Knee Osteoarthritis and STEM Cell Therapy

What is Knee Osteoarthritis?

Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more joints. It causes stiffness and pain, both of which can result in mobility issues.

Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease. It is the “wear and tear arthritis.” This is because it breaks down the cartilage of joints. Which can result in numerous issues, as cartilage is the sponge like “shock absorber” of the body. Without it, joints loser their elasticity and become more susceptible to damage. Over time, the damage to the cartilage can impact the surrounding tissue, bone, and synovial fluid.

Generally speaking, osteoarthritis does not occur unless a joint has a previous injury, underlying disorder or experiences excessive stress. As such, while it can occur in any joint in the body, osteoarthritis occurs most frequently in the weight-bearing joints. This includes the spine, knees, and hips. Additionally, it can impact the big toe, neck, fingers and thumb.

Knee osteoarthritis is the most common cause of muscular skeletal pain in the knee joint and can often lead to disability.

What are the SYMPTOMS of knee osteoarthritis?

1. Joint pain during activity
   • Knee pain from osteoarthritis may be worse later in the day.
2. Night pain
3. Morning stiffness
4. Inflammation
5. Limited motion

As the cartilage of the knee deteriorates, it can lead to deformity. The outward curve of the knees is commonly referred to as being bow legged. This can also lead to a worsening limp.

Who is at RISK of developing knee osteoarthritis?

Around 350 million people worldwide suffer from arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It impacts approximately 27 million Americans.

Age is a huge factor in the development of osteoarthritis. As we age, our ability to heal and regenerate damaged tissue decreases. Most people over the age of 60 have osteoarthritis. If you live long enough, you will almost certainly develop osteoarthritis!

A history of injuries or knee surgeries increases your likelihood of developing knee osteoarthritis. This means that athletic individuals are at risk of developing osteoarthritis. Athletes are at risk of developing osteoarthritis, especially if they play soccer, tennis or long-distance running. If steps aren’t taken to avoid injury, that could lead to bigger, long-term issues. Despite this risk, osteoarthritis is often associated with obesity. Excessive weight puts extra stress on the joints, which causes more wear and tear over time.

There is a hereditary component to osteoarthritis. If a close relative has osteoarthritis, it means you yourself are at a higher than average risk. Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than men. Additionally, people with metabolic disorders, excess growth hormone, and/or rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to develop osteoarthritis.

What TREATMENTS are available for knee osteoarthritis?

There are both surgical and non-surgical options for treating your knee osteoarthritis. Before selecting which option you want to explore, you need to meet with your doctor to assess the severity of your osteoarthritis. Depending on how severe your case is, certain treatments may not be an option.

If your case is still relatively minor, then your best non-surgical option is exercise and weight loss. By losing weight, you relieve pressure on your joints. This helps to prevent wear and tear. Additionally, by exercising, you strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee, which also function as shock absorbers. Letting those muscles atrophy from disuse only worsens your pain so, while the stiffness and discomfort caused by knee osteoarthritis may make you want to rest, you need to remain active.

Anti-inflammatory medication can help decrease symptoms as, at its core, arthritis is inflammation of the joints. There are over-the-counter options like aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as prescription strength options like Indocin, daypro, Relafen, Celebrex, lodine, and Mobic. Dosages should be discussed with your doctor since overdoing it with anti-inflammatory medications can stomach irritation, ulceration, and renal damage.

Cortisone injections, which function as direct acting anti-inflammatory medication, can be useful in combatting arthritis flares.

Surgical options for treating knee osteoarthritis include arthroscopy, osteotomy, and joint replacement surgery. Unless you are over 50 years old, joint replacement is likely not an option, as it is reserved for the most severe cases of osteoarthritis. It may need to be repeated later as the artificial joint can wear out too.

San Antonio/New Braunfels is ranked as the 8th fattest city in America. That, unfortunately, means we are at high risk of developing osteoarthritis. If you need knee osteoarthritis treatment in San Antonio, look into getting regenerative medical treatment from the Stem Cell Orthopedic Institute of Texas. Their doctors can use FDA approved stem cell injections to help repair the damage to your knees. Regenerative medicine is a safe away to make the most out of your body’s natural healing processes and avoid major surgery.

Are Stem Cells And Regenerative Medicine A Fad?

