How much is a stem cell treatment effective for a knee?

Knee is probably the most hardworking joint of our body making it susceptible to injuries and chronic conditions such as arthritis. This could be extremely painful in performing day to day activities. The treatment regime usually includes use of anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy or even surgery. These days, knee replacement surgeries have become fairly common. However, getting the surgery itself is very challenging as it immobilizes the patient, restricting them to a bed-ridden state for up to a month. The procedure itself is very painful and could cause a lot of discomfort to the patient. This can deter the patients from getting one just due to the fear of surgical intervention.

Stem cell therapies are a new promising treatment for chronic knee problems. Stem cells have been proven beneficial in reduction of pain, inflammation and increasing joint mobility. Stem cell therapy can even prevent the need for future knee replacement surgery. Unlike a surgery, patients undergoing stem cell treatment have very fast recovery time and the patient can regain mobility immediately after the procedure. The procedure is very simple involving isolation of stem cells from the patient’s own bone marrow or fat tissue. These stem cells will be concentrated and injected directly into the knee. Healing will then occur gradually over the next few weeks. So, it is exploiting the body’s natural mechanism to accelerate the process of repair and healing. Some patients also experience immediate relief upon injections. This also means the treatment is very safe and since no foreign agent is injected, there will be no immune reaction and the cells are easily accepted in the body.

A lot of recent research has shown that stem cells can even help in regrowth and repair of cartilage. Patients show improvement even after a year of follow up with a significant reduction in pain and improvement in their walking distance. Stem cells basically release therapeutic growth factors that aid in repair and regeneration of the damaged tissues. Thus, stem cell treatment can be seen as a very viable alternative to avoid surgery and address knee pain issues.