Virtually everyone has experienced an injury, ailment or disease at one point in their lifetime. To improve quality of life, people will undergo treatments such as physical therapy, medication-assisted therapy and even surgery. While these traditional treatments are popular, many people may only experience limited relief. As a result, an increasing number of people are looking into alternative treatment procedures such as stem cell therapy.
Stem cell therapy has emerged as one of the most highly research new therapies for a wide range of injuries and diseases. Over the last few years, stem cell research has grown exponentially. With increased research, scientists have been able to produce groundbreaking studies which show the potential of stem cell therapy has an effective treatment for diseases such as ALS.
While stem cell therapy has gained worldwide attention, many in the general public may not know what stem cell therapy is, how it works, and how it be of benefit. If you are curious about stem cell therapy, this article will give you the information you need to be better informed and aware. For further information, contact Stem Cell Therapy toll-free today. Our experienced team of professionals can provide the resources you need to know more about the great benefits of stem cell therapy for pain management.
WHAT IS STEM CELL THERAPY?
To first understand stem cell therapy procedures, you need to know what stem cells are and their function. The human body contains over 200 types of cells, and each cell as a specific purpose. Stem cells are provide the foundation for human development. These cells come from different places in your body and are formed during different stages of your life.
Stem cells are unique in two ways. First and foremost, they have the ability to replicate themselves or self-renew. Secondly, stem cells differentiate or develop into more specialized cells depending on the area of the body. As you age, the amount of stem cells your body produces will diminish. As research grows, scientists are also discovering that stem cells also have the ability to repair and heal.
Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, harnesses in the body’s potential to heal itself. With this procedure, stem cells are harvested from one part of the body then relocating them to the affected areas. With the influx of healthy and vital stem cells to the injured or diseased area, the body can rejuvenate itself by promoting healing.
The stem cell process begins with harvesting a small sample of your stem cell from your fat stores, most often found in your waist or other area. Secondly, the stem cells are separated from fat cells by use of a centrifuge. When the stem cells are separated, they are activated through the use of laser or by platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Finally, stem cells are introduced into the affected areas.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF STEM CELL THERAPY?
With increased research and media coverage over the past decade, many people may view stem cell treatment as a relatively new phenomenon. In reality, the roots of stem cell research can be traced back several decades. In 1963, an experiment done by scientists Ernest McCulloch and James Till showed that muscle tissue damaged by injury or illness can be replaced by cells containing bone marrow. This led to many clinical testing and applications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantations. Over the next two decades, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation became standard practice in the treatment of both hematologic illnesses as well as bone marrow failures.
By the mid 1970’s, more stem cell types were being discovered in different parts of the body. In 1975, cultured cells from the skin can generate a large number of cells that can be enough to provide a cutaneous barrier for those with severe burns. As time progressed, stem cells were discovered in even more areas of the body. As a result, stem cells became used in other areas such as bone grafting in and corneal generation among others.
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in clinical trials involving stem cell procedures. Currently, there are numerous trials centered on stem cell therapies for other disorders. These disorders include injury and illnesses to muscle, organs, and nerve tissue. Due to this increased research, the potential use of stem cells to restore and repair damaged tissues plays a big role in furthering the field of regenerative medicine.
HOW CAN STEM CELL THERAPY BENEFIT YOU?
When compared to traditional treatment techniques like surgery, stem cell procedures offer the following benefits to you:
According to information on the Thrombocyte website, Stem cell therapy can be extremely beneficial in treating the following conditions:
- Cancer Treatment
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Birth Defects
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Repair/Replace Damaged Organs
- Hair Regrowth
- Autism
- Weakens Effects of Stroke
- Eye Disorders
FINDING A STEM CELL CLINIC
With the significant increase in stem cell research, there has been an explosion of stem cell clinic throughout the United States. While stem cell clinics provide a myriad of services, you can feel overwhelmed with the choices presented to you. You must do serious research when finding a stem cell clinic that fits your unique and specific treatment needs.
