Treating Joint Degeneration with Stem Cell Therapy in Charlotte, NC

Stem cell therapy is becoming popular in regenerative treatments for joint degeneration (osteoarthritis). Due to stem cells’ unique capacity to promote articular cartilage repair, patients with joint degeneration can improve their conditions. Stem Cell Carolina uses stem cell therapy in Charlotte, NC, to help alleviate pain associated with osteoarthritis and other joint-related conditions. Understanding the usefulness of this therapy and its regenerative ability is key to getting the most out of the treatment. Our physiatrist in Charlotte, Dr. Usman Ahmad, has been using regenerative procedures to correct various pains associated with the joints. In this guide, he discusses how stem cell therapy can help improve joint degeneration. Let’s dive in.

What is Joint Degeneration (Osteoarthritis)?

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis that affects joints. Physiatrists and healthcare providers worldwide often call it degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that lines your joint degenerates or wears down over time, and your bones rub together when the affected joint is used. The edges of bones in your joints are covered in a layer of tough, smooth cartilage, which serves as a two-in-one shock absorber and lubricant. Cartilage helps the bones in your joint move past each other safely and smoothly. Hence, if you’re experiencing osteoarthritis, it indicates that the cartilage in the affected joint is worn down, causing your bones to rub against each other when the affected joint moves or rotates. Joint degeneration can occur in any of your joints, but it commonly occurs in:

• Lumbar back (lumbar spine)
• Neck (Cervical spine)
• Hands
• Knees
• Hips

What Causes Osteoarthritis?

Practitioners of joint health aren’t sure of what causes osteoarthritis. However, this condition is divided into two types- primary osteoarthritis and secondary osteoarthritis. Primary osteoarthritis usually becomes evident slowly as you age. As you grow older, normal wear and tear on your joints might cause cartilage breakdown. Secondary osteoarthritis occurs when a joint is damaged by an external factor, causing osteoarthritis. These include:

• Sport injuries
• Car accidents
• Falls
• Health conditions, such as Ehlers-Danlos or joint hypermobility syndrome.

Some forms of arthritis, especially inflammatory arthritis, can also cause osteoarthritis. Examples include:

• Gout
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis

Understanding Stem Cell Therapy in Charlotte

Stem cells do not have a specific function in the body. Instead, they have the unique capability to develop into many kinds of cells required by the body. With stem cell therapy, Dr. Ahmad uses stem cells taken from your bone marrow or fat to replace diseased and dead cells within the body. There are over 200 distinct types of cells in the human body, and each cell has specific characteristics that allow it to carry out a particular responsibility. Cells performing similar roles come together to form tissues, which then organize to form the various body organs. The heart is an excellent example of an organ made from the collection of muscle tissues. When applying the cells to regenerative medicine, our physiatrist collects and concentrates the cells from your body using special equipment. The stem cells are then injected into the patient’s injured area, such as a joint or tendon. The cells then begin to replace the damaged cells in that area.

How Stem Cell Therapy Can Help Treat Joint Degeneration (Osteoarthritis)

Stem cells can help reduce symptoms related to damaged tissues and degenerated joints. As indicated earlier, inflammation results in cartilage loss, which damages the joint and nearby bone. To help treat osteoarthritis, Dr. Ahmad extracts the Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can develop into cartilage and bone. He prepares them and injects them directly into the affected joints and surrounding tissues. A breakdown of how our stem cell therapy for treating osteoarthritis in Charlotte is given below:

Harvesting the Cells

First, Dr. Ahmad will harvest your bone marrow or adipose tissue. Bone marrow is usually taken from the back of the hip, and adipose tissue is taken from the flank area. Local anesthetic is used to make the procedure as comfortable as possible. 

Processing

The adipose or bone marrow is placed into specialized equipment during the processing or preparation. Here, the regenerative cells are isolated and concentrated at a hyper-physiological level. This helps create a highly effective and injectable treatment. 

Administering

After concentrating the stem cells to the desired levels, Dr. Ahmad injects them into the body, targeting diseased or damaged areas.

Benefits of Receiving Stem Cell Therapy Through Stem Cell Carolina

When it comes to safety, minimal invasiveness, quality of life, and clinical outcomes stem cell therapy has potentially benefitted patients with degenerative joint diseases. Some benefits of receiving stem cell therapy in our office include:

• Improved symptom relief
• Immune system modulation
• Disease modification 
• Improved quality of life
• Tissue regeneration
• Safety

Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Usman Ahmad

Our physiatrist, Dr. Usman Ahmad, focuses on providing safe, efficient, and patient-centric care through regenerative medicine. We use stem cell therapy in Charlotte to provide less invasive treatments for various joints and muscle conditions. Our patients have seen tremendous improvement in their joints’ functionalities and have also gotten relief from pain after our treatments. If you are diagnosed with osteoarthritis or other joint-related issues, don’t hesitate to contact us or schedule an appointment with our physiatrist in Charlotte. We are all about helping you manage pain with regenerative medicine. Disclaimer: The benefits of regenerative medicine have not been reviewed or approved by the FDA.