Stem cell and regenerative therapies are here to stay. Their collective, seemingly miraculous results are simply too astonishing – dare I say "lifesaving" – to go away. And while the "usual suspects" may try to diminish or take over these protocols, the consumers are discovering the impact of these treatments and clamoring for more.
Regenerative Medicine for Back Pain
Let's start with the most obvious condition that is a natural fit with chiropractic: back pain. Stem cell treatments are health care's latest, proven alternatives to surgery, pain drugs and steroids. Practitioners can offer in-office, same-day procedures that can alleviate back pain regardless of the cause. We can treat a range of conditions including chronic LBP, spinal arthritis, intervertebral disc degeneration, sacroilitis and herniated discs.
Revolutionary platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and amniotic regenerative cell therapy procedures can treat all the damages and underlying conditions that cause pain. Practitioners can inject these cells into the target area, and they then act as an immunologically privileged material to rebuild and strengthen the damaged tissue causing back pain.
In my experience, many patients who have conditions that do not respond to spinal adjustments due to high pain levels will respond positively to stem cell treatments and – in many cases – can then more easily benefit from chiropractic care after stem cell treatments improve their condition.
Stem cells help to rejuvenate the joints, allowing your adjustments to really take hold and the alignment process to occur, Of course, balancing the spine absolutely helps any joint suffering from osteoarthritis by removing abnormal wear and tear, much like having your tires balanced when the alignment is off in your car. Hence, chiropractic care is still very much a benefit to these same patients.
Regenerative Medicine for Facet Syndrome
As you know, facet syndrome is a condition that affects the small joints between spinal vertebrae and is one of the most common conditions causing lower back and neck pain. These joints are constantly moving, providing the stability and flexibility needed to walk, sit, turn and bend.
Each of these small joints of neck and spine contains soft tissues and cartilage that absorb shock during these movements, which is imperative to protect the bones from rubbing against each other and causing friction. Most of us have had patients who experience inflammation and swelling of the joints, headaches, and painful movements caused by facet syndrome.
Facet syndrome has historically been difficult to treat, but new developments in regenerative medicine offer new, progressive treatment options. Amniotic regenerative cell therapy is a natural alternative to the risks of pain drugs, steroid injections and surgery. By using these regenerative cells, practitioners can target specific areas of discomfort and inflammation to alleviate pain and trigger an immune response that helps heal damaged tissues. This non-invasive procedures can be done in a same-day, in-office visit.
Regenerative Medicine for Degenerative Disc Disease
As doctors of chiropractic, we know the spine is made up of vertebrae, each separated by soft tissue and cartilage that provide cushioning between the bones. Each disc keeps the bones from rubbing against one another. Disc degeneration occurs when this cartilage wears down or becomes damaged.
Left untreated, disc degeneration can limit mobility and lead to bone spurs and chronic pain. With stem cell treatments, patients suffering from back conditions/ailments no longer have to settle for pain medications, steroid injections or risky surgical procedures.
Amniotic regenerative cell therapy is an advanced, nonsurgical procedure that rebuilds degenerating discs and tissues. Trained specialists, experienced in finding the precise treatment options, can reduce inflammation and the development of scar tissue. A chiropractor can be trained and outfitted to offer stem cell and regenerative therapies in just 60 days.
Amniotic Regenerative Cell Therapy
Amniotic regenerative cell therapy is one of the newest and most cutting-edge therapies for chronic joint pain. Amniotic derived regenerative cell therapy offers patients three essential properties for healing and restoring joint health:
- High concentration of regenerative cells
- Hyaluronic acid for joint lubrication and movement
- Anti-inflammatory cytokines and cellular growth factors essential for building new joint tissue
Since amniotic derived regenerative cell therapy is not derived from embryonic stem cells or fetal tissue, there are no ethical issues with the treatment.
Amniotic regenerative cell therapy consists of an injection directly into the painful area. The therapy has the potential to actually alter the course of the condition and not simply mask the pain. This therapy has significant potential for those in pain, and could actually repair structural problems while treating pain and inflammation simultaneously.
When the amniotic cell material is obtained, it comes from consenting donors who have undergone elective C-sections. The fluid is processed at an American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)-regulated lab, and is checked for a full slate of diseases per FDA guidelines.
To date, amniotic material has been used more than 500,000 times in the U.S. with no adverse events reported. It acts as an immunologically privileged material, meaning it has not been shown to cause any rejection reaction in the body. This means there is no graft-vs.-host problem.
Ready to Take the First Step?
Stem cell and regenerative therapies have recently shown incredible results with conditions that, up until now, were only treated with dangerous, unreliable surgeries or masked with pain drugs. But with these therapies, patients are experiencing seemingly miraculous outcomes. Chiropractors can be integrated with a MD or DO to offer these protocols in merely 60 days. Yet these therapies keep with the spirit of the chiropractic soul, i.e., avoiding allopathic health care, major surgery or pain drugs.
Dr. Brent Detelich, former president of the Stem Cell Institute of America (www.americastem.com), is a 1993 graduate of Parker College and a second-generation chiropractor. During the past five years, he and his medical team helped to train more than 300 practices on medical integration for the purpose of offering safe, effective and compliant regenerative therapies.