5 Potential Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy

Regenerative treatments are revolutionizing orthopedic medicine by helping your body heal itself. These treatments include stem cell therapy.

Naples Regenerative Institute, a leading regenerative orthopedic practice in Naples, Florida, specializes in using evidence-based stem cell therapy to treat many musculoskeletal conditions. 

Double board-certified pain management specialist Glenn M. Flanagan, MD, strategically implements regenerative options like stem cell therapy into comprehensive treatment plans to alleviate pain. 

Stem cells used in stem cell therapy come from your own body, specifically from adipose (fat) tissue or bone marrow. Dr. Flanagan primarily harvests them from bone marrow. These stem cells, called adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), can differentiate into various cell types to organize the healing of cartilage, spinal discs, muscle, or bone. 

Are you curious about what stem cell therapy can do for you? Here are five potential benefits of this regenerative treatment:

1. Improving tendon function after an injury

Tendon injuries can cause pain with movement along with other symptoms like swelling and stiffness. With other treatments like physical therapy, stem cell therapy can assist with tendon repair to improve the affected joint's function and reduce pain. 

Tendons have a low capacity to heal on their own. Even after healing, the tendon may never again function as it did before the injury. It’s also prone to re-injury, which can further worsen its function. 

Stem cell therapy promotes tendon healing and may improve treatment outcomes, including a lower risk of prolonged disability. 

2. Reducing chronic musculoskeletal pain

Chronic musculoskeletal pain lasts for three months or longer and often arises from an initial injury. It may also develop slowly over time because of overuse. 

Research shows promising improvements in chronic musculoskeletal pain from stem cell therapy. This is because MSCs help reduce inflammation in the targeted region and can make the tissue less susceptible to autoimmune damage. 

3. Reducing discogenic pain and degeneration

Your spinal discs are round tissue “cushions” that absorb shocks between spinal vertebrae. These discs can degenerate over time due to smoking, overuse, natural aging, or other factors. Disc degeneration can lead to nerve root compression around the spine, often resulting in back pain and referred symptoms like numbness and sciatica. 

Stem cell therapy can help restore disc structure and reduce inflammation to alleviate pressure on nerve roots. 

4. Repairing cartilage

Cartilage is a strong, smooth connective tissue found in many parts of the body, including joints. It allows joints to move smoothly and absorb impact. Yet, the tissue is avascular (lacks blood vessels) and has trouble repairing itself. 

MSCs show promising evidence of helping repair cartilage damage from joint injuries and osteoarthritis. They can differentiate into chondrocytes, or cells responsible for forming and repairing cartilage. However, research into stem cell therapy for cartilage repair is ongoing as experts explore ways to minimize possible complications like bone matrix development. 

5. Immunomodulation

MSCs have immunomodulatory properties, meaning they can reduce the overactivity of the immune system. While your immune system plays a critical role in fighting infections, immune responses can potentially be harmful when they affect healthy and functional tissue. 

Thanks to these immunomodulatory properties, stem cell therapy has the potential benefit of treating autoimmune diseases. 

Learn more about stem cell therapy

Dr. Flanagan can tell you more about stem cell therapy and its many promising benefits. Call Naples Regenerative Institute or request an appointment online today.