Learn | Stem Cell Institute of Hawaii

Did you know that over 20% of American adults suffer from chronic pain? What’s more, a third of them don’t receive any treatment.

Living with pain may be a common part of life, but many suffer needlessly. There is help available and many are able to alleviate or even eliminate their pain with modern treatment options.

Medical science has come a long way over the last few centuries, but the greatest healer of the body is still the body itself. Regenerative medicine is a relatively new and exciting branch of medicine. It seeks to stimulate the body’s own powerful ability to rebuild itself.

Are you or someone you love suffering and think regenerative medicine could be the answer? Follow along as we explore what regenerative medicine is, how it works, and if you should consider seeking therapy.

What Is Regenerative Medicine?

Regenerative medicine is the blanket term used for any therapy that seeks to return the body back to a healthy natural state. This original definition was broadly used to include:

Cell and stem cell therapy
Gene therapy
Tissue engineering
Genomic medicine
Biomechanical prosthetics
Recombinant proteins
Antibody treatments

The term is specifically used today to refer to treating chronic conditions and injuries with human genes, proteins, cells, and tissue to assist the body in restoring normal health.

Conditions Treated With Regenerative Medicine

Branches of regenerative medicine, particularly stem cell therapy, have exciting potential to treat a variety of chronic diseases. Clinical studies are ongoing in the areas of:

Cardiovascular disease
Neurological defects
Liver disease
Immune system disease
Lung injury
Kidney injury
Leukemia
Blood disorders such as Diabetes

Stem cell research doesn’t stop there. As stem cells are able to differentiate into various types of cells the applications of stem cell therapy are far-reaching.

Regenerative medicine is promising and emerging in almost every area of medical science. It could one day help the blind to see again, the deaf to hear again, treat spinal cord injuries, and even regrow lost teeth in adults.

Currently, stem cell therapy is most commonly used to treat conditions and injuries that cause pain and inflammation such as:

Tendinitis
Arthritis
Neuropathy
Plantar fasciitis
Degenerative disc disease
Tennis elbow
Macular degeneration

More research and studies are needed to unlock the full potential. Yet, cell-based therapies are an extremely promising treatment for degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. They also aid in injury recovery.

The above list is not every condition that stem cell therapy can be an effective treatment for. Regenerative medicine is not for everyone. Consult your physician to find out if regenerative medicine is right for you.

How Does Regenerative Medicine Work?

As our bodies are developing in the womb stem cells become our bones, organs, and all other body parts with their unique life-giving functions. Stem cells remain in the body and aid in immune system response and healing. However, as we grow older levels of stem cells decline drastically.

As previously mentioned, there are many procedures and treatments that would be considered regenerative medicine. However, the procedure that is most directly associated with regenerative medicine is the injecting of stem cells into the body.

Stem cells are harvested from placentas and the Wharton’s jelly of live healthy births. As these cells are immune privileged, there is little to no risk of rejection. In fact, of the more than 350,000 stem cell treatments there has never been a single report of immune rejection.

The injection is localized to the site where tissue damage has occurred. Stem cells with growth factors and collagen are used to create a framework for the body to build the tissue back up. The stem cells immediately go to work repairing the damaged tissue and reduce the inflammation which causes pain.

Follow and Complementary Therapy

In order to maximize cellular regeneration, medical professionals often recommend follow-up treatments. Injecting Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), into the affected area of the body is a common treatment used in addition to stem cell therapy. PRP is prepared from the patient’s own blood and therefore provides a localized boost to the body’s natural healing process.

Other treatments used along with stem cell therapy include blood panel analysis, peptide treatments, and amnion patches. The use of these treatments is recommended on a case-by-case basis. Acupuncture is a particularly useful complementary therapy as it can improve the stem cell therapy response time.

Understanding Regenerative Medicine Benefits

Traditional treatment for chronic pain is to treat the symptom with medication (usually painkillers). Using painkillers for an extended length of time can lead to chemical dependence and further health problems.

The regenerative medicine advantages over other treatment options are compelling. The most prominent benefits include:

A non-surgical treatment
Naturally reduces inflammation
Decreases recovery time
Builds and strengthens the body against future injury
Increase organ function

Regenerative medicine treatments are natural, safe, relatively painless, and often highly effective in improving the patient’s condition and overall quality of life.

Cutting-Edge Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine such as stem cell therapy is a highly effective treatment with an impressive success rate. Thousands have already benefited from these cutting-edge medical treatments. and we are only beginning to learn their true potential. From sports injuries to painful chronic conditions, regenerative medicine is a treatment option worth serious consideration.

Do you have joint pain, osteoarthritis, or an injury causing pain, immobility, and a diminished quality of life? Regenerative medicine with the Stemcell Institute of Hawaii can give you relief, even when other treatments have failed.