The shoulder joint is essential for everything from participating in sports activities to completing routine daily tasks. Unfortunately, injuries to the rotator cuff can negatively impact a patient’s quality of life.
Traditionally, minor rotator cuff injuries have been treated with oral medications that mask the pain and may naturally repair on their own with guided post-injury care. More severe tears may need surgical intervention, which typically involves a lengthy rehabilitation and healing process.
Fortunately, stem cell therapy has been shown to be potentially beneficial for managing rotator cuff injuries. This intervention is also being researched for its ability to stimulate musculoskeletal regeneration.
What Are Stem Cells?
Generally speaking, stem cells are naturally present in the human body and are the raw building blocks that the body uses to create new cells and repair damage. During stem cell therapy, mesenchymal stem cells are harvested from one of several sources. These sources include bone marrow aspirate, adipose (fat) tissue, or Wharton’s jelly. Wharton’s jelly is a material that is found in the inner lining of umbilical cords.
They are then administered to the injured area via direct injection and in some cases, a systemic application may also be added. Over the next several weeks, stem cells have the differentiation and regenerative properties to then start to stimulate natural healing processes and replace damaged cells.
Advantages of Stem Cell Therapy over Surgery
Stem cell therapy has been shown to be a potential treatment option for a variety of soft tissue and joint injuries, including the rotator cuff. Stem cell therapy is best used as a treatment for mild to moderate rotator cuff injuries, such as a partial tear or overuse-related condition. If a severe case results in needing surgical intervention, stem cell therapy can be a conjunctive healing modality to help reduce the time of recovery, decrease inflammation, and help in pain management.
Stem cell therapy offers many benefits when compared to surgical intervention. Once administered, stem cells have the potential to stimulate natural healing processes and repair partial tears with their regenerative properties.
Some of the possible benefits of stem cell therapy for rotator cuff injuries include:
- Avoiding invasive surgery
- Avoiding the need for a lengthy rehab
- Utilizing the body’s natural healing abilities
- Reducing pain and inflammation
- Regaining mobility and strength
- Resuming normal activities, including sports
If you are looking for an alternative to surgical intervention for your rotator cuff injury, then stem cells may be a great option to be explored. You may be able to avoid surgery and enhance your overall quality of life.
The first step to finding out if stem cell therapy is right for your shoulder injury is to speak with a qualified medical facility.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for Orthopedic also known as Orthopedic Stem cell Therapy. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.