What is regenerative medicine?
Your body relies on two primary types of regenerative cells: platelets and stem cells. Platelets activate healing, while stem cells create the new cells needed to repair damaged and diseased tissues.
Regenerative medicine turns these natural cells into an effective treatment by injecting a concentrated dose of platelets, stem cells, or both, directly at the site of your injury.
What regenerative benefits do I gain from platelets?
Platelets trigger healing by releasing proteins called growth factors. There are many growth factors and each one has a specific job. As a group, however, growth factors:
- Accelerate healing
- Reduce inflammation
- Recruit stem cells
- Protect healthy tissues
- Stimulate the growth of new blood vessels
Growth factors also build a matrix that supports the new cells created by stem cells.
What regenerative benefits do I gain from stem cells?
Stem cells self-replicate to create new cells. Then the new cells develop into every type of cell needed to rebuild tissues and heal your injury.
Many different types of stem cells live throughout your body. Mesenchymal stem cells are one type used to treat musculoskeletal injuries and degenerative diseases because these cells regenerate ligaments, tendons, cartilage, muscles, collagen, skin, and blood vessels.
What conditions are treated with regenerative medicine?
Dr. Amin injects platelets in the form of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and/or stem cells to relieve chronic pain and improve healing in conditions such as:
- Osteoarthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Tennis elbow
- Tendonitis
- ACL and MCL tears
- Rotator cuff tears
- Plantar fasciitis
- Ligament, muscle, and tendon injuries
Regenerative medicine is especially beneficial if you injure tissues that have a limited blood supply, such as ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.
Dr. Amin may also recommend PRP and stem cell injections if your injury is severe, you need faster healing after surgery, or your age has slowed down your body’s regenerative process.
Where do platelets and stem cells come from?
Dr. Amin produces platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the office by drawing a sample of your blood and processing it in a centrifuge that separates platelets from the other blood components. He mixes the concentrated platelets with some of the liquid plasma, creating PRP that’s immediately used for your injection.
Dr. Amin uses mesenchymal stem cells harvested from umbilical cords that were freely donated by women after they delivered a healthy baby. The stem cells are carefully extracted, processed, tested, and cryogenically preserved by Predictive Biotech.
To learn if regenerative medicine can relieve your pain, call American Pain Experts or book an appointment online.
