How Stem Cell Therapy Can Relieve Joint Pain

Chronic pain caused by aging or injured joints may be part of your everyday experience now, but innovative stem cell therapy based on the principles of regenerative medicine can help get you moving pain-free again.

Dr. Bonaventure Ngu is a board-certified orthopedic specialist who is well known for his expertise in treating arthritis and other joint issues that have led to chronic, debilitating pain. As a skilled surgeon who prefers less invasive treatment strategies whenever possible, Dr. Ngu often urges his patients at Premier Spine Institute to consider stem cell therapy for relief from joint pain.

Understanding the basics of stem cell therapy and joint pain relief

Stem cell therapy is an innovative treatment for joint pain that’s receiving wide acclaim for its effectiveness and safety. Based on the strategy of boosting your own natural healing abilities at the cellular level, stem cell therapy captures the heart of regenerative medicine as it relates to your joints — which is to support the body’s repair and rebuilding of tissue structures damaged by injury, disease, overuse, or aging.

Osteoarthritis, for instance, is a common joint condition that occurs when the cartilage and other tissue structures within your joints begin to deteriorate due to the natural wear and tear of a lifetime of use. As these healthy tissues wear down, you experience joint stiffness and increasing levels of pain.

Stem cell therapy, delivered via injection in or near the affected joint, delivers a concentrated dose of stem cells and other substances your body routinely uses to trigger natural tissue regeneration. As worn cartilage and other tissue structures in the affected joint undergo the enhanced repair and rebuilding process triggered by stem cell therapy, your pain and stiffness decrease.

Where do the stem cells come from?

Dr. Ngu uses autologous stem cells, which means they come from your own stores. Adult stem cells are located throughout the body, including in your bone marrow.

To collect the material necessary for your stem cell therapy, Dr. Ngu extracts bone marrow from your hip during a quick in-office procedure. He then separates out the stem cells and other pertinent growth factors and prepares an injectable solution, which he uses for your therapy.

The use of self-donated stem cells helps prevent the risk of rejection, contamination, and other potentially serious issues that might occur with donated material.

Stem cell therapy is not a quick fix

Stem cell therapy is designed to support your body’s self-healing process, which takes time. Consider a cut on your finger. Your body needs time to produce the collagen and other substances needed to rebuild the underlying tissue structures and knit the surface skin back together.

Stem cell therapy, therefore, is most effective when used in conjunction with other therapies. Like the stitches applied to help close a gaping skin wound, other treatments offered at Premier Spine Institute can increase the effectiveness of stem cell therapy and help manage pain related to:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Arthritis
• Spinal stenosis
• Arthrosis
• Overuse injuries  

For more information about stem cell therapy and how it can relieve your joint pain, schedule an appointment today at Premier Spine Institute. Call the office or click the “request appointment” button to book your visit online.