People of all ages know joint pain is a common part of life, but it tends to get worse as we get older. Knee pain is most common, according to WebMD, with shoulder and hip pain being next most common. However, joint pain can be felt at a bone or ligament junction in the body, including in your feet and ankles, hands, fingers or elbows.
According to a 2016 National Health Interview Survey, nearly 30% of adults in the U.S. reported joint pain. While it’s common, it’s not something that you should have to suffer with.
Typical treatments for joint pain usually include topical pain relievers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, lifestyle changes (i.e. changing exercise regimens or losing weight), addressing underlying health concerns, or visiting a massage therapist, acupuncturist or chiropractor. There are times, however, when typical treatments aren’t able to provide long-term relief from chronic joint pain.
Regenerative therapy is an innovative pain relief option now available at select locations in the United States. Its methodology involves healing joint pain, rather than addressing its symptoms.
“Regenerative medicine is a branch of translational research in tissue engineering and molecular biology which deals with the process of regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function,” Regan Archibald of East West Health explains.
The key to regenerative medicine is in the building block cells or master cells of the human body: stem cells. These cells have the ability to develop into almost any cell in the body, working as a repair system for your organs and tissues. However, as we age or when we develop certain conditions, our bodies produce fewer stem cells.
“Your stem cells are released at a rate proportional to the amount of injury or damage occurring in the body,” says Archibald. “If stem cell quantities are inadequate to meet the need, tissue degeneration will occur.”
For stem cell therapy, scientists utilize the sources found at the origin of human life: the umbilical cord and other birth tissues.
“Cord stem cells are much more efficient at replicating once removed from the body compared to adult stem cells,” LiveScience explains. “For example, when placed in a petri dish with the proper nutrients, one cord stem cell will multiply into 1 billion cells in 30 days, whereas one adult stem cell will multiply into only around 200 cells in 30 days.”
As doctors and scientists research further into the makeup and benefits of stem cells, they have discovered the regenerative properties these cells assume when used to treat chronic joint pain, as well as many other conditions and diseases.
“In theory, there’s no limit to the types of diseases that could be treated with stem cell research,” the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) explains. CIRM posits that stem cell therapy could be used to “replace virtually any tissue or organ that is injured or diseased.”
“If you have enough cellular regeneration in your body, then your body can literally heal from anything,” Archibald adds. “The more stem cells which are readily available at the time or ongoing times of need, the greater your body’s ability to effectively repair organ and tissue damage, and the faster the repair and regeneration can take place.”
At East West Health, the cord and umbilical stem cells in use are locally sourced from Utah Cord Bank.
“Umbilical and amnion stem cells zero in on inflammation,” Archibald explains. “It regulates immunity response. Providing new blood vessels to areas that have been damaged can help quicker healing.”
While much of the research surrounding stem cell therapy is ongoing, some uses have already been approved, including therapies for people with degenerative diseases that cause chronic pain that can’t be well managed with other treatments.
“The people who we’ve found that benefit the most are people who have bone-on-bone in their knees, they’ve got shoulder issues or osteoarthritis in their hips, and that is actually something that we’ve had great success with,” says Archibald.
For more information on regenerative medicine or to learn more about treatments for chronic pain that do not include surgery or medications, call or visit an East West Health location near you.