Potential patients are often curious about our success rates and the outcomes of previous patients. This is a valid concern, as patients want to know if these treatments are actually working for every day people like them. We have treated a wide variety of patients ranging from tri-athletes, weekend warriors, student athletes, to those in their 90s! With our state-of-the-art lab, we are able to provide customized regenerative therapies, tailored to every lifestyle and age in order to help patients get back to the activities they love. Each success story is different, but hearing patients recall their stories and how they have improved is always a joy!
Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment
Nick Caparelli’s story echoes most of those seeking treatment here at StemCell ARTS. He was very active, but injured himself during one of his physical activities and was recommended surgery by an Orthopedist. He considered his surgical options, but was concerned about the recovery and downtime it would include. A friend recommended he explore regenerative therapies for his shoulder. He was evaluated by a physician here at StemCell ARTS, and suggested a treatment plan of Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma. Prolotherapy is an injection of Dextrose-based solution into the problem area in order to help stimulate your body’s repair cells. Platelet Rich Plasma requires a blood draw, and after your platelets are concentrated and processed in our lab to the specificity of the doctors, it is re-injected to the site of injury in order to help heal minor sprains, strains and tears. Mr. Caparelli’s treatments were scheduled four to six weeks apart, and after just a few treatments, he is back to lifting weights and teaching martial arts!
High Quality Concentrated Fish Oils Can Help with Arthritis Pain!
Recent studies have shown that fish oils and the Omega fatty acids they contain can help your body combat arthritis pain. Our bodies are able to produce most of the essential fats that we need, however that is not true for Omega-3s. These nutrients must come from an outside source such as fatty fish like salmon or from high quality over the counter fish oil capsules. They have been proven to provide those patients suffering from arthritis pain with some relief. It is widely considered to be a safer alternative than over the counter NSAIDs, and some research has shown that patients no longer have to rely on NSAIDs and only routinely take Omega-3s.
These supplements will affect each patient differently, and therefore not recommended for everyone. For those considering regenerative treatments in our clinic, our physicians may suggest a high quality fish oil from a company called Xymogen in order to help before, during, and after your platelet treatments. Please consult with your physician before beginning any supplement regimen.
See what Dr. Christopher Centeno says regarding fish oils and your healing!
As regenerative therapies gain more popularity, StemCell ARTS is aware that many people have numerous questions regarding these new treatment options. That is why StemCell ARTS is excited to utilize Facebook Live to help provide more information. The physicians understand that, prior to committing to an office visit, potential patients want more details regarding regenerative treatments and whether or not these treatments may be right for them. Facebook Live will help the physicians at StemCell ARTS to answer these questions, in real time. Please feel free to tune in when the physicians go live to ask your questions and hear the questions answered during the live feed. If a question is not addressed during the live feed, the staff will respond to the remaining questions in a timely manner. If there is someone who you feel may benefit from these videos, please share the live videos and help StemCell ARTS get more information to those interested in these new and exciting regenerative treatment options! Click the link below to see Dr. Benjamin Newton go “LIVE” for the first time.
EVALUATING HAND AND WRIST CONDITIONS
Dr. Benjamin Newton reviews some common conditions of the hand and wrist, in more detail. In addition, Dr. Newton describes how the physicians at StemCell ARTS approach the initial evaluation. The initial evaluation is important to help the physicians establish a primary diagnosis. This diagnosis is essential to determining the recommended treatment plan. Dr. Newton discloses what some of these recommended treatment plans could entail. Some treatment plans may include other modalities, such as physical therapy or bracing, to name a few. When reviewing potential treatment options, Dr. Newton also talks about the regenerative therapies that can be used to treat common injuries of the hand and wrist. He describes how the various treatments help the primary diagnosis and how these treatments are administered.
Hands are used frequently in most daily activities. As a result, the pain and discomfort caused by arthritis of the hand can negatively impact how people go through daily life. Since hands are used so often, the constant swiveling and pivoting of the joints in the hands easily wear out the joints. Arthritis, especially of the hands, is often thought to happen later in life. However, the persistent motion of the hand joints can cause the condition to appear early in life. This is particularly true of people who use their hands for athletic activities, or those who perform intricate arts and crafts. Previously, surgery was one of the only options for those suffering from arthritis of the hands hoping to relieve the pain.
STEM CELLS TO TREAT HAND ARTHRITIS
Fortunately, StemCell ARTS offers stem cell procedures that help patients achieve pain relief AND avoid surgery. Seem too good to be true? Patients frequently ask if these procedures work and how patients are responding post stem cell procedure. Being part of the Regenexx network of physicians, StemCell ARTS tracks the outcomes of all patients who undergo regenerative procedures with the office. With all Regenexx network affiliates following the same protocol, StemCell ARTS is able to provide outcome data of all patients who have received the same Regenexx procedures across the country.
