Does Stem Cell Therapy on Backs Work

Chronic low back pain patients face a world filled with bad options. Living with chronic pain takes a toll on your emotional and physical health, but surgery is invasive and often ineffective. One possible treatment is stem cell therapy on backs, which can be used to treat cases of chronic back pain where surgery has failed or is unwanted.

Potential Uses

Doctors are currently interested in using stem cell therapy on backs to treat disc degeneration. The discs help to cushion the vertebrae from one another, but over time they can become "worn out," or degenerate. This causes pain and other symptoms. Traditional treatments include lifestyle changes and spinal fusion.

How it Works

Stem cells are cells which have the potential to become any other cells in the body. Because of this potential, researchers are searching for new ways to use stem cells to treat damaged areas of the body. The idea is that the stem cells, when injected into the affected disc, will grow into healthy disc material, reversing the degeneration.

During treatment, stem cells are harvested from your own bone marrow and then injected into the affected disc(s). In contrast to other treatments, stem cell therapy has the potential to actually improve the condition of the discs, instead of just relieving symptoms associated with degeneration.

Safety & Effectiveness

Doctors are hopeful about the use of stem cells for back pain. However, this application, like many applications of stem cells, is still considered experimental. Although many doctors have seen great results from the procedure, there are no guarantees, and the FDA has not yet evaluated stem cells for this use.

Although the procedure is experimental, there is considerable confidence about its safety. Doctors have been using stem cells from the bone marrow to treat other conditions, like leukemia, for decades. This means that each individual procedure which makes up the treatment is considered to be safe for use. However, all patients should understand the experimental nature of the treatment, and the potential side effects.

To schedule a consultation about whether stem cell therapy on backs may be right for you, please click below and enter your information or call the Datta Endoscopic Back Surgery and Pain Center at (646) 374-1799.