Arthritis is a condition where the smooth cartilages within
the joints start to wear or thin out, exposing bone and causing chronic
debilitating joint pain. Current treatments for this painful condition consist
of synthetic drugs or for more advanced cases, surgery.
The use pain relievers like ibuprofen, mefenamic acid and
the like provide temporary relief and do
not actually treat the joint condition. Chronic use of these medications can
also cause gastric problems if not carefully taken per advice of the physician.
Ultimately, surgery will be needed to replace the joints, in some cases repeat
surgery will be needed if the plates are not properly aligned.
According to the National Institute of Health, stem cell
treatments provide a promising alternative to surgery, as it offers safer and
faster joint pain relief and is offered as a conservative treatment.
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are found all over the body. They play a very
important role in the body’s healing process. They lie dormant until they are
activated by platelets when an injury occurs. Stem cells are also capable of replacing
old weak cells, rejuvenating any area of the body that needs healing. Stem
cells have the ability to transform into the same cells that were injured. This
may it be an injured ligament, tendon, bone, muscle – any type of cell, to
encourage and promote healing. Amniotic stem cells are harvested from amniotic
fluid, which are then stored for later use.
Procedure for stem cell therapy
The procedure for amniotic stem cell treatment is very
simple. The amniotic stem cells are placed into a syringe and injected directly
to the affected joint. It is OPD basis or outpatient basis, which means the
patient get to go home the same day of the procedure. There is no pain and
swelling after the procedure, no patient rejection and no allergic reaction.
