How does stem cell therapy help in treating sports injuries?

Dr Venkatesh Movva, MD, Sports Medicine, at Regenexx talks to us about this new-found solution.

Debjani Arora | Updated: July 9, 2018 8:39 pm

Sports injuries are common in athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. Most people who are keen on fitness and want to lead a healthy lifestyle don’t just keep their fitness activities confined to a gym or a fitness center. Many do take up a sport to nurture a hobby and burn calories and this works like a double whammy for them. With an increase in sporting opportunities, there is also a rise in the incidence of sports-related injuries such as sprains, ligament, cartilage tears etc., to name a few. Sometimes these injuries could be so grave that a surgical intervention might become necessary. At times, even after surgical treatments one cannot come back to the pre-injury state and continue with their hobby. We spoke to Dr Venkatesh Movva, MD sports medicine at Regenexx to know more about it.

How does Stem Cell Therapy help?

Stem cells help in the regeneration of lost or damaged cells. Not only sports injuries, it also helps people with arthritis who suffer from severe degeneration of joints. Until recently there was no solution for these patients. However, with the invention of this therapy, a patient can avoid surgery or joint replacements.

In terms of sports injuries, stem cell therapies can effectively treat ACL tears, labral tears, cartilage defects and other orthopedic conditions like avascular necrosis. Regenerative medicine and cell-based therapy allow patients to use their own tissue structure, as against the conventional orthopedic surgeries. Here are 10 things about this new age regenerative stem cells therapy that you need to know.

In sports injuries where the tissues, cartilage or ligaments face the maximum damage, cell-based therapies help to regenerate these damaged or lost tissues. This type of therapy is safe and effective because it uses one’s own cells in combination with imaging technology. This harnesses the innate healing potential of the body to address the root cause of conditions with practically no side-effects.

How fast is the recovery?

The therapy involves injecting cells into the affected areas, thus no invasive surgical procedure is done. This ensures that the recovery period is minimal and the quality of life of the affected individual is not hampered. In addition, we are achieving natural regeneration of tissues, thus the therapy is safe and effective in the long run.

The cells extracted for this purpose are autologous mesenchymal stem cells which are multifaceted and capable of self-renewal and differentiation. These cells are also known as ‘guardians of inflammation’ as they modulate/regulate inflammatory processes in the body. Thus, any form of inflammation and resultant tissue damage due to the injury or surrounding the site of injury can also be treated with these cells. The cells regenerate faster and so the recovery is better than undergoing reconstructive surgeries. However, how much time it will take depends on the area affected and the number of times one has to undergo the procedure.

What is the procedure?

Autologous mesenchymal stem cells can be extracted from one’s own body (usually the bone marrow) or at times a matching donor is found, the cells are then cultured in a lab and then administered into the site of injury. They differentiate and divide rapidly and increase the cell count healing the injury. There is no downtime for the patient; it is termed as a walk-in walk-out procedure.

How can one prevent sports injuries?

Preventing a sports injury is not always possible, however, precaution such as warm-up and gentle muscle stretching should be done before starting a workout. This increases blood flow to muscles and tissues thereby possibly decreasing the chance of injury. However, in conditions where a fracture or tear has already occurred immediate attention is mandatory to limit the extent of the injury.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published: July 9, 2018 4:39 pm | Updated:July 9, 2018 8:39 pm

Disclaimer: TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any specific results as a result of the procedures mentioned here and the results may vary from person to person. The topics in these pages including text, graphics, videos and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice.

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