Regenerative medicine is all the rage! It seems every big name celebrity and professional athlete is dipping into this new, almost magical sounding type of medical technology. Because of this, it’s easy to tune the news out. The stories all sound the same! Someone has a major injury or a chronic pain that they never expected to be free of but, though the power of regenerative medicine and stem cells, they’ve returned to health. With such miraculous results, there MUST be a catch! After all, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

And yet this fad continues! Which begs the question… is regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy a fad? Or is it here to stay?

In order to answer that question, we first have to ask what is regenerative medicine?

Regenerative medicine refers to a branch of medicine focused on replacing, repairing or engineering human tissues and organs. The goal is to return a severely damaged body part to normal levels of functionality by regenerating tissues, starting on a cellular level.

Regenerative medicine is largely dependent on stem cells to do their work. Unlike other cells in your body, stem cells are the unspecialized, meaning they do not perform a specialized task. Red blood cells, for instance, are specialized cells whose job is carrying oxygen around your body. Stem cells’ lone purpose is making more cells. When you hurt yourself, the adult stem cells within your body produce more specialized cells to replace those that can no longer do their job.

Stem cells’ healing properties can be hampered or slowed by either serious trauma or slow wear down of tissue. Sometimes degeneration is simply faster than regeneration. That is where stem cell therapy comes into play. By removing adult stem cells from within a patient’s body and injecting it into a damaged area of their body, doctors can encourage rejuvenation by temporarily boosting your body’s natural healing process.

When you hear about stem cells in the news, it is likely for one of two reasons: a research team made an interesting discovery with fascinating implications or a celebrity had a joint repaired.

In the case of experimental treatments or attention-grabbing study results, readers need to be careful. It is easy to get caught up in headlines but, if you dig into the stories to find more information, often the headlines refer to a single passing comment made by a researcher about possible uses FAR down the road if their research comes to fruition. The potential is exciting but it is just that. Potential. One day, it MIGHT happen. These treatments currently exist only in medical researchers’ imagination. We can all dream but it’s important to have realistic expectations if you do need medical treatment. Remarkable results on a cellular level or in mice doesn’t necessarily translate into viable human treatments.

We have all heard stories about people travelling abroad to receive stem cell treatments. Often, these are presented as lifesaving miracles. Unfortunately, this has encouraged stem cell tourism, wherein people take their lives into their own hands by seeking out unapproved medical treatments in foreign countries. Despite what you may have heard, this is a terrible, dangerous idea.

Regenerative medicine is not magic. It is science and medicine. That means it needs to be properly tested and regulated to keep you safe. If someone is promising miracles at a discount price, you need to be very skeptical as you could be  putting yourself in terrible risk.

The approved stem cell treatments may be outside your budget, but they are commercially available! That makes these stories much more applicable to your own situation. As regenerative medicine and stem cell treatments become more common, you can expect to hear more anecdotes about people who have seen marked improvement in their own lives.

Are stem cells a celebrity craze? Will regenerative medicine go the way of Sketchers’ Shape-Ups and the baby food diet?

No. It won’t. Regenerative medicine has a long history and a bright future. While the media surrounding stem cell’s potential can be sensational, that doesn’t make their potential less exciting for medical researchers.

There are nearly boundless possibilities and plenty of legitimate options available today. You don’t need to be a celebrity to go to places like the Stem Cell Orthopedic Institute in San Antonio, Texas to receive stem cell injections. While you should take the stories you hear with a grain of salt, you shouldn’t overlook the possibility that regenerative medicine might hold the key to you improving your health in a very reasonable amount of time.

How to Build and Recover Muscle

About Muscle Recovery and Repair

No matter your age, if you push yourself too hard while exercising, you are likely to feel the consequences! Recovery can be simple if you are young or don’t push yourself too far outside your limits. However, time will wear down your joints and recovery time. Time in the gym and time in life.

Being an avid, active athlete is hard on your body! The wear and tear caused by hitting the gym regularly only gets worse with age. While the aches and pains don’t recover quite as quickly as they used to, it’s still vitally important to remain active as you get older. Loss of bone and muscle can lead to problems like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. These can impact mobility and balance which, in turn, impact the risk of falling. By exercising regularly, older adults can stay healthy and independent longer.

Factors in Muscle Recovery

Depending on your health and goals, your concerns about muscle recovery will vary. Before you select which recovery options to pursue, you need to understand what factors impact your needs and their effectiveness.

