the entire process. A process called BMA or bone marrow aspiration is used to retrieve the bone marrow stem cells needed. The places that these cells are taken from are important, and an experienced physician knows the correct places.
Interestingly enough, the diagnostic process is important for making the determination as to what a patient is suffering and which course of treatment is most appropriate, but the diagnostic equipment we have in our office might be even more useful during the process of retrieval. Ultrasounds and digital x-rays are used heavily to determine the most optimal locations to target.
Other factors to consider include lab safety, lab sophistication, drug interactions, proper injection site, and the source of the cells. Each of these considerations is taken into account by our experts that would like to help you manage your pain and heal your wounds.
How to know if Stem Cell Therapy Could Provide You with Relief
Diagnosis is key to proper pain management and the healing of conditions that cause pain. Our team of doctors will examine your body and talk with you about your condition. What is your pain level? What sort of symptoms have you been experiencing which indicate you should seek treatment? Is your pain chronic or acute? We can help you to explain your specific needs to us and we can translate those needs into a treatment plan that is right for you. We will also utilize state of the art imaging to help us to arrive at our conclusions. We can order x-rays for skeletal injuries, MRI’s for soft tissue, CT scans for more complex injuries and various nerve response scans. All of these can be performed in our office by our team should they prove necessary for you.
Multiple Uses with Stem Cell Therapy
The most common type of stem cell therapy is bone marrow transplants, which have been done for decades. More recently, doctors have begun utilizing stem cell treatments for localized injuries, specific pain, and disease healing and prevention. Brain and spinal cord injuries, neurodegeneration (like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s), and heart disease are a few other applications for this innovative treatment.
Another common reason for stem cell treatment is soft tissue damage. If you’ve experienced a muscle tear or problems with tendons or ligaments, we can provide stem cell injections such as stem cell therapy for knees into the injured area. This will encourage your body’s natural healing process and will bring about more effective and long-term relief than other alternative treatment options.
If you’re interested in learning more about stem cell treatments or if you want to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, get in touch with AICA Orthopedics today. We serve the entire metro Atlanta area and are looking forward to helping you achieve better health and healing with our innovative and effective treatments.