Does Stem Cell Treatment Work For Osteoarthritis? What Do You Need To Know?

 Currently, researchers consider stem cells as the possible answer to many medical conditions, especially osteoarthritis. Their hope is that stem cell treatment can stop the progression caused by an ailment by repairing it. However, more research studies are ongoing to determine how stem cell therapy can be more effective and advanced to current protocols. Are you wondering what makes stem cell therapy so unique? Let’s read on.

How does stem cell therapy work?
Stem cell treatment uses the patient’s own cells to help restore the damaged tissues of your hip or knee joint. Unlike other treatments, stem cell therapy treats the underlying cause of knee pain and other joint pain. Hence, this therapy can reduce joint pain, increase movement, increase flexibility, speed up regeneration, improve blood flow, and treat ligament or tendon tears for a prolonged duration. Adult stem cell therapy is non-invasive and safe. Studies recommend that its side effects are very minimal with no adverse effects.

What are the stem cells used for knee osteoarthritis treatment?
Mesenchymal stem cells are used as they have the potential to differentiate into various types of cells. These mesenchymal stem cells can be administered as BMAC (bone marrow aspirate concentrate) and SVF (stromal vascular fraction).

How are BMAC and SVF collected?
BMAC
BMAC is collected as an aspirate from the bone marrow. This procedure is performed on the iliac crest under local anaesthesia. At the same time, this aspirate is concentrated with the help of a centrifuge to get the concentrate rich in beneficiary proteins. That’s bone marrow aspirate concentrate.
SVF
SVF collection involves the following steps:

• Collection of adipose (fat) tissue using liposuction procedure. The resultant is called lipoaspirate.
• Then centrifuged to separate and isolate the adipose-derived stem cells from blood and oil.
• Followed by a breakdown of fat by micronising the sample.

And the resultant SVF product can be readily injected into the affected joint area.

What happens during the BMAC or SVF procedure?
At first, a local anaesthetic is applied to the knee joint to numb any pain from the injection. Next, BMAC or SVF is injected intraarticular under ultrasound guidance for precision. Sterile dressings are applied to the affected area for up to three days to keep the injection area clean and prevent infection. Oral NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) should be avoided for four to six weeks before and after stem cell therapy as these negatively impact the healing process. However, always discuss with your doctor before stopping any medication!

How long does stem cell treatment last? What should you expect?
The effect of stem cell treatment for every joint region such as shoulder, knee, hip or ankle and foot fluctuates according to the severity and extent. However, several co-morbidities like kidney and heart issues, diabetes, body inflammation can also affect its success rate. Several research studies revealed that stem cell therapy had reported a long-lasting result anywhere between six months to a few years. The treatment can last up to 7 years or more depending on physiotherapy rehabilitation, active lifestyle, balanced diet and less stress post-treatment. Although no promises can be made about the exact duration of its long-lasting effect, stem cell therapy showed positive effects for a prolonged duration.

Is there any research update to back up the effect of stem cell therapy on knee osteoarthritis?
Yes.
A review article published in the year 2018 supports stem cells in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Stem cell therapy for knee pain appears to be very promising. A 2020 recent study conducted at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom recommended that the injection of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the affected knee could be safe, successful, and promising for cartilage repair and regeneration. This repair mechanism works due to the self-renewal, immunosuppressive, and differential potential of stem cells, especially bone marrow-derived stem cells. That’s why they bring significant improvement in your pain, functional outcomes, and overall quality of life. Michalek et al. published another 2015 large multi-national, multi-centre study on the journal Cell Transplant, proving that stem cell treatment works for a longer duration for arthritis. Nearly 63 per cent of patients had a minimum of 75 per cent improvement in pain and function. Similarly, 91 per cent of patients had a minimum of 50 per cent overall improvements. Of course, patients with obesity or severe arthritis took more time to respond. Anyhow, this is one of the most significant studies where all of them reported similar outcomes with a remarkable safety profile without any adverse side effects. According to the 2014 review article titled, ‘Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine for Musculoskeletal Diseases: Bench, Bedside, and Industry’ published in the Cell Transplantation journal, mesenchymal stem cells offered varied benefits such as spinal fusion, bone regeneration, tendon repair, cartilage defect restoration, disc degeneration, and osteoarthritis treatment.  

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5 Knee Pain Symptoms You Shouldn’t Overlook

 

The knee joint includes bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bursal sac. Hence, it is considered the most complex joint of the human body. All these parts should work together in a coordinated manner for various routine activities like walking, running, jumping, and bending.

The central part of the knee joint includes the thigh bone (femur), shinbone (tibia), and kneecap (patella). It is the connecting link between the shinbone and the thigh bone, where it helps many other body parts to work. The lubricant present in the bursa works as a cushioning agent between your knee bones to prevent the occurrence of any friction.