The amount of recovery you need from exercise depends on a variety of factors including your fitness level, the volume & intensity of exercise, and familiarity of the exercise. The same variables apply to running where fitness level is particularly important. For example, some elite marathoners run 100 plus miles per week and need almost no rest between runs. On the other hand, a weekend warrior may attempt to run 20 miles in a week, or change up the stimulus with hill running, which could create intense soreness and require longer recovery times.

Three common factors which inhibit recovery are lack of sleep, lack of proper nutrition and over-training. Lack of sleep is usually found in individuals who are chronically sleep deprived, their muscle soreness will likely be more painful and may take more time for them to heal. When it comes to lack of proper nutrition, if the individual is not adequately hydrated, is deficient in potassium, or is not consuming enough protein, the pain from muscle soreness can be intense!

Many active individuals are guilty of overtraining their bodies at least once or twice in their lifetime. If you continue working out intensely without sufficient rest, muscle soreness can turn out worse than you anticipated. The best way to avoid very sore muscles and improve recovery is to use a progressive exercise program where workouts become more challenging at a measured pace over time.

Traditional Muscle Recovery Options

Ironically, while activity breaks down muscle, it also increases its recovery rate. In a recent study, after eight weeks of exercise, old mice regained more muscle mass and experienced faster muscle repair than mice of the same age who had not exercised. A body in motion does appear to stay in motion!

There are no clinically-proven ways to definitively speed up recovery of sore muscles. There are, however, a handful of treatments which may help alleviate the feeling of soreness like rest/active recovery, hydration, pre and post-workout nutrition, topical creams and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). If you hit the gym regularly, some of these options may sound familiar!

The rest/active recovery stage consists of getting plenty of sleep and resting your body. In simple cases without serious injury or preexisting conditions, this may be the most effective treatment. In addition, active recovery, which is light exercise during the recovery phase is able to stimulate blood flow to the muscles to help reduce muscle pain. Active recovery can include swimming or a light jog.

Hydration is key since it can help flush out toxins you consume out of your body. Dehydration can make muscle soreness even more painful. There is no universal amount of water that everyone should drink. Somewhere around 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water per day is a good starting point.

When it comes to pre and post-workout nutrition, consuming a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein either before, or after a workout, or both, may help reduce the severity of muscle soreness.

Topical creams like Ben Gay and IcyHot provide the perception of pain relief, but do not have much of an impact on the underlying muscle.

Lastly, drugs like Advil and Aleve, known as NSAIDS, can help relieve the discomfort of muscle soreness. It’s not advisable to use NSAIDS on a consistent basis, but rather appropriate for acute bout of soreness.

Older Adults Who Exercise May Develop Muscle Repair

Getting older isn’t all fun and games! However, that doesn’t mean older adults should slow down. Regular exercise plays a critical role in helping muscles repair themselves as quickly as possible after injury. Remaining strong can help prevent your health from deteriorating to the point that your ability to do daily tasks is impeded. Additionally, exercise that involves pre-conditioning may improve the muscle repair response in older.

This does not mean that seniors should push through pain no matter what! Pain is your body’s way of speaking to you and the older you are, the more important it becomes to listen to those warnings. However, you shouldn’t be afraid to push yourself to develop healthier work out habits.

Exercise-conditioning can help improve the delayed skeletal muscle regeneration observed in advanced age. Medical researchers have found that the physiological and metabolic benefits of exercise radiate to skeletal muscle satellite cells, the adult stem cells responsible for repair after injury. Even as the contractile elements of muscle tissue wane with age, the capacity of the satellite cells to respond to exercise cues is maintained. That means, no matter your age, your body has the cells within it that it needs to repair.

Regenerative Medicine

The same stem cells your body uses to repair itself fuel a new field of study called regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine focuses on repairing and regenerating damaged tissues.

Whether you are a young gym rat or a senior with arthritis, your joints can be worn down with time or in a sudden accident. To counteract this damage, stem cell therapy uses adult stem cells, the unspecialized cells within our bodies that create new cells for our tissues and organs. These cells can be removed from your body and injected in other damaged areas to encourage healing.

If you have a hard time recovering from your workout, consider using regenerative medicine to kick-start your body’s natural healing process. The Stem Cell Orthopedic Institute of Texas is available for consultations at (210) 293-3136.

This Article Originally Appeared on stemcellorthopedicinstituteoftexas.com

What are Stem Cells?

Our bodies are composed of billions of different, specialized cells. Each one has its own role to fill in our organs, tendons, joints, muscles, etc. Stem cells are unspecialized. They will divide to produce more stem cells but do not take on a specialized task. Under certain conditions, however, stem cells can be induced into becoming a tissue-specific, specialized cell.

