Mar 21, 2019 | Blog
Stem Cell Arts physicians Rodney Dade, M.D., and Robert Wagner, M.D., have been recognized by Northern Virginia magazine as “Top Doctors for 2019.”
Nominated by their peers, Drs. Dade and Wagner were recognized for their outstanding patient care and on-going commitment to research in the field of regenerative medicine. Both physicians have extensive experience with Regenexx®, the nation’s leading stem cell and platelet procedures for orthopedic conditions, spine pain and degenerative joint conditions such as osteoarthritis. These procedures utilize a patient’s own stem cells to help heal damaged tissues, tendons, ligaments, cartilage or spinal discs.
Dr. Dade has been at the forefront of regenerative treatments for more than 20 years. He was one of Northern Virginia’s leading pioneers in performing platelet rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapies, which he has been offering to his patients since 200x.
Dr. Dade earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He interned at University of Pennsylvania Hospital Systems and completed his residency at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan. Dr. Dade is board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a Diplomate of both the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Academy of Pain Management. He is also a Fellow of the Physiatry Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation and is a member of the American Medical Association and Association of Academic Physiatrists.
A native of Northern Virginia, Dr. Wagner specializes in diagnosing and treating injuries of the spine, joints, tendons, nerves and ligaments. He also has years of experience treating acute and chronic injuries with stem cell therapy, platelet rich plasma (PRP) and prolotherapy. He has lectured and mentored clinicians nationally on these innovative techniques and their application for healing chronic pain conditions.
Dr. Wagner earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School and performed his residency and internship at Riverside Medical Center in Newport News, VA. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. He is a member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians and the American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine. He has also received the Physician’s Recognition Award from the American Medical Association for his commitment to continuing medical education.
Mar 8, 2019 | Blog
A 14-member panel of practicing physicians, scientists and regulatory experts representing some of the nation’s most respected universities and medical centers recently weighed in on the dubious marketing of various birth tissue products as safe and effective “stem cell therapy” even though these claims are not supported by existing scientific literature.
The consensus panel cited aggressive advertising and sales tactics by alternative health clinics (chiropractors, naturopaths and acupuncturists) as well as physicians and mid-level providers to market non-viable birth tissues as live “stem cell” products to cure chronic disease.
Using full-page newspaper ads and seminars, these products are being pitched to patients desperate for effective treatment. Their sales materials cite clinical data that purports to endorse the safety and efficacy of these products, even though no such clinical evidence exists. Sadly, many patients spend thousands of dollars on these bogus therapies.
Investigations into the content of commercially available amniotic and cord blood products sold by FDA-registered manufacturers currently indicate that these products do not contain live or functional stem cells. In addition, the growth factor levels in these products were significantly lower than those found in orthobiologic products like platelet-rich plasma.
The experienced physicians of StemCell ARTS are trained and licensed to perform the Regenexx® family of stem cell and platelet rich plasma procedures. Regenexx® Stem Cell therapy is the world’s most advanced and uses the highest concentration of healing adult stem cells from a patient’s own body to address the chronic pain and inflammation from conditions such as arthritis, herniated back discs, tendon tears or joint injuries.
Many people are unaware that adult stem cells can be harvested and do not raise ethical or moral concerns. These cells can come from the body’s bone marrow as well as from body fat that contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that contain high levels of restorative properties. The Regenexx® Stem Cell procedure extracts your own stem cells, concentrates these cells at the highest level possible and reinjects them into the injured area to boost your body’s ability to heal naturally.
Stem Cell Arts physicians continually author researchpresentations, publications and other academic work designed to promote greater understanding and advancements in this highly specialized area of orthopedic medicine. “We strongly encourage anyone considering regenerative treatment to do their homework,” said StemCell Arts physician Rodney Dade, M.D. “If ever there was a case of ‘buyer beware,’ this is it. There are many unscrupulous clinics out there that are making promises they cannot fulfill. Our expertise, quality control and outcomes are the reasons Stem Cell Arts is recognized as a national leader in regenerative therapies for orthopedic conditions.”
Feb 28, 2019 | Blog, Osteoarthritis
According to the Arthritis Foundation, an estimated 54 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, with the most common form being osteoarthritis, which affects an estimated 31 million Americans.
Many arthritis sufferers are genetically predisposed to getting the disease. But for those without a family history of arthritis, several factors can increase their risk of developing the condition, including age and obesity. However, one often overlooked contributing factor to arthritis is the impact of injury to the joints. Many orthopedists refer to this as post-traumatic arthritis due to an arthritis causing event (ACE).
Nearly 5.5 million Americans develop arthritis as a result of an injury to a joint. It is easy to see why many former football players have arthritic knees, given the frequency and severity of knee injuries sustained during their careers. But anyone—from the high school soccer player to the warehouse worker who engages in repetitive lifting—can injure their joints and increase their risk of developing arthritis later in life. This is especially concerning since the number of young athletes requiring ligament repair surgery continues to grow. Studies show that those who have surgery to treat a joint injury are at greater risk for developing arthritis by the age of 30.
