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The National Poll on Healthy Aging reports that 7 in 10 adults aged 50-80 experience joint pain, and some young adults have joint pain as early as their 20s. If you're living with joint pain, and searching for answers beyond medication or surgery, regenerative medicine at Advanced Neurosurgery in Reno and Carson City, Nevada, may offer new hope.
We believe that tough problems like chronic joint pain deserve advanced solutions. Our board-certified neurosurgeons use the most advanced technology and groundbreaking treatments, offering effective care that focuses on healing, not just symptom control.
Regenerative medicine is the perfect example, and it's a natural fit for many cases of chronic joint pain.
Understanding regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine harnesses your body’s natural healing abilities by using biological substances, most often derived from the human body itself. Common examples include platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapy, which stimulate tissue repair and regeneration.
While this type of care may not be the best fit for everyone, it’s an increasingly popular option for supporting joint function and reducing discomfort.
What is the most powerful regenerative medicine?
At Advanced Neurosurgery, we use a safe and well-researched form of regenerative medicine that involves harvesting adult stem cells directly from your bone marrow. Bone marrow-derived stem cells offer tremendous potential as a healing agent and are the gold standard for applications like joint pain.
Our surgeons collect the bone marrow and its powerful stem cells from the iliac crest, the upper part of the hip bone, using a minimally invasive approach.
Our specialists carefully concentrate the powerful cells and inject them into the area of joint damage. Because these cells come from your body, the risk of rejection or reaction is extremely low.
Many patients appreciate that this technique offers a natural alternative to more invasive surgical options. For people struggling with joint pain, stem cell therapy may help delay procedures like joint replacement.
Three ways stem cell therapy may help with joint pain
Stem cells are multitalented, offering tremendous potential benefits for patients with chronic joint pain.
1. Reduced inflammation
Chronic inflammation is a leading cause of joint pain, especially in conditions like arthritis. Regenerative therapies may help calm the inflammatory response in the joint space. With reduced inflammation, patients often notice less swelling and improved range of motion.
A study found that bone marrow adult stem cell treatment in patients with osteoarthritis led to significant lessening of symptoms, with reduced pain and diminished inflammation of the joint lining.
These findings are promising for people seeking nonsurgical relief.
2. Improved tissue repair
One of the most intriguing and exciting aspects of stem cell therapy is its potential to help your body repair damaged tissues. Stem cells are the most powerful (and most unique) cells in the human body. They're "master" cells that can develop into any cell the body needs, even other stem cells.
When injected into a joint, these cells may help repair microtears, cartilage thinning, or tissue breakdown.
A study demonstrated that bone marrow-derived stem cells, injected in the knee joint, provided dramatic improvements for patients with chronic arthritis pain. Two months post-treatment, patients had improved cartilage quantity and health in the injection areas. They also reported significantly less pain.
This suggests that regenerative therapy could potentially slow down the progression of joint degeneration.
3. Improved mobility
Stiffness and difficulty moving normally is, unfortunately, a way of life for many people with chronic joint pain. However, as inflammation decreases and tissues begin to heal following stem cell therapy, many patients report better mobility.
Everyday movements such as climbing stairs, walking, and kneeling may become easier.
Stem cell therapy: New hope for joint pain
Unlike surgery, regenerative procedures don’t require large incisions, general anesthesia, or long recovery times. Most treatments take only a couple of hours in an outpatient setting. Patients typically return to regular activities within a few days, depending on the type of procedure and area treated.
This lower-impact approach can be especially beneficial for older adults or those who wish to avoid surgical downtime. And because the treatments use your cells, they carry fewer risks than more invasive interventions.
If you're interested in joint regrowth (not replacement!), stem cell therapy could be right for you. Call Advanced Neurosurgery to book your consultation.