For those interested in getting involved in an exercise routine, it is hard not to come across the world of CrossFit. Over the past couple years, there has been a significant increase in this fitness regime that combines resistance and aerobic exercise. Unfortunately, CrossFit often gets a bad rap due to its perceived propensity to cause injury. Shoulder injuries are particularly common due to the athletes performing snatches and other complex overhead movements. Typically, when one sustains shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tears, the first visit is to a surgeon. Research has shown that surgery may not be the answer. Fortunately, StemCell ARTS offers patients suffering from shoulder injuries an alternative to treating their shoulder conditions, while avoiding invasive surgical procedures.
Why is this so important to CrossFit athletes? Or anyone, for that matter?
Avoiding surgery also allows the patient to avoid the downtime and recovery that is typically associated with shoulder surgery. Patients are able to get back to the activities that they love, sooner than the patients who undergo surgical procedures. For CrossFit athletes, this means getting back in the gym faster and the ability to keep improving on their fitness. For patients outside of CrossFit, they are able to continue their day to day activity, without much interruption following a regenerative procedure.
Below, you will find a link to an article that features a CrossFit athlete treated by one of the physicians at StemCell ARTS. Bill, a high-level CrossFit athlete was able to avoid surgery to repair his rotator cuff by electing to proceed with the stem cell procedure offered at StemCell ARTS. Click the link below to read more about how Bill is doing following his stem cell procedure and learn more about why shoulder surgery may not be the way to go.
Regenerative therapies are gaining more and more popularity within multiple modalities of the health care field. Orthopedic practices, in particular, are seeing an increase in patients due to professional athletes sharing their experiences with stem cells and platelets for treatment of sports injuries and orthopedic conditions. With orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine professionals, etc. offering regenerative therapies, how does a patient determine which practice is best?
At StemCell ARTS, we use the Regenexx method of processing to produce, what we believe, is the most concentrated and pure version of stem cell and platelets to inject at the patients’ site of injury. What does the Regenexx method of processing mean? Most practices utilizing regenerative therapy as a form of treatment use machines called “bedside centrifuges” to process the regenerative samples. These samples can be full of red and white blood cells and only produce a concentration of 5-7x the concentration found in the human body. By processing the samples by hand, StemCell ARTS is able to produce a pure sample, free of red and white blood cells. We can also increase the concentration to much higher levels.
Not only is Regenexx and StemCell ARTS ahead of the game when it comes to the processing of regenerative therapies, but are also responsible for over 33% of all published articles regarding regenerative therapies. Regenexx is a research consortium that combines the knowledge and experience of over 30 physicians across the country. Regenexx researchers compile this information to consistently examine and improve the method of processing and injection of regenerative therapies.
The video below includes commentary from Dr. Chris Centeno, founder of Regenexx, and describes how the idea of utilizing regenerative therapies for interventional orthopedics came to fruition. By understanding the story behind Regenexx, we hope that patients will see what sets Regenexx-affiliated clinics, like StemCell ARTS, apart from the rest!
A condition commonly known as “Tennis Elbow”, lateral epicondylitis develops as a result of overuse of the muscles in the forearm. Simple daily activities such as repeated lifting, twisting or gripping can cause inflammation of the tendons and occasionally result in a series of small tears, generating significant pain.
The elbow joint is comprised of three bones joining the upper arm with the lower forearm. This joint is supported by surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments. As the inflammation increases, the pain can become severe and limit daily activities. Traditionally, to combat the pain, patients turn to over-the-counter anti-inflammatories or corticosteroid injections. While these measures may temporarily reduce the pain, they can also slow down the healing process. As the body’s ability to heal the area becomes inhibited, the inflammation can no longer be reduced, resulting in chronic elbow pain.
New regenerative treatments use a patient’s biological material to heal lateral epicondylitis. A recent study has found that patients suffering from elbow pain reported a significantly larger improvement in pain following a PRP injection, as opposed to a cortisone injection. Following the Regenexx PRP protocol, whole blood is drawn from the patient and isolated in the onsite lab; removing all of the contaminating red and white cells. From there, the platelets are concentrated and injected into the joint where the growth factors attract repair cells to the site of injury and start the healing process. Usually, within 2-3 sessions, patients experience an improvement in pain and function. Patients are able to return to normal activity without undergoing invasive surgery.
Cervical spine (neck) pain is a common condition, suffered by many people. Whether it’s spinal stenosis, a disc herniation, or simply overexertion, the pain can become debilitating and lead to long term suffering. The cervical spine is a vulnerable structure that is comprised of joints and ligaments, working together to support the head. Its susceptibility to injury can result in a number of conditions causing spasm, headaches, or shooting pains. Finding the source of the pain is the first step, since damage in one area can affect many supporting systems. In the majority of cases, cortisone injections can help in the management of neck pain. In other patients, surgical intervention may be recommended. However, there are those who suffer from severe or chronic pain who have exhausted conservative treatment measures, or still have pain post surgery, and are left searching for an alternative solution.
Newly developed biological treatments have provided an opportunity for chronic pain sufferers to experience a long-lasting, natural solution to their neck pain. Regenerative treatments, such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Platelet Lysate, contain highly concentrated growth factors from a patient’s own blood to attract repair cells and initiate the body’s healing process. In some cases, Prolotherapy, a concentrated solution of Dextrose and anesthetic can be used in conjunction with the platelet procedures, or on its own. Prolotherapy helps stimulate the body’s natural ability to strengthen ligaments and tendon surrounding the cervical spine. The regenerative treatments offered by the physicians at StemCell ARTS can offer relief to patients looking for a solution to their chronic neck pain.
A female patient has followed Dr. Benjamin Newton from Boulder, CO to Philly and, now, to StemCell ARTS in McLean, VA. She receives PRP and Prolotherapy injections for low back issues, SI joints, and facets. The patient reports that each time Dr. Newton has injected the affected area, she is virtually pain free within 24 hours and back to normal activities in just a couple of days. After finishing her last procedure, the patient dealt with airport travel, including delays and sitting on the tarmac for 45 minutes prior to departing. The patient took one pain reliever to get home and hasn’t had any since. Not even Tylenol. The patient explains, “I believe in the power of regenerative medicine and my hope is that many more people will know more about this very effective option in overcoming injuries or arthritis instead of life altering surgical intervention.” Click here to read the patient’s previous Facebook post
Regenerative treatments, specifically Platelet Rich Plasma, has been quietly gaining popularity among professional athletes as a way to bounce back quickly after minor injuries such as sprains and strains. Most recently, NBA’s Most Valuable Player, Stephen Curry, has been the newest addition to the growing list of patients receiving platelet procedures. Curry had injured his MCL on April 24th, and was diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain. These injuries usually occur as a result of twisting or direct impact and can cause tenderness, stiffness, and mild swelling at the injury site.
These injuries would usually be detrimental to an athlete, and continuing to play with an injury could cause further harm. However, Curry received PRP treatment within two days of his injury and was able to return after missing only two games. His Platelet Rich Plasma treatment involved concentrating a blood sample and isolating growth factors to inject back into the injured site in order to promote healing. The procedure is minimally invasive and athletes are able to return to light or normal activity soon afterwards
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.