Any injury in this knee region causes pain. Knee pain either goes away on its own or aggravates. However, it would help if you never ignored several other symptoms along with the knee pain. Let us go through those five knee pain symptoms one by one:

5 SYMPTOMS OF COMMON KNEE AILMENTS

1. Consistent pain while walking or climbing stairs
Do you experience terrible pain in your knee while climbing stairs? The reason could be knee osteoarthritis. If you ignore this pain, it will aggravate more pain and discomfort. Additionally, your knee will degenerate since knee osteoarthritis is otherwise called a degenerative disease, causing stiffness and mobility issues.

Knee Osteoarthritis includes many other symptoms such as pain at night time that will wake you up from sleep, redness, swelling, stiffness, and warmth. These symptoms will take hours to wear off in the morning.

2. Something moving inside
Do you feel something is moving inside your knee joint? The knee joint should move. However, the things inside the knee joint should not move around. Sometimes, a piece of bone or cartilage might break or loosen and remain in and around the joint region. You feel that the foreign object remains in the knee joint, which does not prevent the joint from moving. At first, you may not experience any discomfort right away. However, it will eventually create a problem.

3. Noise in the knee
While cracking your knuckles, do you hear a popping sound? Are you wondering how this sound arises? It occurs due to the release of gas bubbles.
However, if there is knee pain or abnormal swelling, you will hear a popping, cracking, or snapping sound in the knee. Do not ignore this symptom. If you ignore it, you may experience permanent damage to your knee region.
If this popping sound is excruciating along with sharp pain, the reason could be an ACL Tear. In that case, you should consult the doctor right away.

4. Knee instability
The knee helps us to remain upright. If it becomes unstable, it will collapse, which shows that there are some severe issues in the knee joint.

5. Swelling in the knee
If the swelling in your knee is very mild, you generally don’t have to worry. However, if this swelling is extreme and sudden, it may be a tear in your knee joint. So, never ignore the swelling symptom.

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Is It Possible To Determine The Cause Of Your Hip Pain?

 When people have pain in their hip region, most don’t investigate it right away. A lot of them tolerate the pain, especially if it sustains only for an hour or so. Only when the hip pain crosses the limit, they decide to consult a doctor. By that time, the condition might deteriorate where treatments don’t work due to delay. Physicians ultimately will recommend the patient for surgery due to failure in other conventional treatment methods.

‘Earlier the diagnosis, earlier the treatment’ – this should be everyone’s motto.

Hence, this blog article aims to present the symptoms of varied types of common hip-related problems and raise awareness of potential hip pain conditions. So you can get the treatment well in advance.

ANATOMY OF THE HIP REGION

 

The hip is a weight-bearing region made up of a ball-and-socket joint. The upper part of the thighbone is the ball region. Similarly, the portion of the pelvic bone is the socket region.

Articular cartilage is found beneath this ball-and-socket joint. It is the covering part of the bones which prevents them from rubbing against each other.

The hip joint stabilises the shape of the hip portion and helps to move the hip easily without creating any problem.

WHAT IF THERE OCCURS AN INJURY OR DEGENERATION IN THE HIP?

Due to overuse of the hip region, it is prone to injury and degeneration. Hence, your hip may undergo the following 8 common hip issues as listed below:

• Hip osteoarthritis
• Hip osteonecrosis
• Bursitis
• Hip tendinitis
• Hip labrum tear
• Snapping hip syndrome
• Hip flexor strain
• Hip flexor injury

You will experience symptoms such as hip pain, stiffness, tenderness, swelling, and limited range of motion leading to difficulty while walking.

Although all these problems cause severe pain in your hip, there are few differences in pain. So, let us go through them.

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Has COVID-19 Infection Affected Your Muscles And Increased Joint Pain?

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added muscle/joint pain to its list of COVID-19 symptoms in April 2020. However, COVID-19 isn’t the only cause of joint or muscle pain. Varied factors like influenza, chronic illness, and injuries can also lead to muscle or joint pain (arthralgia).

Here’s what you should know about muscle pain associated with COVID-19 and what to do about it.

STATUS OF MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS

According to the 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study, the global burden of painful musculoskeletal conditions ranges from 20-32%. COVID-19 has further increased the burden. COVID-19 has affected the respiratory tract and the musculoskeletal system, causing muscle pain, joint pain, restricted range of motion, joint stiffness, and fatigue. These symptoms persist for months, thereby reducing the quality of life.

People continue to suffer from these musculoskeletal problems even after recovery from COVID-19 infection. Do you know why? Here’s the reason!

HOW COVID-19 AFFECTS THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM

The systemic inflammatory response to COVID-19 infection affects the musculoskeletal system. The inflammatory molecules break the muscle fibre protein, reduce muscle protein synthesis, and weaken bones and muscles. For arthritis patients, it also leads to cartilage damage which might worsen the condition post-COVID-19.

WHAT DOES MUSCLE PAIN FROM COVID-19 FEEL LIKE?

