Neck pain is one of the most pervasive problems in the world today. At any given time, 10 percent of adults report a stiff neck, while X-rays show signs of osteoarthritis in as much as 50 percent of the population over 50. As though that wasn’t enough, 40 percent of males and almost 30 percent of females in the mid-50s and 60s exhibit problems with discs, the round cushioning devices that separate vertebrae. Needless to say, treatment for neck pain is a serious need.
While it doesn’t constitute a deadly disease, neck pain does have the power to negatively impact a person’s life every single day. It makes mobility challenging, hampers daily activities, dampens the pleasure of human touch or hugs, and generally reduces the quality of life. Up until now, medical approaches have included chiropractic care, heating and icing, over-the-counter medication use and surgery. As a rule, those solutions are either too limited or too extreme.
Now there’s a new treatment for neck pain in town: stem cells. These “master cells” have the ability to transform into bodily structures that otherwise would not rebuild, renew, and heal. This offers a very promising neck pain treatment. But what is it? And how does it work?
In this article:
- Understanding Stem Cell Therapy
- How Stem Cell Therapy for Neck Pain Works
- Risks of Stem Cell Treatment for Neck Pain
- Neck Pain, Stem Cells, and the Future
Stem Cells As A Possible Treatment For Neck Pain
Understanding Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy leverages the body’s ability to regenerate certain types of tissue. A stem cell is an undifferentiated cell with the ability to turn into many types of cells. Pluripotent stem cells, those found in the human embryo, can turn into any kind. Multipotent stem cells, found in the adult body, can turn into limited ranges of cells. For instance, hematopoietic stem cells can turn into the wide range of blood cells, while other multipotent stem cells are found in:
- Liver
- Skin
- Teeth
- Fat
- Bone marrow
These stem cells, while they can’t turn into any kind of cell needed, are still extremely powerful. When injected into an area, they seek out damage in like structures in the area and begin to repair them.
In some cases, scientists will encourage those multipotent stem cells back into an embryonic state, creating what are known as “induced pluripotent stem cells,” or iPS cells. However, that’s not usually needed in the case of the neck, where the action of multipotent cells is often sufficient and have lower risks.
How Stem Cell Therapy for Neck Pain Works
The symptoms of neck pain are wide-ranging, including pain, stiffness, tingling, spasms, numbness, and lack of mobility. The causes are extremely wide-ranging as well, from injury to arthritis to disc degeneration and more. Traditional neck pain therapy or other neck treatments tend to focus only on one or two symptoms rather than the root cause of the pain. This makes them less effective and ultimately doesn’t solve the root problem anyway.
Luckily, stem cells’ promise to one day address many bodily systems, healing and rebuilding them, extends to neck pain as well. This novel treatment for neck pain may comprise a simple response to whiplash or a significant neck arthritis treatment, even for people who have suffered for long periods of time.
Here’s the basic process:
- Physicians harvest stem cells from adult bodily tissues, such as blood, fat, and bone marrow
- They combine these cells with one another and with growth factors
- Using ultrasound, they target the area of the spine needing repair and healing
- They inject the solution
Depending on the severity of the individual case, the physician may recommend more than one injection. Once inside the patient, stem cells immediately go to work healing the area, rebuilding damaged structures, and generating new cells.
Risks of Stem Cell Treatment for Neck Pain
The main risks of stem cell therapy involve the patient rejecting the treatment. Usually, this is because the body objects to a preservative or suspension used by physicians in the preparation of the solution. However, when using one’s own cells, as in this approach to neck pain treatment, the risks are far lower than when using a donor’s, in which immune systems can come into play and the results can prove devastating.
There is also the risk that the treatment simply won’t work that well. In old age, stem cell activity changes and gets less effective. Stem cells renew less frequently. Both intrinsic factors (those existing within the cell) and extrinsic factors (those having to do with the cell and its relationship to outer bodily structures and systems) change. They simply get less effective.
Keep in mind, though, that less effective than optimal is still more effective than nothing. Many people find that the risks of reaction and/or reduced effectiveness due to stem cell activity is still worth undergoing the treatment.
Neck Pain, Stem Cells, and the Future
Many people wonder how close science is to offering a widespread solution to the question of how to get rid of neck pain. The short answer is that it depends on what type of treatment the sufferer seeks. In mild cases, it may prove helpful simply to visit a clinic. There, a stem cell professional can remove some of the patient’s cells, create an injectable solution, put it into the neck and encourage regrowth of any damaged neck structures.
In other cases, however, this may not prove enough. In cases where severe nerve damage is present, for instance, the patient may need more extensive treatment. Ditto if the individual has suffered from arthritis or vertebral damage for a long time. In those cases, the person is likely better off speaking with a doctor about their options.
This is not to say that clinics can’t offer the right solution, because that’s not necessarily true. It’s just important to keep in mind that many of these treatments are new, and not all providers of them are honorable or knowledgeable enough. Speak with a doctor before making any decisions and research any treatment very carefully to see that it meets minimal safety guidelines.
Seeking a Stem Cell Treatment?
If you are seeking a stem cell treatment, we recommend you contact GIOSTAR, a global stem cell company that has treated a large number of patients.
In alignment with what we believe at BioInformant, GIOSTAR’s goal is to offer cutting-edge, extensively researched stem cell therapy options designed to rejuvenate and improve a patient’s quality of life.
Click here to Schedule a Consultation or ask GIOSTAR a question.
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