Pains of the back / hip / knee are not kind as we age, hopefully with regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle it may be manageable but in some cases its not the scenario. Why do we get these pains as we age? As one ages, the rate of turnover of stem cells and the ability to deliver the stem cells to where they are required diminishes, resulting in pain.

For many individuals the idea of undergoing a knee replacement surgery is frowned upon, in some cases patient may not be fit for the surgery itself. If you are in that situation and no longer able to do activities you used to because of knee pain, then stem cell therapy may be your best option. It may prevent the need for a surgery at a later date, all while improving your quality of life by unburdening you of your knee pains.

How does stem cell therapy benefit knee pain and injuries?

  • Decrease inflammation
  • Decrease bone swelling
  • Induce cartilage regrowth
  • Improve healing

Hip pain from osteoarthritis causes inflammation of the hip joint, leading to the breakdown of cartilage which is responsible for cushioning the hip bones. Older adults with brittle and weak bones, athletes who perform repititive twisting movements are at higher risk of developing hip problems. As the pain gets worse gradually, stiffness and reduced range of motion sets in.

Causes of hip pain

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Avascular necrosis
  • Hip fractures
  • Hip labral tears

Hip replacement is an option, but many individuals may not be comfortable with it, some may not be fit for the procedure even. Recovery times for hip replacement surgery varies from three to six months. So, stem cell therapy to reduce inflammation and relieve pain is a very promising option.

Chronic back pain is vague terminology, which denotes persistent symptoms of inflammation, disc damage and tissue degeneration of spine and its surrounding structures. Pain lasts three months or longer, after intial injury or underlying cause being treated.

In degenerative back conditions, ligaments surrounding the spine may fail, resulting in a misaligned spine. In these cases, surgery is the only option to realign the spine, while surgery may be successful the pain still may persist. Most individuals resort to prescription painkillers, although this does not solve the root cause and may not give the quality of life improvement a stem cell therapy would provide.

Causes of chronic back pain

  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Herniated disc
  • Sacroiliac dysfunction
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Spinal facet arthritis
  • Spondylolisthesis (slipping of vertebrae)
  • Post-spinal surgery pain

How does stem cell therapy benefit Knee / Hip / Back pains?

Adult stem cell therapy is minimally invasive technique, resourceful in treatment of structural and systemic aspects of joint pain. This substancially improves the quality of life, by providing pain relief, improving the range of motion and even reduces scarring in severe cases of degenerative disease.

Your adipose (fat) tissue contains the required components to aid in repair and healing of the body, it is the most abundant, accessible and potent for longer, source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) found in your body. Small amount of adipose tissue is withdrawn and processed to increase the concentrations of stem cells, when administered at injured site, they have the potential to:

  • Treat widespread inflammation
  • Stem cells propogate into the replacement bone or cartilage cells
  • Reduce scarring
  • Prevent any further premature cell and tissue necrosis
  • Stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, this promotes the rate of healing

The Procedure

Stem cell treatments at TheSwissClinic are minimally invasive, most often an outpatient procedure so patient may go home the same day. Recovery times vary patient to patient, we strive to keep our patients downtime to the minimum. What happens at our clinic on the day of your procedure:

  • Physician makes a tiny puncture through your skin either in abdomen or thighs, to harvest a small amount of fat.
  • The fat is then processed in a Lipogems device using sterile saline solution. During this gentle process of micro-fragmentation, fat is washed, rinsed and resized into smaller clusters all while maintaining its natural healing phenomenon. This closed-loop system removes blood, fatty oils and inflammatory cells, leaving behind the concentrated fat (pericytes) which is therapeutic.
  • Physician injects the resultant cells into the treatment site, under ultrasound or 2D-fluoroscopic guidance. This ensures the stem cells properly reach where they are required.
  • Over the course of next 6-8 weeks, healing process continues as nature had intended for us, all while having excellent pain relief.