Sunshine Spine & Pain Institute is now offering amniotic stem cell therapy. Here are some frequently asked questions about amniotic treatment.
What are the benefits of amniotic stem cell treatment?
The use of amniotic fluid in medicine goes back over fifty years, but only recently has it been found to be incredibly helpful in bone, joint and soft tissue injury.
There are many reasons why it is so helpful. Primarily is that it contains a high concentration of stem cells, which help regenerate and repair tissue such as ligament, cartilage and tendon.
The second reason is that the amniotic fluid contains a large amount of growth factors, which help to repair one’s injury effectively. This includes everything from sports injuries to arthritis, nonhealing wounds and chronic overuse injuries such as tendonitis.
Amniotic fluid also contains hyaluronic acid, which is the “motor oil” of human joints and offers excellent lubrication for damaged joints and soft tissues.
Does the amniotic fluid cause any rejection reaction?
Amniotic fluid has been used hundreds of thousands of times in Europe and tens of thousands of times in America, with no rejection reactions having been seen. Amniotic fluid is immunologically privileged, as it requires that ability to protect the fetus from the immune system of the mother. The fluid is also antimicrobial, which means it naturally fights infection.
How is the amniotic fluid obtained?
The amniotic fluid is obtained from donors who are consented and undergo a scheduled C-section. Normally, the fluid is discarded.The fluid is obtained in a sterile manner, the donor is compensated and the fluid is then processed at an FDA regulated lab.
Once processing is complete, the fluid is then cryogenically frozen until ready for use.
What kind of stem cells are in amniotic fluid?
In the past, there was a large ethical issue when fetal tissue was being used to obtain embryonic stem cells. Neither of those are at issue here.
No fetal tissue is used at all, and the stem cells obtained are not embryonic. They are multipotent, so they are still effective at potentially turning into cartilage, bone, tendon or ligament tissue. But they avoid the ethical concerns of any fetal involvement.
For what conditions is amniotic stem cell fluid indicated?
There is a large range of musculoskeletal conditions for which amniotic stem cell therapy is helpful.
First and foremost, degenerative and rheumatoid arthritis can benefit tremendously from amniotic stem cell therapy. The procedure is safe, outpatient and usually very effective at delaying or avoidin
g need for hip, knee, shoulder or ankle replacement surgery.
Additional indications include overuse injuries, all types of sports injuries, and tendon or ligament inflammation or tears. This may include Achilles tendinitis, rotator cuff bursitis or tendinitis, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, spinal arthritis or degenerative disc disease to name a few.
Does insurance cover the treatment?
The material itself is not covered by insurance as the technology is too new. However, office visits, imaging studies and the injection procedure itself may be covered by your insurance.
Sunshine Spine & Pain is the top stem cell clinic in Jacksonville and surrounding areas.
Call today for your complimentary stem cell therapy consultation!
