Stem cell injection therapies have been available in the U.S. for nearly a decade. Medical providers have used them to treat sports injuries and help regrow hair. As time has passed, doctors have also begun leaning on stem cell injections to treat chronic back pain. Here is the big question: do the injections work?
Lone Star Pain Medicine is a Weatherford, TX, pain clinic that includes regenerative medicine on its list of services. Within the regenerative medicine space, they practice both stem cell injection and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. Their stem cell treatments are mostly for people suffering from chronic back pain as a result of injury or disc disease.
Stem Cell Injections: The Basics
The first thing to know about stem cell injections is that they are deemed safe as long as doctors follow established FDA rules. The doctors at Lone Star are not cooking up unknown stem cells in a lab and injecting them indiscriminately. In fact, the stem cells they utilize come directly from the patients being treated.
These stem cells are known as autologous stem cells. They are extracted from a patient’s bone marrow or adipose fat. Once harvested, they are separated from the rest of the biological material in the extract before being injected into the injury site or diseased disc.
The Cells Are Minimally Manipulated
Stem cell treatments like those used at Lone Star do not require further FDA approval because they already meet federal guidelines for treatments utilizing minimally manipulated biological material. In other words, the FDA has already given the green light to treat patients with their own biological material as long as that material is not significantly altered prior to treatment.
From the patient’s standpoint, a procedure utilizing minimally manipulated material is advantageous because there are very few risks of complication. More importantly, a person’s body is highly unlikely to reject its own stem cells. Therefore, stem cell procedures are very safe as long as FDA guidelines are followed.
How the Treatment Works
Although the science of stem cell injections is still emerging, plenty of patients swear by their efficacy. The mechanism of how the treatment works is still unclear. One possibility is that the injections provide the raw materials the body needs to kick start the healing process. In essence, the injected material initiates the healing process before the body takes over.
Another possibility is that the injections act as a signal that healing is required. The body recognizes the new cells at the site of injury or disease, thereby triggering the natural healing response.
Yet a third possibility is that the mechanism is a combination of the two. Stem saw material acts as the raw building blocks while simultaneously signaling the body that more help is needed. Either way, the goal behind stem cell therapy is to promote natural healing rather than external repair and symptom relief.
How Well the Treatment Works
As for efficacy, stem cell injections are like most other medical treatments. Some people respond to them very well, while others do not. It’s up to patients and their doctors to discuss the therapy before deciding whether it is worth trying. For the record, stem cell injections are not considered a first-line treatment. The therapy is reserved for patients who have tried more traditional treatments without finding relief.
If you are suffering from chronic back pain as a result of injury or disk disease, you might want to look into stem self-therapy. There is nothing to fear. The procedure is safe, FDA approved, and a potential game changer.
