Regenerative Medicine is one of the cutting-edge pain treatment options we use at American Pain Institute. The theory behind Regenerative Medicine is that, for certain chronic pain patients, their discomfort comes from damaged, degraded, or injured tissues. Regenerative Medicine prompts the regeneration of this tissue, which then leads to a reduction in pain. 

Most of the cells in your body have specialized functions. Stem Cells secrete thousands of growth factors to regenerate tissue. Various roles of growth factors are to regenerate bone, muscle, ligaments, tendons, blood supply, nerves, cartilage and so forth. The Stem Cells, like other cells, divide and continue throughout your life. They also have the ability to travel or home to any damaged areas to start the repair process. Stem Cells are found in the bone marrow, adipose tissue, and lining the capillaries (the smallest blood vessels) in your body. What really matters is not so much the Stem Cells themselves but the growth factors they contain and secrete. The secretions of Stem Cells are Exosomes and they have been proven to be potent instigators of regeneration.

Stem cells show promise in treating many different conditions, from burn wounds to heart disease and diseases of the nervous system. When it comes to pain, we primarily use regenerative medicine in and around painful joints, ligaments, or tendons that result from arthritis, other degenerative diseases, or injury. We also inject growth factors into lumbar discs as well. We use Regenerative Medicine at our practice to treat the following conditions:

• Lumbar disc pain
• Joint pain in the shoulders, hips, knees, wrists, elbows, feet, hands, and ankles
• Neck pain
• Back pain due to arthritis of the facet joints
• Arthritis involving any joint in the body
• Tendinitis, any
• Bursitis, any
• Torn rotator cuffs
• Plantar fasciitis

As we discussed above, stem cells travel to the damaged areas and secrete growth factors (Exosomes) which promote the regeneration of all types of tissue (bone, cartilage, blood vessels, tendons, etc.) When injected into a knee, for example, the goal is for these growth factors to regenerate cartilage, muscle, or nerve cells, depending on the type of pain being experienced and the tissue that needs repair. We cannot guarantee that this will succeed, but the results are usually very impressive and patients report excellent relief of their symptoms.

Our practice purchases Exosomes from a Federally Certified Tissue Bank, which adheres to the same regulations as liver transplants, heart transplants, kidney transplants, and so forth. You cannot “reject” the Exosomes since they are not living cells nor should you experience any side effects except from the possible consequences of the injection itself. Pain relief usually begins several weeks after the injection; because of the nature of this treatment, your condition will continue to improve in the months following the procedure as the injected Exosomes and Growth Factors work to repair tissue damage. 

Because this technology is new, the only studies released at this point measure outcomes at the two-year mark. Those studies show that two years after the procedure, patients who have undergone injections continue to do well. The expectation is that unless you damage the area again, you will enjoy the relief that comes with restored tissue.

Please feel free to ask your Physician at American Pain Institute about Regenerative Medicine and if you are a candidate for this treatment option for your pain.