First Rate Tennessee Stem Cell Treatments

tem Cell Treatments at Balance Medical and Rehab

The term regenerative medicine encompasses treatments designed to actually change a condition. This means improvement of arthritis, tendonitis, neuropathy, etc, rather than just masking symptoms.

With traditional therapies, medications have simply worked to provide a proverbial “band aid” with relieving symptoms. A classic example of this is steroid injections for arthritis relief. As a tremendous anti-inflammatory, steroid provides relief to joints that are experiencing degeneration due to wear and tear or inflammatory arthritis (e.g. rheumatoid, psoriasis). But the disease is not helped, and in fact there is some evidence that cartilage experiences increased damage from the treatment.

With regenerative treatments such as with stem cell and PRP procedures, we are seeing the best of both. Symptoms are being relieved, and regeneration is occurring of the damaged tissues. Imagine obtaining pain relief from arthritis and staying out of the operating room, or avoiding dialysis with kidney failure! The results are real, and the literature being published continues to display discernible and clear benefits.

Regenerative treatment at Balance Medical and Rehab involves amniotic fluid and platelet rich plasma therapy, both of which are safe and highly effective. Amniotic stem cell therapy has a plethora of advantages over other regenerative therapies including:

• No need for a harvest procedure from the patient.
• No incidence of rejection reported in over 100,000 cases.
• Over eighty growth factors which are critical for repair and regeneration of damaged body tissues.
• Consistent source of live stem cells.
• Contains additional regenerative elements including hyaluronic acid, cytokines, mRNA, exosomes, secretomes and anti-microbial components.

When looking at the literature regarding bone marrow, adipose and amniotic stem cell procedures – all have been shown to work well. However, none has been shown to be superior. So with all things being equal, why not use the one that is most convenient for the patient, has the least amount of complications AND takes the least amount of time?

At Balance Medical and Rehab in Milan, TN, the amniotic stem cell procedures are performed under an IRB approved protocol. The clinic is the ONLY center in the entire region to have this and the protocol offers an approved informed consent, proprietary data acquisition and a way for providers to share “best practices” with others nationwide.

With such a low risk, outpatient stem cell procedures offer a tremendous upside. Make your appointment at Balance Medical and Rehab today!

mniotic Stem Cell Injections

FAQ’s About Amniotic Stem Cell Therapy

Amniotic fluid has become extremely popular over the past ten years for treating bone, joint and soft tissue painful conditions, and with good reason. Balance Medical and Rehab offers the therapy under an IRB approved protocol, with experienced providers who are knowledgeable and compassionate.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions answered in easy to understand terms.

Is It Safe?

Amniotic therapy is extremely safe. Over 100,000 cases have been performed in Europe and well over that have now been performed in the US. No incidence of rejection has been seen, and the risk of infection is present but VERY low.

How Is the Fluid Obtained and Processed?

The FDA heavily regulates how amniotic fluid is obtained and processed. The fluid is obtained from consenting mothers after a scheduled c-section. The babies are fine, and the fluid is immediately sent to an FDA registered lab. Donors are checked for past IV drug use and other red flags in the medical history and screened out if necessary.
Using Current Good Tissue Practice Standards (an FDA term), the fluid is processed. No culturing or biology modifying enzymes are used. The fluid is checked for all types of diseases, such as HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, etc as mandated by the FDA.
Once the processing is complete, the product is cryopreserved using a small amount of DMSO and stored at -86degrees Celsius. It is not radiated, as that would kill the cells.

Is It FDA Approved?

Amniotic fluid is classified as a biologic by the FDA and not as a drug. Hence, it cannot be FDA approved or denied, only regulated. Amniotic fluid is classified as a minimally manipulated allograft under the CFR 1271.

What’s In It?

The amniotic fluid product contains a bevy of helpful regenerative components, which include:

• Growth factors – over 80 of them.
• Secretomes and Exosomes.
• mRNA
• Cytokines
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Anti-microbial elements.
• Live stem cells (non-embryonic)

Balance Medical and Rehab uses a top of the line amniotic product that is pure, safe, and does not contain any chorion. The product is immunologically privileged, meaning it does not cause the body to reject it.