By not doing due diligence in your research, you run the risk of choosing a treatment center that is inappropriate for your specific condition. This can result in misdiagnosis and treatment protocols that will do more harm that good. The following are the top 10 considerations to keep in mind when finding the perfect stem cell clinic:
Proper Accreditation
The stem cell clinic you are looking at must have the proper accreditation. You need to look for facilities with IRB (Institutional Review Board) Approval. Providers also need to be fully trained and engage in continuous education to keep up with advances in stem cell therapy techniques for a variety of injuries and illnesses
Experience
Countless studies of complex medical procedures have one common denominator, which is that the more experience medical professionals have with a procedure, the better the results. This also applies to stem cell-based procedure. When you look at a specific clinic, it is important to ask staff how long they been using stem cells to treat your particular condition. Ideally, you should look for clinics who have performed stem cell procedures which number in the hundreds.
Specialty Counts
Another consideration in looking for the right stem cell treatment facility is finding staff who have accreditation and are specifically trained to administer stem cell services for your specific condition. Simply stated, greater training means better results with little to no chance of complications. Physicians who perform a stem cell injection in a specific body part have current board certification with an emphasis on specialty training with injected based care in the part of the body you need help.
There is More than One Stem Cell Type
You need to beware of stem cell clinics that claim they can treat a variety of chronic conditions with just one cell type. Be wary of those clinics that claim they can treat your knee injury with cells that are in a part of your body that is different than the areas that need to be treated. Treatment staff at reputable stem cell clinics always perform a comprehensive and thorough evaluation to see if a certain procedure will truly effective in treating your knee condition.
What is the Clinic’s Stem Cell Harvesting Techniques?
The process of extracting stem cells from your body requires great care and expertise. First and foremost, you must ask a prospective clinic if they use fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance to draw stem cells. Secondly, you need to ask a prospective stem cell clinic if they use a reputable cell biology lab to ensure they are using proper techniques. Additionally, you need to ask how they know how many cells they have. You must also ask if they have an in-house lab which is capable of counting the stem cells that are extracted, and they are culturing samples to make sure the physician is taking quality samples.
Does the Clinic have an In-house Lab That Validates Their Cell Extraction Techniques?
Once stem cell tissues are extracted, the next step often involving enriching or purifying a specific portion of those tissues that contain the highest concentration of vital stem cells. The cells that are extracted may also be cultured further in order to achieve more cells. With the different cell types, clinics must use extraction techniques that are specific to a certain cell. You need to ask if the physician knows that the processing technique that is being used produces viable stem cells.
You also need to ask the physician at the clinic you are looking at if they know if the cells that were extracted were sent out for thorough verification and testing. Make sure the stem cell clinic has done its own verification; do not rely on reports that someone did verification.
How Sophisticated Are Their Labs?
Reputable stem cell clinics utilize sophisticated cell biology labs that are dedicated to the facility. There are labs that will utilize bedside kits. If a clinic is using one of these kits, you need to ask if they are using a “closed” or “open” system. Closed systems are those kits in which cells never touch the outside environment. Open systems are shaker kits which are regularly purchased by physicians and run the risk of contamination.
Does the Clinic Publish Data on a Regular Basis?
Reputable stem cell clinics regularly publish data regarding the efficacy of their treatments. Stem cell therapies are created through a long and difficult process. Facilities need to report how treatments are impacting a person’s quality of life. They also need to show they are improving stem cell treatments for the knee. Facilities that don’t report on the efficacy of their treatments most likely have protocols that are ineffective and can do you more harm than good.
Beware of the Hype
Most importantly, treatment centers that state that stem cells are a cure are misleading you. The reality is that no treatment procedure is 100% effective. Look for a stem cell clinic that sets realistic expectations and continually works toward improving their services. The bottom line is that reputable clinics strive to improve the quality of life for all their patients. Treatment facilities that are concerned more with profits and their bottom line need to be avoided.
CALL STEM CELL AUTHORITY TODAY
With these factors to consider, you may not know who to contact to help you find the stem cell therapy center that is right for your needs. The number of options that are available can overwhelm you, and without the proper support and guidance, you may get more than what you bargained for and receive poor quality of care.
When you need resources and support, the professionals at Stem Cell Authority can help you. Our experienced professionals have many years’ experience working within the stem cell therapy industry. Stem Cell Authority partners with only the best and most reputable stem cell therapy centers nationwide. From your initial phone call and consultation through to the final admission, Stem Cell Authority works with you every step of the way. Stem Cell Authority will provide the support and guidance you need in order to make the best decision for your overall health. At Stem Cell Authority, our top priority is to help you find the right treatment, so you can improve the quality of your life.
Don’t wait another minute to deal with your chronic pain; call Stem Cell Authority toll-free today. The first step to becoming truly pain-free starts with your first phone call to us.