Orthopedic surgeries traditionally have required a long, painful recovery time. Benefits of stem cell therapy offer surgical patients a potential shorter convalescence and reduced pain. Stem cell therapy can be especially helpful for patients with orthopedic issues.
Most doctors and patients work to avoid surgery, when possible, but sometimes surgical intervention is the best solution. Fortunately, advances in stem cell therapy can help patients heal faster and with less discomfort when surgery is necessary.
Regenerative medicine, a field that includes stem cell therapy, empowers the body’s capacity to heal itself through the regeneration of healthy cells.
How Does Stem Cell Therapy Help with Surgical Recovery?
Stem cells retain the ability to transform themselves into any other type of cell in the body. They can replace damaged cells wherever they are needed. One type of stem cell called mesenchymal stem cells is especially effective for treating an orthopedic injury. Mesenchymal stem cells are located in the bone marrow and can multiply into muscle, bone, or cartilage cells.
An injection of mesenchymal stem cells may help the body naturally regenerate healthy tissue in areas that have suffered an injury.
Any surgery on the musculoskeletal system will limit a patient’s mobility. Not only is a lack of mobility a personal inconvenience—patients may need help with everyday activities and may be unable to work or fulfill other responsibilities for several weeks—but it also slows the recovery process.
The more active a patient can be, the better the blood flow and the delivery of important nutrients to injured areas.
What Can You Expect from Post-Surgery Stem Cell Therapy?
Regenerative medicine has the potential to decrease recovery time. Improvement may not be noticeable immediately. After all, stem cell therapy is not like an injection of pain medication. Many patients report improvement within the first six weeks of starting stem cell therapy. Improvement typically continues over several months.
In addition to post-surgery recovery, mesenchymal stem cells may also be beneficial in treating osteoarthritis, ACL tears, rotator cuff injuries, and a number of other orthopedic problems.
Regenerative medicine is still considered to be an experimental field. Like all types of medical intervention, stem cell therapy offers no solid guarantees. Not all patients are ideal candidates for stem cell therapy. However, the use of mesenchymal stem cells is promising for patients with musculoskeletal and orthopedic injuries and conditions.
Studies on regenerative medicine have shown reduced inflammation and an increase in biomechanics strength. Using stem cell therapy to aid post-surgical healing is considered a safe, non-invasive procedure worth considering for those who want to reduce recovery time.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for ALS, also known as Stem cell treatment for ALS. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.