What does this mean for patients? This means that, when patients ask if these procedures work, StemCell ARTS is able to provide them with data to answer that question. Take the infograph provided in the link, below. This data reflects all 124 patients, as of 2015, who have had stem cells performed to treat hand arthritis. Of the 124 patients, 93 were treated for hand joints, 26 for the wrist, 18 for other hand joints (such as the thumb), and greater than 60% of the patients suffered from severe arthritis. Prior to the stem cell procedures, patients were reporting an average of 5.6 pain level. Post stem cells, the pain level had decreased to an average of 2.9. This means that some pain levels were higher than the 2.9, others were lower. What patients should take from this data is that the average pain level for these 124 patient was cut nearly in half.
Think that stem cell treatment might be right for you? Come see the physicians at StemCell ARTS. They will provide a comprehensive exam and review any imaging. Once the examination is completed, the physicians at StemCell ARTS will provide you will a customized treatment plan that they feel will be most successful in treating each patients’ specific condition.
In honor of Valentine’s Month, we at StemCell ARTS want to get patients back to being able to use their hands! Though considered to be a smaller joint, those who have conditions that impact the use of the hands, know that pain and discomfort in the hand area is no small inconvenience. There are several different forms of arthritis that can make, even seemingly simple, daily tasks unbearable. Two of the most common conditions that cause debiliation in the little joints of the hands include Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition characterized by the breakdown and loss of cartilage that helps cushion the ends of bones. It can cause stiffness, pain, numbness and loss of movement in the hand. OA most often affects the carpal and metacarpal joints and can even impact up into the wrist area. In finger joints, OA can result to the formation of bony knots also known as Bouchard’s Nodes. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic anti-inflammatory disease that triggers the body to attack the membranes that line the joints. The results are similar to OA, wherein a person may experience swelling, pain, loss of function and, in severe cases, total disability.
Potential Treatments
The physicians at StemCell ARTS are able to treat Osteoarthritis in these small joints with a variety of treatments ranging from Prolotherapy to Stem Cells. Prolotherapy is a dextrose based solution that can be injected into arthritic joints in order to help trigger the body’s response to send repair cells to the site of injury. For patients with more severe forms of this disease, the physicians might suggest our Stem Cell Treatment, which can greatly slow the progression of arthritis. The physicians at StemCell ARTS use ultrasound guided imaging to inject the prolotherapy, platelets or stem cells right at the site of injury or break down. Click on the video below to hear Dr. Newton describe some common hand issues, and what we can do to help you get back to holding the hand of your loved ones!
For patients suffering from back pain, there are a number of treatments that can be suggested. Although surgeries of the spine, such as ‘fusions’ or ‘laminectomies’, can sound daunting and invasive, in some instances they are necessary steps to help patient return to a functioning lifestyle. For some patients, these surgeries are successful and patients can resume living their lives pain free. However, for other patients, the pain level post procedure is similar to what was experienced prior to having a surgical procedure of the spine. If surgery fails to resolve the patients pain, are all options exhausted? Are these patients destined to continue with life-limiting pain?
Luckily, StemCell ARTS is able to provide several regenerative treatment options that have helped our patients say “good-bye” to their post-surgical pain. Our procedure use the patients’ body’s own biologics to help itself heal. Our trained phlebotomists take a sample of the patients’ blood and process this, by hand, in the lab found in each of the StemCell ARTS offices. The blood is placed into a centrifuge that spins the blood at high speeds to separate the platelets from red blood cells. Those platelets are further processed and concentrated depending on their specific use. In Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), the platelets are injected into, and around the point of injury to jump start the body’s natural healing curve. For Platelet Lysate (PL), the platelets are frozen and broken open for immediate release. PL is recommended by the regenerative physician when PRP may be expected to cause too much inflammation. PL may also be suggested if the patient needs prompt relief since this procedure is comparable to a cortisone injection, but with the body’s own platelets in lieu of steroids.
One patient shares his story about how StemCell ARTS helped him regain his life following his spinal decompression surgery. When surgery failed to provide the necessary pain relief, Judge Thomas Moore sought the regenerative procedures offered at StemCell ARTS. Read more to see how our procedures changed Judge Moore’s life!
StemCell ARTS is an Affiliate of National Spine and Pain Centers
If the regenerative treatment options offered by StemCell ARTS are not right for you, National Spine and Pain Centers provide more traditional treatments for spine and joint conditions.