Somatic stem cells, or adult stem cells, are unspecialized cells that are found throughout the body, inside tissue and organs. These cells exist to produce more cells. They aid your body by regenerating damaged tissue and replenishing dying cells.

What is Stem Cell Therapy?

Stem cell therapy is a non-surgical option for repairing internal damage by replenishing or replacing old tissue. A patient has a sample of their adult stem cells extracted, cleansed in a laboratory, and then injected back into the impacted area of their body. The injection process usually takes less than one hour.

As the stem cells come from your body, there is no risk of rejection. They have always belonged in your body so your immune system does not take issue with them, despite their new placement.

How do stem cells help with my arthritis pain?

When tissues are worn down over time or suddenly traumatized, your natural configuration of stem cells isn’t enough to match the breakdown of injured tissue. The regeneration process is slower than the degenerative process. An ineffectual recovery may result in weaker internal structures, decreased function or chronic pain.

Injecting stem cells into the impacted area advances your body’s natural healing process by greatly increasing the regenerative abilities that specific location. Depending on your condition, improvement appears between 2 to 4 weeks.

What conditions can Stem Cell Therapy treat?

Stem cell therapy can aid with:

1. Osteoarthritis
2. Hip Pain
3. Knee Pain
4. Degenerative Disc Disease
5. Rotator Cuff Tear/Tendinosis

Is there a long recovery time?

Unlike surgical options, stem cell therapy has minimal recovery time. It is an outpatient procedure and most patients walk out of the clinic without assistance. Low impact activities are encouraged immediately after the treatment. In 4 to 6 weeks, full impact activities are allowed.

Still not sure about stem cell therapy? Listen to our Patient Stories and see how treatment improved the lives of our patients.

This Article Originally Appeared on stemcellorthopedicinstituteoftexas.com

The Future in Now in Stem Cell Therapy In San Antonio

THE STEM CELL ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE OF TEXAS at the medical center in San Antonio offers STEM CELL and PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) Therapies to help individuals suffering from joint pain, joint and tendon degeneration, and soft tissue injuries.  STEM CELL injections are a great alternative to prevent or delay elective orthopedic surgery, which may involve joint replacement or fusion.

With Stem Cell therapy, patients may be able to avoid a lengthy post-operative period, an invasive procedure, and a lengthy rehabilitation as well as risks associated with surgery.

Our doctors, specifically Drs. Hirsch and Hall, have made tremendous advances to make tissue regeneration with Adult Stem Cells a reality. Through what we call, “Regenerative Medicine,” a patient can take advantage of their body’s ability to heal itself by using their own ADULT STEM CELLS that are found throughout the body. STEM CELLS can restore lost, damaged or aging cells and effectively regenerate tissue in the body. This treatment may provide the patient with an alternative to surgery for certain treatments.

Regenerative therapies involving autologous ADULT STEM CELLS are beginning to show promise in Orthopedic Medicine, Pain Medicine, Rheumatology and nerve regeneration.  Drs. Hirsch and Hall completed an in-house, 15-patient unpublished study with STEM CELLS and the results are very promising for patients who received pain relief and a return to the activities of daily living.

Is STEM CELL Therapy Right for You?

You may be a candidate for STEM CELL Therapy. Call (210) 293-3136 today to schedule your medical evaluation. Courteous Patient Advocates will answer your questions.

Autologous ADULT STEM CELLS are used to treat many types of chronic pain and orthopedic injuries to joints, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

THE STEM CELL ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE OF TEXAS offers Regenerative Medicine treatments for specific degenerative and inflammatory conditions of the:

1. Hip
2. Knee
3. Shoulder
4. Low Back
5. Hand/Wrist.
6. Foot/Ankle.

WHAT IS PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP)?

PRP Therapy uses a portion of the patient’s own blood having a platelet concentration above baseline to promote healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints, can be applied to various musculoskeletal problems.

The platelets are best known for their importance in clotting blood. However, platelets also contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors which are very important in the healing of injuries. PRP is plasma with many more platelets than what is typically found in blood.

PRP injections are prepared from one to a few tubes of the patient’s own blood with strict aseptic technique. After being centrifuged, the activated platelets are injected into the abnormal tissue, releasing growth factors that recruit and increase the proliferation of reparative cells. Ultrasound imaging may or may not be used to guide the injection.

