FAQ’s on Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapies
What is Regenerative Therapy at a Stem Cell Institute?
Regenerative Medicine at a Stem Cell Institute involves procedures that may repair and regenerate tissue such as organ tissue, wounds, tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone. Traditionally, when a person is experiencing pain from sports injuries, arthritis, cartilage damage, tendon or ligament damage, nonsurgical pain management offers a proverbial “band aid” approach to reducing pain. Also, when healing occurs in a tendon or ligament the traditional way, it never heals back to 100% like it was before.
Regenerative therapies shift the way treatment is viewed into healing the tissue rather than masking symptoms. Regenerative Therapy uses stem cells to provide healing capacity by providing the body’s building blocks including growth factors and platelets that promote natural healing in the body.
What is a Stem Cell?
Stem cells in the body start as a clean slate and can turn into any number of cells. Depending on the environment in which they are placed, they can differentiate into specialized cells.
Stem Cells can turn into many different cell types.
This may become a liver, kidney, lung, muscle, bone, skin cell or tendon, cartilage, red blood cell and many others. By shifting the cell production needed to stimulate repair into high gear, an additional supply in the area can provide the difference between a sub-optimal result and one that regenerates back to normal condition.
What are the different kinds of Stem Cells?
There are two basic stem cell types. The first is called unlimited stem cells (also known as embryonic stem cells). These can turn into any kind of cell, while the second type is termed limited stem cells (also known as adult stem cells).
With the unlimited type of stem cells, the cells have the potential to become any human cell type. They can be replicated outside the body and have applications for many human diseases.
Limited stem cells, though, do not have the same limitless potential and cannot be replicated outside the body. They need to be either frozen or immediately transplanted into the body.
Regenerative Institute of South Florida does not work with embryonic stem cells, only stem cells that exist in two varieties:
1) Hematopoietic Stem Cells – these exist in human bone marrow and are able to differentiate into most cell types.
2) Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC’s) – MSCs have been isolated from placenta, adipose tissue, lung, bone marrow and blood. They are able to differentiate into many different cell types while also assisting with the human immune response.
Is Regenerative Medicine being used in clinical practice?
Absolutely. Over the past few years, multiple regenerative medicine stem cell treatments have entered clinical practice for pain management, orthopedics, sports medicine, systemic conditions, nonhealing wounds and vascular indications.
The various treatment procedures being used at Regenerative Institute are:
Has research proven the effectiveness of Stem Cells in Musculoskeletal Medicine?
There have not been large studies, but several smaller studies showing benefits. There have been small studies in both animals and humans showing the effectiveness of several types of regenerative medicine procedures, which are described on the individual Stem Cell Treatments pages.
Does Insurance cover Regenerative Medicine procedures?
Insurance does currently cover some of the regenerative medicine procedures partially at Regenerative Institute of South Florida. Usually the visits are covered, while some of the wound care treatments are covered.
What types of doctors offer Regenerative Medicine procedures for musculoskeletal conditions?
The doctors offering stem cell injection procedures at our Institute are Board Certified in various specialties.
Call (954) 399-6945 for more information and scheduling today!
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