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Still Have Pain Following Back Surgery? How Can StemCell ARTS Help?

Still Have Pain Following Back Surgery? How Can StemCell ARTS Help?

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!

 

Back Pain is SO 2016

Back Pain is SO 2016

Don’t start 2017 wrestling with the same back pain that had you sidelined in 2016. Visit StemCell ARTS, where the phsysicians take extra care to diagnose the underlying cause of the back pain, leading to more focused and effective treatment options. In addition, the physicians are able to offer regenerative treatments, such as Platelet Rich Plasma and Platelet Lysate. These procedures can help patients who have failed , or those who may not be able to receive, traditional interventions for one reason or another.

Back pain is a broad term that can encompass a variety of conditions. Is the back pain related to the facet joints? What about the epidural spaces or the disc? Sometimes, determining the cause of back pain can be difficult, resulting in treatments that can be insufficient. Often, patients are treated with well-known, traditional treatments when they cite back pain as their primary area of discomfort. These treatments can include steroid injections, physical therapy, surgical intervention, bracing, etc. But what happens when those treatments fail to provide long-term relief? What happens when patients have residual pain following surgery? StemCell ARTS has alternative treatments that can help!

Listen to Dr. Wagner describe different causes of back pain, how the physicans at StemCell ARTS develop accurate diagnoses, and some of the regenerative treatment options.

 

Dr. Mayo Friedlis Partners with Regenexx Founder to Explain How to Perform Better Bone Marrow Aspirations

Dr. Mayo Friedlis Partners with Regenexx Founder to Explain How to Perform Better Bone Marrow Aspirations

Patients frequently ask how the physicians at StemCell ARTS stand out from other physicians performing regenerative procedures. A recent  chapter written by Dr. Mayo Friedlis and Regenexx founder, Dr. Chris Centeno, provides evidence to help answer that question. Dr. Friedlis and Dr. Centeno co-wrote a chapter for the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America journal focusing on regenerative medicine. Specifically, this chapter focuses on how to perform a better bone marrow aspiration.

Bone marrow aspirations are a crucial step in the stem cell procedure process offered at StemCell ARTS. The stem cell series of injection is a three step process completed during span of 7-10 days. There is one injection every 2-5 days. The second visit of the series is the stem cell procedure. The patient comes to the office in the morning for the stem cell aspiration. This procedure typically takes about an hour. It takes approximately two hours to process the sample and the patient returns to the office that same day for the reinjection of the stem cells into the injured area. The reinjection can take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour. Performing a successful and efficient bone marrow aspiration is essential to promoting the best possible sample for reinjection. Factors that StemCell ARTS physicians utilize to perform a better bone marrow aspiration includes the use of guidance, both fluoroscopic and ultrasound, newer techniques to help yield higher stem cell counts, patient preparation, proper equipment, and numerous other considerations.

When contemplating stem cell treatment for an injury or disorder of the spine or joints, it is important to ensure that the physician is applying proper techniques. The alternative could include a subpar bone marrow aspiration that would result in a less than optimal reinjection sample. If a patient is going to incur the cost and the commitment to undergo a stem cell procedure, the physicians at StemCell ARTS make sure they have the technology and skills to create the best experience for the patient and offer the best chance for success following the procedure. If you are thinking about stem cell treatment for your musculoskeletal injuries, consider StemCell ARTS and a physician who literally “wrote the book” on the topic.

Regenexx Stem Cell Therapy

StemCell ARTS and Platelet Rich Plasma Featured in Prominent Northern Virginia Fashion and Lifestyle Blog

StemCell ARTS and Platelet Rich Plasma Featured in Prominent Northern Virginia Fashion and Lifestyle Blog

52Thursdays is prominent fashion and lifestyle blog, covering both the east and west coasts. The blog has been featured in Northern Virginia Magazine and Brightest Young Things, among many others. The blog focuses on style, beauty, fitness, and travel. Sarah Phillips, co-founder of 52Thursdays, is located in the Northern Virginia area. She shares her experiences with local businesses, physical fitness, etc. with her followers. When reading her blog posts, it is easy to see that Sarah is a big fan of staying fit. Her go to source of activity includes CrossFit. However, she participates in numerous other physical activities to keep herself healthy. Her active lifestyle was threatened when she began to experience pain and locking in her hip area.

Sarah sought medical attention and was recommended a MRI to evaluate the pain in the hip. Sarah was discouraged when the MRI findings showed that she had suffered a labral tear. Hip labral tears are common injuries among athletes. Hyperflexion and squatting motions can result in mechanical injury to the labrum. Since squats are nearly unavoidable when participating in strength training, Sarah’s injury had begun to impact her exercise and fitness routine. Sarah decided to explore her options for treating the hip labral tear. She looked into Physical Therapy, activity modification, and met with some orthopedic surgeons to discuss surgical interventions. Her research led Sarah to Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and StemCell ARTS. Sarah has undergone two PRP treatments and is chronicling her experience with the procedures and StemCell ARTS. Sarah is showing signs of improvement and will follow up with StemCell ARTS six weeks following her last PRP treatment to evaluate her progress and determine next steps in treatment, if any further treatments are required. To read Sarah’s, more detailed, account of her injury and experience with StemCell ARTS, click the link below.

All Day I Dream About Squats

 

 

How Regenerative Medicine and Interventional Orthopedics will Change Everything

How Regenerative Medicine and Interventional Orthopedics will Change Everything

When beginning the process of researching regenerative treatment options, patients can be presented with an overwhelming amount of information. This information can often result in more questions. Am I a candidate for regenerative therapies? How can these therapies help treat my condition? What can I do to help make my treatments more successful? Luckily, StemCell ARTS is able to help provide patients with a one-stop-shop to help patients get these questions answered. Dr. Chris Centeno, founder of Regenexx, created a guide that explains how Regenexx is pioneering the new field of Interventional Orthopedics, where the use of regenerative biologic treatments, such as adult stem cell therapy and platelet rich plasma, are being used to help repair and strengthen damaged tissues. Utilizing a vast amount of internal data and research, the Orthopedics 2.0 book helps patients better understand their own conditions and how regenerative therapies can play a rital role in their recovery.

You might be asking yourself, “how do I get my hands on this great book?” StemCell ARTS is here to help. Next time you’re in the office, ask the staff for your own copy to take home with you. Looking for more information before scheduling your consultation? We have provided a link below to download your own free digital copy. Happy Reading!

Click here to download

Helping CrossFit Athletes Treat Injuries and Avoid Surgery

Helping CrossFit Athletes Treat Injuries and Avoid Surgery

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.

CLICK HERE