Regenerative medicine is a rapidly growing and promising branch of study. Orthopedists have been using various regenerative techniques for about a decade, including stem cell therapy. At Dr. Louis Keppler and Associates, our highly trained experts only suggest stem cell therapy to those patients who are most likely to experience outstanding results.
What is stem cell therapy?
Before we talk about what stem cell therapy helps or who is a good candidate for it, we should talk about what stem cell therapy is. Stem cells are specialized cells that can transform into whatever your body needs.
There are many different types of stem cells, from those that are present in the umbilical cord, to those that reside in your body as an adult. Stem cells come from three sources: umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, and adult stem cells. Adult stem cells reside in most tissues, but are usually taken from adipose (fat) tissue or bone marrow.
Stem cells are deployed naturally when your body needs them. For example, if you’ve experienced some sort of traumatic injury, your body will send stem cells to the site of the injury, where they will transform into whatever cells your body needs.
When you have stem cell therapy, we either extract stem cells from your body, or we use stem cells that have been harvested from other sources, and we inject them directly to where you need to be healed. For example, if you have a tendon injury that isn’t healing well, we may suggest stem cell therapy to help speed healing.
Conditions stem cell therapy helps
Stem cell therapy is emerging as a powerful tool in treating a variety of conditions. We may recommend stem cell therapy if you have:
- Tendon injuries
- Arthritis
- Joint replacement surgery
- Ligament tears
- Orthopedic surgeries
- Degenerative conditions
- Muscle injuries
- Fractures
As more practitioners use stem cell therapy, the evidence for its success continues to increase.
Are you a candidate?
You may be wondering if stem cell therapy could be the right treatment for you. It may be, depending on several factors.
Stem cell therapy is currently considered translational research, which is when treatments or techniques that have been studied in labs are being put into use in practices. As a new therapy, there are no official guidelines for when to recommend stem cell therapy. Insurance companies may not cover the cost of stem cell therapy.
Whether stem cell therapy is likely to be effective for you depends on a host of factors, including your problem, overall health, and many others. A thorough evaluation by your doctor is the most important step in making a decision regarding this cutting-edge treatment.
If you’d like to learn more about stem cell therapy and how it might work for you, schedule an appointment at Dr. Louis Keppler and Associates. We’re happy to discuss your situation and the potential benefits of stem cell therapy.