Several clinical studies have demonstrated that PRP injections have improved function and decreased pain to various maladies, including – but not limited to – elbow, wrist, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle tendonosis. Early work is also showing promise for osteoarthritis.

Because the patient’s own blood is used, there are very few side effects. Drs. Hirsh and Hall have used PRP injections to successfully treat many patients.

Would you benefit from Stem Cell Therapy or PRP Injections ? Call (210) 293-3136 today to schedule your medical evaluation.

This Article Originally Appeared on stemcellorthopedicinstituteoftexas.com

Making your Stem Cells work for you

The Stem Cell Orthopedic Institute of Texas offers stem cell and platelet rich plasma (PRP) procedures as viable alternatives for individuals suffering from joint pain, joint and tendon degeneration, and soft tissue injury. Stem cell injections may prevent or delay elective orthopedic surgery (joint replacement or fusion). The patient may therefore avoid a lengthy post-operative period, an invasive procedure, and a lengthy rehabilitation.

Scientists and doctors have made tremendous advances to make tissue regeneration (with stem cells) a reality. Through Regenerative Medicine, a person can take advantage of their body’s ability to heal itself by using their own adult stem cells that can be found throughout the body. Stem cells can restore lost, damaged or aging cells and effectively regenerate tissue in the body. This may provide the patient an alternative to surgery for certain treatments. Regenerative therapies involving autologous adult stem cells are beginning to show promise in Orthopedic Medicine, Pain Medicine, Rheumatology and nerve regeneration, etc.

The Doctors at The Stem Cell Orthopedic Institute of Texas (Dr. David Hirsch, Dr. Ajeya Joshi and Dr. John Hall) provide regenerative medicine alternatives including stem cell and platelet rich plasma (PRP) procedures for individuals suffering from joint pain, joint and tendon degeneration, and soft tissue injury. Stem cell injections may prevent or delay elective orthopedic surgery (joint replacement or fusion). The patient may therefore avoid a lengthy post-operative period, an invasive procedure, and a prolonged rehabilitation.

For many years Dr. Hirsch has been utilizing ultrasound guided injections as the state of the art technique to inject patients’ joints, tendon sheaths and nerves. He has many hours of advanced training in musculoskeletal ultrasound in order to provide the most effective, precise and economical injection techniques. Dr. Hirsch has combined the utilization of stem cell injections for pain and regenerative capabilities with the specificity of utilizing ultrasound to deliver cells to the exact intended location. Dr. Hirsch and Dr. Hall just completed an in-house, fifteen patient unpublished study with stem cells with very promising results for pain relief and activities of daily living.

Dr. Hirsch is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He earned his specialty degree (D.O.) from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. He earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (School of Osteopathic Medicine) in 1987. He attained a full scholarship for medical school through the United States military (Army). He later served in his specialty at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He completed his military obligation as a Major in rank in 1994. He is a Fellow in EMG’s and nerve conduction studies called Electrodiagnostic Medicine from the American Academy of Neuromuscular Medicine. His Electrodiagnostic lab at South Texas Spinal Clinic is one of only two Board Certified EMG Labs in San Antonio. He is a Diplomate from the American Academy of Pain Management. He has a special interest in ultrasound medicine for both diagnostics and pain procedures. He is a member of AIUM (American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine). Ultrasound guided injections are an effective way to deliver medicines (Stem Cell Therapy, Plasma Rich Plasma or cortisone) into the affected joint, bursa, tendon sheath, muscle or disc space.

John Hall, D.O. is excited to offer regenerative stem cell therapy to his patients in a safe and affordable environment along with other forms of spine and joint pain therapies. He is a Board Certified anesthesiologist with the American Board of Anesthesiology and has almost twenty years of experience in pain medicine in the San Antonio, Texas. In addition to being very involved in outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing, he continuously is expanding his fund of knowledge in cutting edge pain therapies through continuing medical education. He is very proud to offer his patients the leading edge in regenerative therapy utilizing platelet rich plasma and stem cells for degenerative diseases of the spine and joints. All of our therapies utilize either fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance to ensure accurate and safe placement of both stem cells and platelet rich plasma. He is one of but a handful of physicians that have been utilizing ultrasound guidance for several years to accurately guide his injections as well as limit the patient’s exposure to x-rays from other imaging modalities. He is a member of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the American Association of Pain Management in Ultrasound, World Institute of Pain, The North American Neuromodulation Society, the American Board of Anesthesiology and the Mind Science Foundation. He attended medical school at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and completed his residency in Anesthesiology at the Western Reserve Care System in Ohio. He is a native of San Antonio and has been providing cutting edge therapy in San Antonio, Texas since 1996.

