Regenerative medicine is a group of cellular derived therapies and biologics that work with your body’s natural ability to heal. They contain a variety of components most commonly of which can be stem cells. Actually a more accurate discussion of these therapies is Orthobiologics. If you have chronic pain caused by injury, overuse, or age-related degeneration, orthobiologic medicine could be a beneficial long-term solution for your pain relief. Some of the conventional treatments for pain, like steroid injections, only provide temporary pain relief and come with a host of potential side effects. On the other hand, regenerative medicine’s goal is to redirect particular components of the human body’s own resources to where they are most needed to address injured tissue, providing more long-term pain relief with little to no side effects. Ultimately, our goal is to get you back to your daily activities, work requirements, and hobbies.
WHAT IS ORTHOBIOLOGIC MEDICINE?
The cutting-edge field of orthobiologic and regenerative medicine incorporates the use of naturally occurring therapeutics, referred to as orthobiologics, which aim to reduce pain and improve function by targeting injured tissue. Orthobiologics are therapeutics derived from the human body and include platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell-containing products.
HOW DO ORTHOBIOLOGIC THERAPIES WORK?
With the emergence of Orthobiologic advanced therapies, the need for artificial joint replacement has been dramatically reduced.
Your chances of regaining full joint functionality are increased while reducing your risk of developing osteoarthritis later in life.
These treatments use cellular therapies and growth factors from your own body to stimulate and accelerate your body’s natural ability to repair, rebuild, and regenerate its soft tissues.
WHAT TYPE OF INJURED TISSUE DO ORTHOBIOLOGICS TREAT?
- Tendons (e.g., rotator cuff injuries, Achilles tendinitis)
- Ligaments (e.g., chronic ankle sprains, AC joint ligaments)
- Plantar fasciitis
- SI joint pain and dysfunction
- Shoulder pain and instability
- Golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow
- Chronic ligament or tendon problems
- Spine facet joint pain and dysfunction
- Osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, shoulder, and spine joints
- Osteoarthritis/cartilage damage (e.g., knees, shoulders, hips, hands)
WHAT ORTHOBIOLOGIC THERAPIES ARE AVAILABLE?
Depending on your particular situation, there are several different types of orthobiologics we may recommend, including:
- Bone Marrow Aspiration Concentrate (BMAC)
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
- Adipose Tissue
- Amniotic Tissue
- Cord blood-derived
WHAT ARE STEM CELLS?
As a blank slate, stem cells are small building blocks waiting to be told what to do. They contain growth factors with cell-signaling properties that can be guided to grow into specific specialized cells. These new cells can elicit healing in the areas damaged by aging, injury, or disease.
The stem cells are prepared before the procedure and then directly injected into the injury or pain area – tendon, ligament, muscle, or joint. The new stem cells get to work, stimulating your body to repair itself through healthy tissue remodeling.
There are exciting breakthroughs in using this therapy, specifically reducing arthritis pain and other acute and chronic pain from orthopedic injuries.
According to research, when stem cells are applied to an arthritic joint, the following may occur:
- New, healthier cartilage cells develop that are needed in the joint
- Suppressed inflammation
- Release of proteins called cytokines that can slow down the degeneration of cartilage and decrease pain
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
PRP uses a small amount of your own blood to promote healing. Your blood contains concentrated platelets and plasma proteins that are separated and then injected directly into the source of pain during an outpatient procedure or following repair surgery. The plasma’s powerful growth factors activate natural healing and rapid tissue regeneration in the targeted areas of your pain, damage, or injury.
PRP promotes healing of the damaged area. When the healing process is completed in about six weeks, the nagging, chronic pain subsides.
SOURCES OF ORTHOBIOLOGICS
Adipose Tissue
Adipose tissue or fat cells have remarkable self-renewing and healing properties. The tissue is usually obtained from your waist. Then it is processed to remove impurities and inflammatory components and injected at the pain site to repair, regenerate, or replace injured or damaged tissue.
Amniotic Tissue
Due to their rich cellular content and hyaluronic acid presence, amniotic stem cell therapy uses amniotic membrane and fluid to reduce inflammation and promote healing directly in the affected tissues and joints.
Some people prefer not to use embryonic stem cells but are more comfortable with using amniotic sac cells. Our team acknowledges this issue and can use the latter type of stem cells to treat patients.
OC Wellness Physicians Medical Group is one of the few groups in the country offering both amniotic stem cell treatment and umbilical cord blood.
Umbilical Cord Blood
Cord blood is collected after birth with no harm to the mother or baby and contains a beneficial blend of cytokines, growth factors, and stem cells to help foster tissue remodeling and cellular growth.
Like other stem cell sources, cord blood helps bring immune cells into balance, enabling the immune system to function correctly and control pain and inflammation in the body. Blood flow is also increased in the damaged area to allow soft tissue growth and natural healing.
Wharton’s Jelly
During cord blood collection, cord tissue (i.e., Wharton’s Jelly) can also be saved and stored. This insulating material surrounds the umbilical cord vessels, containing millions of different types of stem cells. The mesenchymal stem cells in the cord tissue have a high amount of peptide growth factors that help produce collagen and glycosaminoglycans, which are needed for cartilage growth.
Bone Marrow Aspiration Concentrate (BMAC)
BMAC is obtained after processing bone marrow that is extracted from your pelvic bone, concentrated in a centrifuge, then injected into specific areas of your body to help renew and repair the damaged tissue.
BMAC is rich in stem cells, which produce proteins and growth factors that help heal the body and reduce inflammation.
WHICH ORTHOBIOLOGIC THERAPY IS BEST TO TARGET YOUR PAIN?
At OC Wellness Physicians Medical Group, we take a personalized approach to pain management and the many available and effective treatments. Our medical team gets to know you and your situation, evaluating all information before creating the most efficient and beneficial treatment plan for you.
Our patients see excellent results with the Orthobiologic Medical services we provide. With our gold-standard, integrative approach to treatments—combining various therapies with Orthobiologic Medicine—we’re able to address immediate pain relief plus provide hands-on therapies like chiropractic and physical therapy to restore function and promote movement for long-term repair and renewal.
IS REGENERATIVE MEDICINE RIGHT FOR YOU?
The main goal for any pain management treatment is to get you back to doing the activities you enjoy without disability or pain. Regenerative therapies, compared to traditional methods, can help get you there even faster with long-lasting results.
Regenerative Medicine offers safe procedures that expedite the healing of injuries like tendon tears, partial ligament tears and relieve both chronic and arthritic pain.
Patients who suffer from osteoarthritis or injuries to cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and soft tissue do very well and experience exceptional results from these treatments.
Patients often seek Regenerative Medicine therapies because they’ve either had a failed surgery, are not candidates for surgery, or want to avoid a potential invasive surgery. Regenerative therapies can be ideal options in these cases.
Schedule a consultation today to see if Regenerative Medicine is right for you.
Not all therapies are created equal. At OC Wellness Physicians Medical Group, we prioritize three approaches to Regenerative Medicine and wellness:
- Quality
- Precision
- Comprehensive Plan
From cutting-edge Regenerative Medicine therapies to Conservative Therapies such as Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, and Acupuncture, we offer a combination of effective treatments to get you feeling good and pain-free again.
DISCLAIMER: Regenerative Medicine Therapies have not been evaluated by the FDA. All medical procedures have a success and failure rate. Patient reviews and testimonials on this site should not be interpreted as a statement on the effectiveness of our treatments for anyone else.