Sports and Regenerative Medicine is a catch-all term for a variety of different conditions. Sports medicine started with the treatment of the musculoskeletal injuries that occurred while engaging in athletics and active sports. Normally the primary cause of injury was trauma affecting one of the joints: knees, hip, shoulder, elbow, ankle, and wrist. As sports medicine evolved, it also started to include treatment of the neck, back, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Regenerative medicine is the process by which sports medicine works. Many times, the ligaments, cartilage, and tendons wear out. With this new technology, the tissue is regrown from stem cells.
The symptoms of a sports injury usually arise as pain in the joints and muscles. For it to count under the umbrella of sports medicine, the injury needs to be some type of impact, injury, or trauma. There are some joint and muscle pains that would not fall under the treatment of sports medicine such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. The pain caused by a sports injury involves the ligaments and tendons that support the joints, such as the various ligaments in the knee or the Achilles’ tendon in the ankle.
Treatments for sports injuries tend to focus on getting the joint back to its prior shape. This is often done by replacing ligaments and tendons, such as in the knee, but at times, total joint replacements are sometimes necessary for those who have advanced pain, comorbid osteoarthritis, or have failed other treatments. With regenerative medicine, the process of regenerating the tissue is usually carried out by means such as stem cells. With the use of these cells delivered directly into the tissue, the cells can differentiate into the types needed to repair the joint.
When used in conjunction with traditional treatments, such as physical therapy and rest, stem cells have a natural potential to aid in athletic injury healing and pain management. Usually, the stem cells are placed directly into the joint, which targets the site of injury. The regeneration aspect provided by regenerative medicine for sports & athletic injury provides patients with an alternative treatment to research and consider when looking to improve symptoms caused by sports/athletic injuries.
Regenerative Medicine is still considered an experimental procedure and not approved by the FDA. Patients must consider realistic expectations in their research and possible therapy options.
