Solving Back Pain with Stem Cell Therapy

Back pain is one of the most common complaints doctors hear from their patients. While there are many treatments available, stem cell treatment for back pain is quickly becoming a viable option. Stem cells are able to help rebuild joint cartilage, tendons, ligaments and muscle tissue, all of which help strengthen the back and relieve pain. Doctors are even able to take stem cells from the patient and inject them into the back, allowing the patient’s body to heal itself.

A wide range of back pain issues and illnesses can be helped or even cured with stem cell therapy. Years of development has led to few clinical studies, but the limited research has shown great promise. As time goes on, more clinical trials will be performed and costs will go down, making stem cell therapy a very good option for those suffering from back pain.

Back Pain Conditions That Can Be Alleviated with Stem Cells

Many different chronic pain issues can be solved using stem cells. Two of the most common ailments that have been helped and even cured with stem cell therapy include degenerative disc disease and spinal facet disease.

Degenerative disc disease – The spine is made of a series of discs, all connected with cartilage between each one. Degeneration of the cartilage between the discs is a normal occurrence of life for everyone. However, a patient with disc degeneration experiences loss of disc material and disc cartilage much faster than the body can regenerate it. With stem cell treatment, this material can be rebuild at a quicker pace, making up for what has been lost.

Spinal facet disease – A similar back pain issue, spinal facet disease affects a different area of the spine in a similar way. The spine features a series of facet joints on the left and right side of each spinal segment. These facets help with stability and strength of the back. Spinal facet disease breaks down the cells in these facets quicker than they can regenerate. Using stem cells, the healing process can be kickstarted into high gear, repairing the lost material and restoring strength and stability in the patient.

How do Stem Cell Help Treat Back Pain?

Stem cells are everywhere in the body, even in the areas like diseased joints. These stem cells wait until nearby cells die, then take their place and mimic the nearby cells. When a few spine cells die, there should be enough stem cells to replenish the total cells needed.

However, when a degenerative disease hits these joints, the body cannot keep up with the demand of replenishment. This is where stem cells come in.

Pulling stem cells from elsewhere in the body, doctors can carefully inject them right into the precise location where they are needed most. These cells will then quickly become new material for the spine, helping alleviate pain and reverse the damage.

What is the Process of Stem Cell Therapy for Back Pain?

Despite the high-tech treatment, stem cell procedures are fairly simple. In fact, a procedure of stem cell therapy can be performed in as little as one hour, and most patients only need an outpatient visit to a doctor to get the treatment.

First, a doctor sources the adult stem cells directly from the patient. Usually this is done by taking stem cells from bone marrow or platelet-rich blood plasma, right from the patient’s own body.

Next, the stem cell injections go right into the patient’s back, precisely where they are needed. Using a needle injection and ultrasound cameras, the doctors can place the stem cells right into the exact place where they will do the most good. This ensures that as many stem cells as possible will go to work repairing the back as efficiently as possible.

Finally, over the course of a few weeks, or even a few days, the stem cells go to work mimicking the cells in their new surroundings. While the body will keep losing healthy cells due to the degenerative disease, the stem cells will easily make up for the losses and help rebuild what is needed.

Most doctors have seen that the best results come from 2 or 3 rounds of stem cell therapy injections to ensure long term repair.

What Kind of Results Can A Patient Expect?

As of right now, there are limited clinical trials for stem cell therapy for back pain. Although patient results will vary,, most patients report positive results over the course of a few weeks after a few rounds of treatment. As stem cell therapy continues to be used for healing of all kinds of health issues, more clinical trials will be performed and more positive results are expected.

Most notably, professional athletes have been known to experience great relief from ailments due to stem cell therapy. Professional Golfers like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have experienced back issues due to their many years of golfing. Both have reportedly turned to stem cell therapy for their back pain and managed to gain better range of motion and less pain due to the treatments. Nicklaus has even said that stem cell therapy has worked better for him than any other treatment or surgery.

Stem cell therapy is seen as a very safe option for nearly any degenerative disease or injury where cartilage, tendons, ligaments, or muscle tissue has been damaged. Seeing as the stem cells come straight from the patient’s own bone marrow and blood, there is no risk of the body rejecting the injections. Possibly the most amazing part is that the patient’s body is used as the tool for healing itself.

Stem cell treatment for back pain is still in its early years, but everything is looking positive at this point. Most patients report great results, there are very few opportunities for complications, the procedure can be done quickly and costs are quickly coming down. Over time, more tests will be performed and insurance carriers will come on board to cover part or all of the costs.

If you are looking for pain relief from your back issues, stem cell therapy may be the perfect solution to bring you body back to 100 percent. 

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