Arthritis is not a single disease but a group of conditions related to joint pain or disease. It’s the leading cause of disability in the United States and affects more than 54 million people.
Osteoarthritis, which is associated with aging and injury, is the most common form of arthritis. With the aging population growing every year, the number of people with arthritis is expected to surge to 78 million by the year 2040.
Arthritis is a degenerative disease that has no cure. Once you’re diagnosed, managing your symptoms can help relieve pain, stiffness, and mobility issues. Common treatment options include over-the-counter pain relievers, physical therapy, and lifestyle recommendations such as losing or managing your weight, stretching, and low impact exercise. For more severe cases of arthritis, joint replacement therapy may be an option.
With the growing number of people expected to develop arthritis, new and more advanced treatment options are necessary. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy is a cutting-edge therapy in the field of regenerative medicine that has been clinically proven to be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis. Our highly-trained team at Texas Orthopaedic Associates offers this revolutionary treatment option to help your body heal itself.
What is mesenchymal stem cell therapy?
Stem cells are found throughout your body. What makes them so exciting, in terms of treating arthritis and other musculoskeletal issues, is that they can develop into many different types of cells, speed up the healing process, and reduce inflammation.
Mesenchymal stem cells, which are usually taken from bone marrow, but may also be harvested from your fat tissue, are the most common type of stem cells used for treating arthritis. After the stem cells are extracted from your bone marrow, they’re injected into the injured area.
How can stem cell therapy relieve arthritis symptoms?
After the mesenchymal stem cells are injected into the affected arthritic joints, they can help relieve symptoms in multiple ways. They may help regrow cartilage, tendons, or ligaments to help reduce the wear and tear on your joints.
Mesenchymal stem cells can also suppress inflammation and even slow down cartilage degeneration, which is a hallmark symptom of arthritis. One or more of these processes can help relieve pain and improve stiffness and mobility. In most cases, people see improvement six weeks after the injection, but some experience symptom relief in just a few weeks. Better yet, the improvement is continuous for about six months.
If you have arthritis symptoms that interfere with your quality of life, call one of our state-of-the-art clinics in Dallas, Fort Worth, or Plano, Texas, to find out if you’re a candidate for stem cell therapy. You can also request an appointment online through this website.
