Regenerative Medicine Modalities
Modern day medicine has done a lot of breakthrough through
the years. Unfortunately, a palliative treatment seems to be left out and
increasingly unable to keep up with patients’ demand for effective pain
treatments, a particular need for our aging population. Yes, there are
conditions that can be treated effectively, but in most cases, many physicians
can only manage the patient’s symptoms by prescribing medications or orthotics,
not dealing with or unable to deal with the root cause of the problem.
Regenerative medicine, with the use of stem cell therapy or
similar treatments, is an innovative field of medicine that has the ability to
repair damaged or injured tissues, offering effective solutions for patients
who suffer from conditions that are presently labeled us incurable.
Regenerative medicine modalities include:
Stem cell therapy.
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to change into
cells or tissues to which it is introduced. Though the use of embryonic stem
cells has caused a lot of ethical controversies, the use of amniotic stem
cells, which are collected from amniotic fluid, do not pose any ethical issues.
When amniotic stem cells are injected to the affected site, for example in an
osteoporotic joint, the stem cells can differentiate into hyaline cells to form
the lost cartilage bone.
Platelet Rich Plasma. Platelet rich plasma or PRP is collected from the patient’s own blood, where whole blood is extracted, then placed on a special centrifuge to separate blood particulates from the platelets, which is then injected to the patients injured site. Platelets are special cells that are first to respond to tissue damage and are able to call on other platelets to cover the entire area that need healing. Platelets also produce growth and healing factors.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT). ESWT is a unique modality since it is one of the few treatments that have the ability to jump-start the healing process of non-healing or chronic injuries and move them back to the acute phase of healing.