Originally from Lexington, Massachusetts, Dr. Joshi specializes in spinal disorders. He graduated Dartmouth College summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Biochemistry. Dr. Joshi graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed his orthopaedic training in the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program. He then completed a comprehensive fellowship in spinal surgery disorders at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Joshi’s special clinical interests include cervical spine care, pediatric and adult spinal deformity, and minimally invasive strategies, as well as the use of regenerative medicine strategies in healing orthopaedic and spinal injuries. Dr. Joshi is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Is Stem Cell Therapy Right for You? You may be a candidate for Stem Cell Therapy.

Call (210) 293-3136 today to schedule your medical evaluation. Courteous Patient Advocates are standing by to answer your questions. Also visit online at: www.stemcellortho.com

This Article Originally Appeared on stemcellorthopedicinstituteoftexas.com

MEDICATION, REPLACEMENT OR THERAPY?

Comparing Joint Pain Solutions

Thanks to modern medicine, we are living longer than ever! Everyone wants to live a long, happy life but longevity does have some downsides. Arthritis impacts nearly half of all seniors. When it becomes serious, joint pain can impact your whole day and even put you in danger. Given this, it’s not surprising that the American Association of Hip And Knee Surgeons predicts, by 2030, there will be 500,000 hip replacements and 3 million knee replacements every year.

Joint pain can be treated in numerous ways. Each option has pros and cons.

PAIN MEDICATION

Depending on the severity of your joint pain, it may be manageable with medication. Reducing inflammation can relieve some joint pain. Supplements and creams are available over the counter that may relieve arthritis pain. For more serious pains, your doctor may prescribe stronger prescription medications.

Pain medication can help you maintain your normal activities. However, masking the pain does not correct the underlying issue. If your arthritis remains minor, then pain medication is a cheap, simple solution but worsening joint pain may require you to explore alternate options.

JOINT REPLACEMENT SURGERY

When common activities at home and work become difficult or impossible to maintain because of joint pain, a total joint replacement can greatly increase your health and quality of life. While all surgeries have risks, hip and knee replacements are common, very successful surgeries.

During a hip replacement, a surgeon removes the joint that has arthritis and is causing pain. Then an artificial joint takes its place.

A knee replacement is similar. A surgeon removes the damaged surface of knee joint to get rid of the damaged bone. Then, the knee is resurfaced with a prosthesis made of metal and plastic. Generally speaking, there are three parts: the tibial component, the femoral component, and the patellar component.

While these are very well understood surgeries, joint replacements, like all surgeries, have risks. Blood clots, fracture, infection, and dislocation are some of the risks to keep in mind before choosing a surgical option. The surgery itself may cause mild to moderate pain, and nausea can be caused by the combination of pain medication and stress.

Successful joint replacements will decrease pain in the long term and improve mobility. Most people recover from surgery in six weeks and are pain-free within a year. Artificial joints usually last over 20 years, although younger, more active people may wear it out faster. Follow up visits are important to ensure the artificial joint works in the long term.

STEM CELL THERAPY

If your arthritis is too severe for pain medication to handle but you are not comfortable with the risks, recovery time or maintenance involved with a joint replacement, stem cell therapy may be your best bet!

Stem cell treatment takes adult stem cells from your bone marrow and injects them into a damaged joint. Stem cells are your body’s way of replacing and repairing damaged cells naturally. By targeting your body’s natural healing process to a specific location, doctors can repair old damage from arthritis. Unlike pain medication, stem cell therapy treats the root cause of your pain.

Stem cell injections are minimally invasive. Patients do not need to spend the night in the hospital and you usually need only one or two injection cycles. Some patients experience mild pain for two or three days at the injection site. Ice can help reduce inflammation and can bring relief to these slight pains.

The recovery time is also incredibly short. Stem cell treatment is done on an outpatient basis. You rest for the first two days and restrict yourself to general use for the first two weeks. Cardio activities are safe after three weeks and, after 4 weeks, weightlifting and running are permitted.

If your arthritis pain is too extreme for pain medication and you would prefer to avoid a major surgery, call us at (210) 293-3136 to start your treatment!

This Article originally appeared on stemcellorthopedicinstituteoftexas.com