Most people have heard about stem cell therapy, but few understand how it works. Stem cell therapy belongs to an area of regenerative medicine known as orthobiologics — it’s similar to platelet-rich plasma therapy. This treatment involves using your body’s stem cells to facilitate natural tissue healing and regeneration, encouraging your body to heal itself. Our orthopedic specialists in Stem Cell therapy in Houston use the safest and most advanced techniques to inject stem cells into your injured tissues, thereby addressing the root cause of chronic pain or sports injuries.
What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are some of the most important cells in the body — they’re the cells from which other specialized cells are formed. They’re essentially the raw materials of the human body, giving rise to “daughter cells” that can turn into cells responsible for carrying out special functions, such as bone cells, brain cells, and blood cells. Some stem cells become new stem cells, giving them an incredible capacity for self-renewal. Stem cells are the only types of cells in the human body with the capacity to produce new cell types.
Types of Stem Cells:
- Embryonic Stem Cells: These stem cells come from a blastocyst, a 3-5 day-old embryo with approximately 150 cells. They can divide into more stem cells or turn into other types of specialized cells.
- Adult Stem Cells: These stem cells are available in smaller volumes in adult tissues, especially in the fat or bone marrow. Recent studies have shown that adult stem cells can also replicate and create other types of cells.
- Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: These stem cells are harvested from adult stem cells and then modified to make them resemble embryonic cells in their ability to multiply or become specialized.
- Perinatal Stem Cells: These stem cells are derived from the umbilical cord blood or the amniotic fluid in the uterus. They can transform into specialized cells.
Stem Cells Treat the Following:
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Sprains
- Strains
- Fractures
- Disc degeneration
- Disc herniation
- Osteoarthritis
- Chronic pain
- Injuries
How Does Stem Cell Therapy Work?
Our orthopedic specialists use stem cell therapy in Houston, TX to address the root cause of your chronic pain. Stem cell therapy is one of the most groundbreaking innovations in modern medicine because it facilitates natural tissue regeneration. This orthobiologic solution is particularly useful for high school athletes and college athletes suffering from chronic pain due to underlying injuries. It’s also useful for patients needing organ transplants because it can repair and save failing organs. When injected into targeted parts of the body with injured joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, stem cells can repair the damages internally.
Researchers usually grow stem cells in laboratories, where they are manipulated into the types of cells that the body needs. For example, stem cells can be turned into heart muscle cells, blood cells, brain cells, or bone cells. Once the cells are specialized, they can be injected into the damaged tissues and organs, repairing the defective organs. Stem cells are harvested from the bone marrow, usually from the pelvis region.
Stem cell therapy is performed as a simple, in-office procedure that concludes within an hour. It’s completely safe and involves a negligible risk of complications because it’s based on products derived from your body, i.e., it’s an autologous treatment. Furthermore, stem cell therapy can also be combined with surgeries or other non-invasive solutions to speed up your recovery process, allowing you to resume your sports activities quickly.
Schedule an Appointment
Movement Orthopaedic Institute is the premier provider of sports medicine and orthobiologics in the Houston area. Our orthopedic physicians always perform thorough evaluations and diagnostic tests to identify and treat the root cause of your chronic pain. They curate personalized treatment plans that include natural regeneration solutions, such as PRP and stem cells to ensure optimal results without complications. Each treatment plan is individually curated according to your needs. Please schedule an appointment to explore your options for stem cell therapy in Houston, TX.
