by admin | Mar 15, 2023 | Health Awareness, Osteoarthritis, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Therapy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 25% of all adults in the United States suffer from arthritis. Arthritis can be a debilitating condition that affects many areas of the body. One of the most common locations for arthritis, however, is the hands. If you have hand arthritis, there are some things you can do to find relief.
Medications
Many medications have been developed to reduce the symptoms of arthritis and allow you to use your hands with less pain or no pain. The right medications can help reduce swelling as well as joint discomfort.
Some common arthritis medications include:
- Acetaminophen
- Corticosteroids
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Immunosuppressive drugs
While medications cannot stop the progression of the disease, they can help manage the symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, uses stem cells to promote your body’s natural healing process. These cells target the affected joints, reducing inflammation, pain, and aching. Stem cell therapy can also increase joint flexibility and help with the regeneration of new cartilage.
Management Strategies
Physical exercises for your hands can help you regain some mobility in your joints. You can also turn to hot and cold packs. Cold packs reduce swelling and pain, and hot packs protect against stiffness. You also need to consider regular rest periods since rest can help reduce swelling.
If you smoke, quitting can also help reduce the symptoms of arthritis, as can losing weight if you are overweight or have diabetes.
Arthritis Help Is Available
You do not have to suffer through painful hand arthritis when there are treatments available that do not rely only on surgical procedures. With management strategies like hand exercises, as well as with medication and emerging treatments like stem cell therapy, you can get the relief you need.
by Stemedix | Mar 13, 2023 | Uncategorized
Diabetes is a chronic condition that can progress in severity if left unmanaged. In many cases, untreated diabetes can lead to severe nerve pain. When you suffer from diabetic nerve pain, you may find yourself looking anywhere and everywhere for some relief. Find out how you can address your diabetic nerve pain.
What Causes Diabetic Nerve Pain?
Also known as diabetic neuropathy, diabetic nerve pain is the result of unstable blood sugar levels. When you have diabetes and allow your blood sugar to rise continuously, it can do damage to the nerves that send signals throughout your body.
The blood flow to these nerves is reduced, and they are no longer able to function properly. This leads to nerve pain, most often in the hands, feet, and legs.
Treating Diabetic Nerve Pain
If you develop diabetic neuropathy, there are several treatment options that can alleviate your pain. Learn more about each of these treatments below:
Blood Sugar Maintenance
The best way to stop nerve pain from progressing is by controlling your blood sugar. Practicing proper blood sugar maintenance and keeping your levels in a healthy range will stop the progression of neuropathy and prevent additional nerves from being damaged.
INF
INF, or intraneural facilitation, is another way to treat diabetic nerve pain. INF is an innovative treatment that does not involve any medications and is completely non-invasive. During INF treatment, blood supply is restored to the damaged nerves, alleviating pain and discomfort.
Medication
Sometimes, over-the-counter medication is the best way to relieve diabetic nerve pain. Medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and aspirin can all reduce the severity of your nerve pain when used for short periods. In severe cases, prescription pain medications may be needed to provide comfort.
Physical Therapy
Another way to address diabetic nerve pain is with physical therapy. Certain exercises and stretches can relieve the discomfort caused by neuropathy. These exercises include swimming, walking, and other low-impact exercises.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine is a developing field that aims to restore or replace damaged or diseased tissues. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high levels of blood sugar (glucose) due to the body’s inability to produce or properly use insulin.
One approach of regenerative medicine is the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to replace damaged or dysfunctional cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. These cells can be derived from a patient’s own body (such as bone marrow or adipose tissue) or from umbilical cord tissue (Wharton’s jelly). Although more research is needed to optimize these approaches, several studies have shown promising results in using stem cells to generate new insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment
Are you struggling with chronic pain and discomfort due to diabetic neuropathy? Diabetic nerve pain can occur when blood sugar levels are not managed properly. To stop the progression of your neuropathy or to prevent nerve pain in the first place, you must keep your blood sugar under control.
Establishing a reliable medical team and having doctors whom you trust can help you manage your diabetes and keep your blood sugar at healthy levels. To learn more, contact a care coordinator today at Stemedix!
by admin | Mar 1, 2023 | Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that occurs as a result of the body’s inability to create new bone as fast as the body is losing bone. Characterized by progressively weakened bones and decreased bone density over time, osteoporosis often results in fractures of the wrist, hip, or spine.
Currently, it is estimated that 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and an additional 44 million have low bone density considered significant enough to increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. Recent studies indicate that roughly 50% of women and 25% of men over the age of 50 will break a bone as a result of osteoporosis[1].
While traditional methods of managing osteoporosis include medication, regular participation in weight-bearing exercises, and eating a healthy diet, the condition cannot be cured through these current approaches. Recently, regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, has drawn attention as a potential new approach to regenerate bone tissue and as a way to treat osteoporosis.
Specific stem cells, known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are widely considered to be the most promising of all stem cells for regenerative applications – primarily because of their anti-inflammatory, immune-privileged potential and less ethical concerns than other forms of stem cells.
In this review, Arjmand et al. consider all the currently known effects of stem cell-based therapies, including MSC-based therapy, in the treatment of osteoporosis. Several studies have confirmed the relationship between osteoporosis and a clear reduction in endogenous MSCs’ ability to proliferate, differentiate, and ultimately form new bone. Considering this, MSCs have been the most common type of stem cell investigated for the treatment of osteoporosis in both animal models and humans.