Joint Anatomy 101: An Interconnected System
Arthritis develops when the cushioning cartilage between the bones in our joints wears down. Chronic pain, stiffness and swelling are the most common symptoms. But our joints are more than bones and cartilage. They also include muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves.
An arthritis-causing event (ACE) can include an injury to the cartilage, to the cushioning structures (such as the meniscus or the labrum) or to the ligaments (ACL or MCL). Ligament injuries cause the joint to be unstable and can lead to cartilage loss and bone spurs. But damage to the ligaments and the risk for developing arthritis later can be easily fixed—if identified correctly and early.
If you have a joint that “cracks” and “pops” don’t ignore it—even if you’ve been told your ligament is not torn or in need of surgical repair. At Stem Cell Arts we will perform a stress ultrasound, where we manipulate and stress the joint while looking at the ligaments to see how loose they are.
If the stress ultrasound reveals ligament laxity, we can provide you with a targeted injection of platelet rich plasma (PRP) that will usually help the ligament heal and tighten to provide better stability to the joint. Our Stem Cell ARTS physicians and staff have been specially trained to perform the Regenexx® family of PRP and stem cell procedures. Using state-of-the-art equipment, we can create the highest quality customized platelet concentrates to aid in healing.
If you, or someone you know, has suffered a joint injury but has reoccurring symptoms such as cracking or popping, please contact us. We can assess the extent of any lingering injuries to the joints and using our advanced platelet rich plasma therapies, help prevent further degeneration.
Feb 22, 2019 | Blog, Hip
Advances in technology have enabled us to see things on MRIs today that we would never have been able to see even 10 years ago.
For cancer patients, that can mean the opportunity to seek treatment earlier with better outcomes. But in the field of orthopedics, in some cases, better imaging might be considered too much of a good thing.
This may be especially true for those for whom an MRI reveals a tear in their hip labrum. The labrum forms a lip around the socket part of the ball-and-socket hip joint and helps stabilize the structure. Similar to the meniscus in the knee, it can tear—often as the result of wear and tear as we age.
Yet it is important to note that labrum tears do not necessarily cause hip pain. Some patients with tears do not report any pain. And although numerous studies have demonstrated this, many patients whose MRIs reveal a tear are told they need surgery.
Even those patients who do report hip pain might be surprised to learn that a labral tear is not the cause of their pain anyway.
Other Causes of Hip Pain
The musculoskeletal system is a complex network of interconnected parts. In the hip region, this includes the sacroiliac (SI) joint, hip girdle muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. When there is instability in the three sacroiliac joints at the back of the hip (where the hip meets the sacrum or tailbone), patients may report hip pain or the sense that their legs are wobbly or loose.
The hip joint requires strong ligaments to help distribute forces from the leg to the spine. If these ligaments are damaged, their strength is compromised. In addition, all of the body’s lower extremities are supplied by nerves that branch off of the spinal column in the lower back. Issues such as a herniated or bulging disc, arthritis, degenerated disc or spinal stenosis could affect those nerves and cause pain from the hips down.
So before you are talked into surgery to repair a torn hip labrum, contact us. If you are experiencing pain, we will do a thorough exam and determine if the source of the pain is the tear itself or other issues. In many cases, we will recommend platelet rich plasma injections from Regenexx®, which use a concentration of your own blood products to jump-start and significantly strengthen the body’s natural healing processes in the injured tissue(s) that may be the actual source of your pain.
Feb 14, 2019 | Blog
Fat chance—that’s what you are taking if you seek stem cell therapy from some of the so-called doctors and clinics that are offering fat grafts and marketing them as a stem cell procedure.
That’s because there is a huge difference between a genuine fat stem cell treatment and a fat graft. A fat graft is merely fat that was harvested during liposuction and then centrifuged into separate layers. Once the fat is taken from this mix, it’s called a fat graft. Although this fat graft has stem cells, they are trapped inside collagen and die before they can contribute to healing.
At Stem Cell Arts, we employ the Regenexx® family of stem cell and platelet rich plasma procedures. Regenexx® Stem Cell therapy is the world’s most advanced and uses the highest concentration of healing adult stem cells from your own body to address the chronic pain and inflammation from conditions such as arthritis, herniated back discs, tendon tears, or joint injuries.
We harvest adult stem cells from your own bone marrow as well as from body fat that contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that contain high levels of restorative properties. Unlike fat grafts, Regenexx® Stem Cell procedures free the fat cells from collagen and concentrate these cells at the highest level possible. We then re-inject them into your injured area to boost your body’s ability to heal itself naturally.
If you are in pain and have considered stem cell therapy, you should know that our orthopedic specialists have more stem cell orthopedics experience than any other clinic in the country. Stem Cell Arts physicians are recognized leaders in orthopedic stem cell therapy research presentations, publications and academic achievements. This is what we do—and the only thing we do. Don’t take a chance—a fat chance—on your treatment. Contact us today.
