Natural Injection Therapy

Stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) used at Regenesis are autologous human tissue. This means these tissues come from a patient’s own body. We use these biologics in regenerative medicine to support the body's natural healing processes for several reasons. First, stem cells and platelets are key components of the body’s capacity to repair injured, degenerated, or diseased structures. When we are young and healthy these and other healing factors are able to repair damage from overuse, injury and disease. As we age, the viability, potency and concentration of stem cells and platelets the body can mobilize decreases and our body struggles to regenerate tissue as quickly as it degenerates. Also, at any age, our bodies can struggle to repair tissue damaged due to an acute injury or condition. When it comes to joints, the capacity of the body to overcome injury and disease is further complicated by the fact that these structures have relatively poor blood supply, making it difficult for the body to mobilize sufficient concentrations of stem cells and platelets to injured or diseased tissue to promote healing. Of course, since autologous tissue comes from a patient’s own body, there is no problem with rejection that would be the case with donated tissue.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with the unique ability to differentiate into specialized cell types and to self-renew. In the body, stem cells can be liberated from bone marrow or adipose tissue in one of three ways: vigorous exercise, hyperbaric treatment, or mechanically. At Regenesis, we mechanically harvest (aspirate) stem cells from the bone marrow of a patient's iliac crest (the large bone in the upper hip). To foster stem cell proliferation, implantation, viability, and angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels to improve blood supply to damaged areas) we add pre and post procedure hyperbaric therapy. Our stem cell and PRP therapies fall into the domain of medicine. Since stem cells and PRP are autologous, we are using a patient’s own tissue rather than drugs to foster healing. As such, stem cells and PRP are considered biologic products or cell-based therapies (when we treat joint injuries and disease they are known as Orthobiologics). Stem cells are employed in medical therapies to foster the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues, promote healing, and reduce inflammation. At Regenesis, we process patient bone marrow in our onsite lab for reinjection into patients as part of same day procedures. Typically, we reinject at least five hundred million if not billions of nucleated cells (bone marrow concentrate) of which an important fraction will be stem cells. We perform these precision image-guided injections using fluoroscopy and/or ultrasound.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a concentration of platelets obtained from the patient's own blood. At Regenesis, we typically see platelet concentrations that are 5 to 15 times that found in blood drawn from patients. We prepare PRP by collecting a blood sample and then using special centrifuges operating at precise speed ranges for specific amounts of time to separate the platelet-rich plasma from other blood components. PRP contains growth factors and cytokines that promote tissue repair and regeneration. Like stem cells, PRP is a biologic product, not a drug. Medical fields, including orthopedics, sports medicine, dermatology, dentistry, wound care, and aesthetics use PRP to enhance healing and tissue regeneration and repair.

While PRP has terrific healing properties, creating PRP that is truly platelet rich entails considerable processing of patient blood and lab analysis prior to use. The lab results for patient “kt” below illustrate how key constituents of patient blood changes from the initial blood draw to delivery of PRP ready for use. As indicated, patient “kt’s” blood had a baseline platelet count of 121×103 platelets per milliliter of blood. After two hours of processing, “kt’s” PRP with 1,113×103 platelets per milliliter of plasma (9 times greater concentration of platelets) was ready for use in his procedure. Of note, the resultant product, PRP, was no longer blood since processing it into PRP also removed red blood cells and many other inflammatory cells (the RBC counts fell from 6.22×106 per milliliter of blood to 0.05×106 per milliliter of plasma). This nearly complete removal of red blood cells greatly reduces the incidence of post procedure inflammation and pain.

Both stem cells and PRP have regenerative properties and therapeutic applications. They are part of the field of regenerative medicine, which focuses on harnessing the body's natural healing abilities to reverse injuries, tissue loss, and diseases that engender pain, reduces function and, in the case of Aesthetics, contributes to the loss of tissue volume that can result in a “hollow” appearance. Our use of potent concentrations of Stem Cells and PRP allows Regenesis to help patients increase their health span to match their lifespan while reversing the effects of aging.

Disease and injury in the lumbar spine can be difficult to treat and recover from because of the lower spine's complex anatomy and its important role in supporting body weight and movement. Traditional treatments often involve steroid injections and orthopedic surgery.

Steroid injections may provide temporary relief from inflammation and pain. Still, they do not address underlying disease processes and, with repeated use, they can lead to weakened spinal structures and other unwanted systemic side effects. Orthopedic surgery can be a more definitive solution than steroids but surgery can entail important risks, such as infection, blood clots, and nerve damage. Surgery also requires general anesthesia, which can be risky for older individuals and those with existing health conditions. Surgical fusion of vertebrae can also lead to adjacent disc disease, where discs adjacent to
the surgical site may degenerate at an accelerated rate due to altered spinal mechanics. Also, fusions employing metal appliances are likely to preclude a patient’s future use of effective medical technologies that use electric muscle stimulation (EMS) or pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) to rehabilitate or strengthen muscles, to treat level one incontinence or to aid in bone growth or healing.

As an alternative to catabolic injections or surgery, at Regenesis Stem Cell Center we offer our patients autologous stem cell therapy (the stem cells come from the patient’s bone marrow) and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP is processed from the patient’s blood) therapy to reverse the effects of osteoarthritis, stenosis, injury, and other diseases of the lower spine. Since 2014 we have provided hundreds of patients with regenerative therapies to significantly reduce or eliminate their lower back pain, allowing them to regain lost lower back function and a regain a healthier and more active life.

Our autologous stem cell and PRP therapies use a patient’s tissue to promote healing. Since we administer these tissues using precision, image-guided injections, our procedures are minimally invasive, avoiding the creation of scar tissue that surgery can entail. As a result, our therapies typically avoid the need for post-procedure physical therapy. Consequently, our bone marrow stem cell and PRP therapies offer the potential for a quicker, less painful recovery period. Our therapies encourage the natural regeneration of damaged tissues, including discs, muscles, ligaments, and even bone. These benefits are particularly appealing to individuals seeking to maintain an active lifestyle and minimize downtime. Indeed, our patients return to work and their daily routines within days following a regenerative procedure.

Our regenerative procedures reduce the risk of allergic reactions or rejection by using the patient's tissue. They also avoid the risks associated with general anesthesia since bone marrow stem cell and PRP therapies are performed using local analgesia and/or “twilight” sedation. Autologous stem cell and PRP therapies may also reduce the likelihood of adjacent disc disease by restoring the structural integrity and functionality of the lumbar spine more holistically, potentially preventing the cascade of degeneration that surgical interventions can accelerate.

While Cortisol type steroid injections and orthopedic surgery have been staples in treating lumbar spine diseases, autologous stem cell, and PRP therapies offer a significant step forward in significantly reducing low-back pain and improving function while affording lower risk profiles, shorter recovery times, and avoidance of complications associated with traditional treatments.