The authors point out several advantages of using MSCs in clinical models, including their accessibility and ease of harvesting, immunosuppressive outcomes, and ability to differentiate. Arjmand et al also highlight evidence that indicates MSCs to be effective in this application most likely as a result of their paracrine effects and their supporting regenerative microenvironment ability and not solely a result of their ability to differentiate. Considering these observed paracrine effects, the authors believe MSC transplantation could open a host of new opportunities for the treatment of osteoporosis.
This review concludes by calling for further studies into stem cell therapy as a potential treatment for osteoporosis specifically to understand the outcome and biodistribution of MSCs after transplantation and to further identify important bone loss signaling pathways and genes specific to each individual.
Source: “Prospect of Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine in … – NCBI.” 3 Jul. 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7347755/.
[1] “Learn What Osteoporosis Is and What It’s Caused by.” https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/patients/what-is-osteoporosis/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2023.
by Stemedix | Feb 20, 2023 | Autoimmune
Autoimmune diseases are inflammatory diseases that can also be connected to chronic conditions like dementia, depression, diabetes, and heart disease. Usually, autoimmune diseases come with symptoms of inflammation, which conventional clinical methods treat through anti-inflammatory medications. The problem is that anti-inflammatory medications do not address the underlying causes of inflammation. There could be hidden infections, allergens, or environmental toxins playing a role in an individual’s autoimmune disease. Here are some ways to treat autoimmune disease naturally, without anti-inflammatory medications.
Check for Hidden Infections
Hidden infections, such as yeast, bacteria, and Lyme, contribute to inflammation in the body. By consulting with your doctor, you can not only check for hidden infections but also treat them. If no infections are discovered, it may be time to look into other potential causes.
Try a comprehensive test from Genova Diagnostics. These you can do at home and have a professional review and make helpful recommendations.
Check for Hidden Food Allergens
The way food is farmed and manufactured today is completely different from how it used to be. Foods today have been modified, treated with pesticides, and imported from all over the world.
Because of the global supply chain, we have access to many foods our ancestors never heard of. Because of this, food allergens are more popular than ever as people are consuming foods that weren’t introduced to their bloodline until recently.
You can visit your doctor to receive a food allergen test and get a full list of foods that prompt an inflammatory reaction in your body. The results don’t mean you have to cut out these foods permanently; instead, you may just need to limit your intake so you can feel better.
Try Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine is an excellent way to help manage autoimmune disease since it focuses on treating the underlying causes of symptoms rather than just the symptoms themselves.
Regenerative medicine has shown to be beneficial in managing symptoms of autoimmune diseases such as:
Regenerative medicine works by using stem cells to help repair damaged tissues and reduce inflammation in order to produce improve outcomes.
Want to Heal Autoimmune Disease? Focus on a Healthier You
The main way to treat autoimmune disease naturally is to focus on a healthier version of yourself. Eat foods that are actually good for your body based on tests to see what you can and cannot tolerate. Check for any hidden infections and move your body regularly. Finally, consider regenerative medicine treatment to increase the amount of healthy tissue in your body. To learn more about treatment options for autoimmune disease, contact a care coordinator today at Stemedix!
by Stemedix | Feb 13, 2023 | Neurodegenerative Diseases, Regenerative Medicine
While all injuries should be treated and properly resolved, there are certain injuries that can have more serious prognoses than others. Neurologic injuries are one of the more significant types of injuries someone can sustain. Injuries to the brain or spinal cord can result in various debilitating symptoms. Here we will learn more about Regenerative Medicine for Neurologic Injury.
In the past, a neurologic injury came with a dire prognosis. There were few treatment options, and many patients were left with symptoms like an inability to speak or paralysis.
Fortunately, advancements in medicine have led to an array of new treatment approaches to neurologic injuries. One way to address these types of injuries is through regenerative medicine. Learn more about how regenerative medicine can treat neurologic injuries below.
What is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, involves stem cells that are the undifferentiated cells of a multicellular organism. These cells have the capability to produce and regenerate new cells of the same type. For this reason, stem cells can be potentially beneficial when managing numerous conditions.
Stem cells have the properties to help repair damaged cells or replace them with new, healthy ones. This has made stem cell therapy a potential approach when managing neurologic injuries.
Treating Neurologic Injury with Stem Cells
Recent studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells can be used to manage injuries to the brain and spine. One of these studies was discussed at length at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.
A study by STEMTRA examined the efficacy of stem cells when treating patients with a TBI, or traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries occur when there is severe damage to brain tissue, resulting in the death of the tissue.
This scenario can lead to a number of symptoms, including the following:
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Loss of fine motor skills
- Difficulty speaking
- Impaired gait
- Paralysis
The study found that ongoing stem cell therapy helped a portion of these patients improve motor function and return to normal functional capabilities. Dexterity, gait speed, and even sensory reactions were improved with this stem cell treatment.
While studies are ongoing, stem cells are more often regarded as a potential treatment option for neurologic injuries. There is still research to be done to confirm how effective this type of regenerative medicine is for patients with grave injuries like TBI.
If you are interested in learning more about Regenerative Medicine for Neurologic Injury, you can inquire with a neurologist or regenerative medicine specialist at Stemedix for more information.
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