At times, it will be difficult to distinguish between virus-induced muscle pain and exercise-induced muscle pain. Both these pains differ in type and duration.

COVID-induced muscle pain feels like pain during movements and tenderness while touching the muscle. It is more generalised, whereas; exercise or injury-induced pain remains more localised.

Regarding duration, COVID-induced muscle pain takes weeks to months to resolve completely, even after you get rid of the COVID-19 infection. However, exercise-induced muscle pain resolves within 48-72 hours.

Usually, in COVID-19 infection, people experience more muscle pain than in joints. However, if you have arthritis, COVID-19 might worsen the symptoms.

Original Content

Everything You Should Know About Regenerative Medicine

Conditions or ailments ranging from hair loss to arthritis are successfully managed by conventional treatments such as medications, physical therapy and steroid injections. However, they could offer relief from symptoms for a very short duration. 

While looking for permanent relief, doctors usually recommend surgery as a last resort. If you have experienced the same, hold on! Here comes non-surgical regenerative medicine that might work for you. 

WHAT IS REGENERATIVE MEDICINE?

The phrase “Regenerative medicine” was coined in the year 1999.

“Regenerative” is a term that means revival and restoration. Regenerative medicine not only treats symptoms but also aims to replace damaged tissues with new tissues by restoring the body’s healing mechanism, reducing inflammation and pain and restoring joint mobility. It tackles the root cause of the ailment. 

As we age, our body’s healing mechanism becomes weak. Doctors collect regenerative cells and inject them into the affected area to enhance recovery. The outcome would be a significant improvement in pain relief and joint function. Thus, regenerative medicine proves to be an effective alternative to invasive surgery.

WHAT CONDITIONS DOES REGENERATIVE MEDICINE TREAT?

Regenerative medicine can treat many medical conditions and ailments, and it’s proven safe and effective. And here’s a list of a few:

• • Shoulder – Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Rotator Cuff Tendinitis, Rotator Cuff Tear, Labral Tear or Degeneration, Shoulder Impingement, Frozen Shoulder, SLAP lesion, ACJ, SCJ & C-C Ligament, and Anterior & Posterior Band of IGHL 

• • Knee – Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Patellar Tendinitis, Medial Collateral Ligament/Lateral Collateral Ligament, Sprain or Partial Tear of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament, Bone on Bone Cartilage Wear and Tear, Meniscus Tear, Cartilage Defects, Tendinopathy

• • Elbow – Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Bursitis, Golfer’s Elbow, Tennis Elbow

• • Ankle and Foot – Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Ankle Sprains, Plantar Fasciitis, Ligament Sprain or Tear, Achilles Tendinopathy 

• • Hip – Arthritis, Bursitis, Osteoarthritis, Tendinopathy, Labral/Labrum Tear

• • Hand and wrist arthritis, thumb arthritis

• • Hair and skin problems

IS REGENERATIVE TREATMENT PROVEN?

As mentioned, the term “regenerative medicine” was coined in 1999. Though the concept is older, it gained acclaim in recent years due to the success rate of regenerative treatment. 

Regenerative cells use natural substances to grow into varied types of cells. This is known as differentiation. For the question of whether regenerative is proven, the answer is both yes and no. This treatment is well-proven, and doctors use it often for healing purposes. Unlike conventional methods, regenerative medicine treats the condition’s underlying cause and symptoms. 

There are various research studies to prove the effect of Regenerative medicine on treating many diseases, especially orthopaedic conditions such as arthritis in the knee and hip.

The application of using regenerative cells for tissue transplants, new organ growth, and chronic ailments cure is still under research, and many advances are made every year. 

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF REGENERATIVE THERAPY? 

Doctors administer regenerative therapy in five types: 

• • Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy

• • Stem cell therapy

• • Combinational therapy

• • GOLDIC therapy

• • Prolotherapy

Let us go through them one by one in detail:

PLATELET-RICH PLASMA (PRP) THERAPY

Growth factors are needed when the degree of tissue damage goes beyond the body’s natural ability to self-heal. If your body cannot secrete enough growth factors, the doctors will insert them. This is where PRP helps! 

The injection of PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) releases growth factors from platelets to stimulate your body’s natural healing mechanism to heal the damaged tissue quickly, followed by its regrowth.

In this PRP procedure, the doctor will extract blood from your body and centrifuge it to separate Platelet Rich Plasma aseptically. The PRP then will be injected directly into the damaged area using ultrasound guidance.

STEM CELL THERAPY

Stem cells are primitive non-specialised cells that can develop into any specific cell by constant division and cell propagation. Hence, a regenerative treatment using stem cells can be a life-changer for patients, especially those with degenerative arthritis.

Doctors typically extract stem cells known as mesenchymal cells from bone marrow aspirate concentrate or adipose (fatty) tissues. After harvesting and processing the stem cells, introduce them under ultrasound guidance into the affected tissue for quicker healing and regrowth.

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