Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative Medicine in New York City
Regenerative medicine is a broad branch of medicine that deals with the creation of living, functional tissues to repair or replace damaged or diseased tissues and organs in order to restore normal function. Regenerative medicine is a groundbreaking field that is transforming patient care. It works by one of two mechanisms:
- Restoring damaged tissues and organs in the body by stimulating organs to heal themselves
- Empowering scientists to grow tissues and organs in the lab, which can then be transplanted into patients in situations where the body cannot heal itself
Regenerative Treatments
Regenerative medicine includes treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, prolotherapy, stem cell therapy, tissue engineering (the development of bio-artificial tissues and organs to replace diseased or damaged tissues/organs), and cellular therapy (the use of live cells to replace defective ones in order to restore normal organ function).
The Center for Comprehensive Spine Care currently offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, prolotherapy, and AmnioFix to treat various spinal conditions and related pain.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
PRP therapy uses platelets isolated from a patient’s own blood to heal injured tissues. The platelets are separated from the blood and concentrated in a centrifuge, and then injected into the injured area. Once injected, the concentrated platelets recruit stem cells to initiate repair of the damaged tissue. PRP enhances the body’s natural healing process by delivering a higher concentration of platelets to the injured area. It is proven treatment to heal damaged tissue and provide pain relief associated with back injuries.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy involves injecting a substance (typically a natural substance plus an anesthetic agent) near the site of damaged tissues (e.g. muscles, ligaments, tendons) to stimulate the body’s natural healing process. When connective tissues like ligaments and tendons become stretched or torn, the joint supporting them can become destabilized; this destabilization is often the cause of a person’s pain.
The injectate in prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair the weakened site and produce new tissue; this leads to permanent stabilization of the joint, often resolving the pain. Prolotherapy can be used to treat low- or mid-back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, wrist or hand pain, and other problems/areas.
AmnioFix
A product derived from human tissues (the amniotic membrane), AmnioFix contains potent growth factors that help the body’s cells repair damaged tissue. AmnioFix helps reduce inflammation and scar tissue formation, and it enhances the healing of micro-tears in soft tissues. It is an effective treatment for back pain resulting from soft tissue damage, tendonitis, and other conditions.
Stem Cell Therapy
What is stem cell therapy? A form of regenerative medicine that utilizes the body’s natural healing mechanism to treat various conditions, stem cell therapy is used to renew and repair diseased or damaged tissues through cell regeneration. It has shown promising results in treatments of various orthopedic and other conditions.
There are two major types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from human embryos and are pluripotent, which means they have the ability to develop into almost any of the various cell types of the body.
As a human embryo develops and forms a baby, stem cells are distributed throughout the body where they reside in specific pockets of each tissue, such as the bone marrow and blood. As we age, these cells—called adult stem cell or somatic stem cells—function to renew old and worn out tissue cells. Like embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells can also replicate into more than one cell type, but their replication is restricted to a limited number of cell types. Adult stem cell therapy is often used for bone marrow transplants, and multiple sclerosis (MS) stem cell treatment shows promise, although more research is needed.
Regenerative Medicine Treatment for Back Pain
In addition to PRP therapy, prolotherapy, and AmnioFix, the doctors at the Center for Comprehensive Spine Care hope to soon offer stem cell therapy in New York. Our medical center is at the forefront of cutting-edge research, and we are always seeking out innovative treatment approaches to improve the quality of life for our patients.
Entrust the experts at our center with your care—we are New York’s regenerative medicine specialists. Schedule an appointment with our specialists.
We’ve Got Your Back
For more information about our treatment options, contact our office today.