Why Athletes Are Turning to Stem Cells Instead of Surgery

By Hal Blatman MD on Sep 13, 2018 in Blog, Conditions, News, Treatments

stem cell injections regenerative meds

There’s a new way to recover from sport injuries and it’s not surgery. Now, athletes around the world are opting to visit a stem cell doctor instead of a surgeon. What are stem cells and why are more people avoiding surgery? Let’s take a look.

Typically, surgery is an invasive procedure that’s best saved as a last resort. This is because surgery is not only risk – it can have permanent consequences. For example, permanent nerve damage is a very real risk when it comes to surgery. And in some cases, athletes may lose some function or have reduced flexibility of a joint if surgery goes wrong.

A New Natural Treatment for Ligament Tears and More

Stem cell treatment is a new, less-invasive way for athletes to recover from sport-related injuries without undergoing the risk involved in surgery. The way stem cells work is that they are derived from the patient’s own bone marrow and then injected into the injury. So, for example if an athlete suffers from an ACL tear, which is one of the most common sport-related injuries, then stem cells can be injected into the ligament, which would increase the speed at which the ligament is repaired internally by the body. When it comes to ACL tears, this is beneficial for two reasons:

1) ACL tears can take a long time to heal. On average, ACL tears can take up to a year before they’re fully healed. And if the patient moves around too much, this can further prolong the recovery time. Unfortunately, for athletes, one year is too long.

2) ACL surgery is not without risk. If a patient undergoes surgery to the ligament, there’s a possibility they won’t regain full range of motion, which could effectively end their sport career.

Stem cells work differently. After they’re injected, they secrete signaling chemicals that help your cells repair the wound internally, just like when you suffer a cut or scrape and your body heals itself.

This makes them highly attractive for individuals who are looking to avoid knee surgery or ligament repair.

Hal Blatman MD

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