How Well Does It Work?

Current studies have shown the amniotic stem cell treatments work exceptionally well for all types of musculoskeletal conditions. This includes joint arthritis, tendonitis, sports injuries, neuropathy and more.
Overall, excellent outcomes are seen in over 80% of cases, with results typically lasting for over 18 months!

How Is It Administered?

Amniotic fluid stays cryogenically frozen until it is ready for use. The fluid only takes 15 minutes to thaw out. It is usually diluted with PRP therapy and placed into the area being treated.
The injection area is sterilized just like it would be for any injection procedure. Your doctor will provide specific pre-procedure instructions to follow.

Is Treatment Covered by Insurance?

Amniotic therapy is not covered by insurance. At times, the treatment may be covered under one’s personal injury or worker’s compensation claim. By and large, however, the treatment is an out of pocket expense.

Balance Medical and Rehab are experts in regenerative medicine procedures. Several treatment options are available. Call the practice for an appointment today!

RP Therapy in Orthopedics

FAQ’s About PRP Therapy

What Does It Stand For?

PRP is short for platelet rich plasma therapy. The term refers to plasma that has a concentration of platelets that is significantly higher than regular blood. PRP has been in use for decades internationally and in the US for things like wound healing, ob-gyn treatments, ophthalmology therapies and more. Over the past decade, however, platelet rich plasma therapy has exponentially increased in popularity as studies have shown how well it works for musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis, ligament injuries, etc.

What’s In PRP?

PRP has several active elements in it. The first is a heavy concentration of platelets. These are critical to clotting, wound healing and several aspects of tissue repair.
PRP also has close to a dozen growth factors in it. These have fancy names like TGF-B and VEG-F. What’s really important about them is how they interact with the body’s own stem cells and elements of repair. They act by stimulating these processes which may include cartilage repair, tendon regeneration or something such as wound healing.
Another element of PRP is white blood cells. These spark up inflammation and are one of the reasons PRP therapy can actually create MORE pain for a day or two. Inflammation is actually the first phase of healing and ramps up the whole process, so it’s actually a beneficial effect.
One thing that’s really not in PRP is stem cells. It can act nicely to call in one’s own stem cells, but in fact PRP itself has very few when it’s processed and injected. So it should not be referred to as a stem cell procedure.

What are the Indications?

In musculoskeletal medicine, there are several conditions that have been shown to respond well to PRP therapy. The first is degenerative arthritis. Studies have shown that PRP works exceptionally well for helping improve function and decrease pain when it comes to mild-moderate arthritis such as in the knee and shoulder.
Tendonitis such as what is seen in the elbow, shoulder, knee and Achilles respond very well to platelet rich plasma treatment. Surgical options for chronic tendonitis just haven’t worked very well in the elbow and Achilles, for instance, so achieving the objective outside the operating room with PRP has been amazing.
Sports injuries such as ligament sprains respond well to PRP therapy. A great example of this was Hines Ward when he played with the Steelers. A knee ligament injury sustained in the play offs sidelined him and it typically would have meant the end of his season. However, PRP therapy allowed for a quick resolution and he was back for the Super Bowl within just a few weeks!

How Is It Performed?

PRP therapy starts with a simple blood draw from the patient’s arm of 30 to 60cc’s. The blood is placed in a kit with some heparin to prevent clotting. That kit is then spun in a centrifuge machine for 10-15 minutes.
The result is separation of the blood into 3 layers. The top and bottom layers are discarded. The middle layer, known as the Buffy Coat, contains the concentrated platelets, growth factors and white blood cells. That is what is used for the procedures, and usually amounts to between 3 and 8 cc’s total.

How Well Does It Work?

Studies continue to show the benefits of PRP for the various musculoskeletal conditions. Typically, PRP therapy is performed several times 4-6 weeks apart to amplify the benefits. Most studies show benefits for the knee, elbow and shoulder to range from 70% to 85% good to excellent for over six months follow up.

Are There Risks?

PRP therapy is very safe. The blood comes from the patient and it’s processed immediately. So the incidence of infection is very low and no rejection is possible.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy at Balance Medical and Rehab is provided by the top providers in Tennessee. Book your free consult today!