Stem Cell Technologies
Cell Therapy Injections
REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
What is a Cell Therapy Injection?
Cell therapy injections use live human cells to replace or repair damaged cells and tissues. Spinal cell therapy injections apply this principle to the cartilage, muscles and joints in the spine. Doctors commonly inject bone marrow concentrate and/or platelet rich plasma in these areas.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TYPES AND SOURCES OF CELL THERAPY
How Does a Cell Therapy Injection Work?
Cell therapy treatments work by replacing or enhancing damaged or missing cells and tissues in the spine. The specific mechanism of action varies depending on the type of cell therapy used.
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP): PRP treatments collect helpful blood components, called platelets, from a patient’s own blood. Once the platelets are concentrated, a doctor injects them into the injured area of the spine. The platelets then release growth factors that tell nearby cells to grow and divide.
- Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMC): BMC treatments collect platelets and cells from bone marrow tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and other adult stem cells are components of BMC. Once the adult stem cell-containing BMC is prepared, a doctor injects it into the injured area of the spine. The platelets can release growth factors that encourage new tissue to form. The mesenchymal stem cells can control inflammation and help damaged cells recover. MSCs can also differentiate into cartilage, bone, and/or other connective tissues.
Cell therapy injections generally do not provide immediate pain relief or symptom improvement. This is because cell therapy results depend on biological processes that span weeks to months. Instead, patients often notice pain relief and other benefits 2 to 6 weeks after treatment.
You can understand this better by considering the nature of conditions treated by cell therapy. Back pain often appears after years of biological and physical damage and/or failure. Cell therapy injections are intended to address some of these long-term problems at the root. Since this requires overcoming months or years of damage, it makes sense that results take time.
PROCEDURE DETAILS
What to Expect From a Cell Therapy Injection for Back Pain
Cell therapy injection procedures will vary due to the injection location, the type of therapy and physician preferences. However, cell therapy injections for back pain do share a few common features.
Before a doctor prescribes BMC or PRP, they will evaluate the patient for eligibility. This evaluation includes a general physical in addition to examination of the patient’s symptoms. Often, the patient already has a diagnosis at this point. In such cases, the consultation appointment gives the doctor a chance to look over x-rays or MRI reports. These imaging records help the doctor determine if cell therapy may be a good fit for the patient’s condition. If the patient is eligible, they will generally schedule a treatment appointment for a few days later.
Before undergoing treatment, many doctors recommend patients stop taking NSAIDS. NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. They may limit the efficacy of cell therapy injections. Doctors may ask patients to avoid NSAIDs for the five days leading up to the procedure. During this time, patients may also need to withhold or limit doses of blood thinners. Patients should only alter their dosage of prescribed medications at the specific request of a licensed physician.
During the cell therapy injection appointment, the procedure generally includes the steps below.
- Collection of Blood or Bone Marrow: A healthcare provider will draw blood from a vein or bone marrow from the patient’s hip bone. Both procedures take less than 10 minutes. Bone marrow aspiration involves additional preparation, as a numbing agent is used to ensure patient comfort.
- Processing of Patient’s Cells: A trained specialist will process the blood or bone marrow in a sterile device. It takes less than 20 minutes to complete processing with the ART BMC or ART PRP. Once processed, the PRP or BMC is ready to inject.
- Preparing the Injection Site: While the specialist processes the patient’s cells, the patient may be prepped for treatment. The doctor may spray the injection point to numb the patient’s skin. Doctors often use an anesthetic injection in the muscle and other tissue around the targeted area. This helps keep the patient comfortable during injection. While numbing agents take effect, the doctor often uses x-ray or ultrasound imaging to set up the injection.
- Injecting the Cell Therapy: The doctor may or may not continue using x-ray or ultrasound throughout the injection. Once the needle is placed, the doctor injects the prepared cell therapy into the affected area of the spine.
- Monitoring the Patient and Releasing to Home Care: The treatment team will monitor the patient for potential reactions for a short time after treatment. Once they confirm the patient isn’t having unexpected side effects, the patient can be released to go home. For some spine injections, doctors may prescribe pain medication to help manage post-procedure pain. It is important that patients take this medication as prescribed on the day of and the days immediately following the injection. This helps keep pain under control and reduces the severity of post-procedure pain and discomfort.
Cell therapy injections can achieve powerful results, but these results take time. After a cell therapy injection for back pain, doctors often advise patients to limit activity for a week or two. After this time period, doctors may also suggest working with a physical therapist. A physical therapist can help the patient provide mechanical signals that help the cell therapy work as effectively as possible.