Orthopedic regenerative sports medicine: info@austinorthobio.com
If you are suffering from joint pain, regenerative stem cell therapy may be the best solution for treatment of degenerative joint disease. Recent scientific advances in the field of orthopaedic biologics (orthobiologic “regenerative stem cell therapy”) have begun to uncover the potential of a patient’s own healing power in the treatment of chronic joint pain. Strong scientific evidence now exists that your own (“autologous”) stem cells and growth factors can provide powerful and long-lasting relief from mild-to-moderate arthritis upon direct injection into a painful joint. This is the basis for stem cell injection. Stem cell treatment offers a welcome alternative to knee, shoulder or hip replacement for a significant period of time. A mature or “baby-boomer” athlete can now participate longer in the sports and activities they enjoy.
Dr. Kelly Cunningham can help you with your joint pain.[/caption] Stem cell treatment works through taking stem cells (MSC) from your own bone marrow to initiate the natural healing process via maturation of these cells into cartilage and presents a “biologic scaffold” for healing in the joint. This tissue infusion also delivers a powerful anti-inflammatory signal to the lining of the diseased joint, often substantially relieving pain and improving function. These multipotent stem cells may even provide for cartilage and joint regeneration. No other injection can potentially offer that. There are many different techniques of stem cell delivery to choose from. The preparation and method Orthobiologics Austin chose is based on extensive experimental study and several years of clinical use in recreational and even professional athletes, exhibiting a strong record of success in relieving joint pain. With just one injection, pain relief is often profound and long-lasting (18 months or more).
While the process is FDA-approved, this specific treatment is considered experimental and not covered by most insurance plans (see the ABN). There may be a hospital or procedure room charge as well. As with all new and innovative techniques, further study is ongoing, but there seems to be very little risk of side effects, as this is a product of your own body. The only “risk” is that a more severely diseased joint may fail to improve. However, when regenerative stem cell therapy works, a consistent decrease in pain is very noticeable in a few weeks, often greatly improving joint function and mobility. This improvement tends to last for months or even years longer than that of a steroid or “lubricant” shot. The recovery process is efficient and fast. Joint soreness may be more noticeable for the first few weeks, but after just two weeks, you can resume minimal exercise. Physical therapy may also be recommended. At 6 to 8 weeks, if the pain relief is not 80% or more, an additional injection (PRP, not MSC) may be scheduled.
Feel free to review regenerative joint stem cell therapy with and ask any questions of Dr. Cunningham M.D. prior to deciding on a treatment for your joint condition. More information about these products can be found at AustinOrthoBio.com and the associated internet links.
Sports can be rough on joints and cartilage, especially shoulders, knees, and hips. Kelly Cunningham, MD, has cared for many young and mature athletes whose joints take a beating day in and day out. He welcomes patients from Austin, Texas, and its surrounding communities to experience the cutting-edge technology and skill offered by his team at Austin Ortho + Biologics.
Dr. Cunningham works with each athlete to develop an individual treatment plan that emphasizes the least invasive treatments possible with a goal of minimal recuperation and downtime. He combines rigorous standards and quality of care with experience and insight, integrating the best new techniques into the care of each patient.
His patients have included skilled athletes in football, basketball, baseball, and hockey, including members of the Dallas Cowboys at their Austin training camp, Austin Ice Bats hockey players, Southwestern University athletes, and many other college and high school athletes. He served for 15 years as a traveling team physician for the men’s alpine downhill US Olympic Ski Team, providing on-the-hill medical race coverage in North America and Europe, including qualifying races for the Winter Olympics.
As a sports medicine specialist, Dr. Cunningham also treats many seasoned weekend warriors such as runners, skiers (downhill, snowboard, and water), and tennis and golf enthusiasts.
After medical school and residency training in Dallas, he completed a sports medicine/knee fellowship with renowned orthopedic specialist Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colorado, and underwent further shoulder training in England and Canada.
While with Dr. Steadman, the originator of the popular microfracture cartilage treatment technique, he developed a strong interest in the care of cartilage injuries and now has more than 20 years of experience with surgical microfracture and related procedures. In recent years, he has closely monitored cutting-edge techniques as they’re developed for use in these acute and chronic problems.
