As an athlete, it’s crucial that your body is at peak performance. But any form of physical exertion can lead to injury, resulting in lingering difficulty to perform your best. Sports-related injuries are serious, preventing you from playing your favorite game. No athlete is happy when they have to opt-out of a game and sit on the sidelines or return home earlier than they’d like. If you’re in this position, having to watch your friends and other athletes have all the fun because you’ve injured yourself, perhaps it’s time to try stem cell therapy. This medically-advanced procedure provides pain relief and heals injuries quickly.
What Is Stem Cell Therapy and How Can It Benefit You?
Stem cell therapy is a procedure that utilizes the power of your stem cells, a fundamental building block of life, to heal your body. Stem cells are unique cells that repair your body by developing into specific cell types dependent on your body’s needs. For example, if you have torn muscle tissue and are treated with stem cells, the cells will effectively repair the damaged tissue by evolving into new muscle tissues. Stem cells are constantly at work in your body replenishing damaged cells. If they’re extracted and introduced directly to an injured area, the concentrated stem cells can speed up the recovery process and restore functionality.
The treatment is FDA-approved and versatile. During the procedure, stem cells are extracted from your hip bone (iliac crest) and put into a centrifuge, a rotating device that separates the stem cells from other bodily substances. The stem cells are then administered via injection into your injured site. In one to three months, you’ll notice improvements and be out on the field playing your favorite game in no time.
Conditions That Stem Cell Therapy Can Help Correct
Stem cell therapy has the potential to correct many issues that are the result of physical activity. Constant running could lead to the Achilles tendon tearing, resulting in the avoidance of your morning run for an extended amount of time. Or hitting the gym to lift weights could gradually damage your joints because of the pressure that’s put on your bones to lift a weight. These are frustrating potential outcomes that every athlete faces, but stem cell therapy can help if you are inflicted with an injury.
Conditions that stem cell therapy is beneficial for include:
Achilles Tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is a common condition that affects millions worldwide. When the Achilles tendon, a tendon that connects the calf muscle to the lower heel bone, tears, it causes stiffness and pain in the back of the leg. The issue is very common for athletes because consistent running eventually causes the Achilles tendon to break down and potentially tear. Stem cell therapy can help correct the condition, improving your recovery time and allowing you to go on that morning run once again. To correct Achilles tendonitis, stem cells are injected into the tendon, which then transforms into tenocytes, cells that makeup tendons. Gradually, the cells build new, healthy tissue, relieving your back leg of stiffness and pain.
Disc Pain: Pain in the back is extremely frustrating, as it makes simple tasks feel difficult. Sitting up straight while at the office, going for a walk with your dog, even sleeping in certain positions can be uncomfortable and make getting through the day difficult. Back pain is often the result of the outer layers of the spinal column tearing or the inner nucleus, which is primarily composed of water, losing fluid. These issues result in pain and a loss of flexibility and shock absorption, meaning difficulty playing your best. Disc pain can be improved by injecting stem cells into your lower spinal column, causing the stem cells to morph into the cell-type that will benefit the spine. Less back pain means better sleep and a better time playing.
Joints: Nearly a quarter of Americans experience joint pain. The issue is often the result of osteoarthritis (OA), which affects the hips, knees, shoulders and elbows. Although OA is a common condition among an older generation, joint pain can also affect many athletes. Joint pain results from the degeneration of connective tissues and cartilage, which causes severe pain in some cases and difficulty moving. Weightlifters are at particular risk for developing joint pain. The joints’ cartilage regenerates slowly, so joint pain can be a long and lingering condition that feels like it just won’t go away. When injected into the joints, stem cells convert into chondrocytes to build new cartilage. For an elder suffering from OA or a young athlete who’s just done too much lifting in the gym, stem cell therapy can benefit their joint pain.
Tennis Elbow: Tennis players are well aware of how debilitating tennis elbow can be. The condition occurs when the muscle that resides lateral to the elbow becomes strained after constantly hitting a tennis ball with a racquet. Playing tennis is no longer fun if you’re struggling with decreased grip strength, pain and range of motion. When stem cells are injected into the elbow region, encourage regeneration of collagen and elastin and transform into healthy elbow tissue.
Where Can I Receive Stem Cell Therapy?
Stem cell therapy is an increasingly popular treatment that has helped thousands of athletes play better and live better, freeing them of the pain and restrictions caused by sports-related injuries. Dr. Zvezdomir “Zed” Zamfirov of All Star Pain Management and Regenerative Medicine is an athlete himself and understands all too well the frustration that comes with injuring yourself during a game. He’s devoted his life to treating sports-related injuries and has become a true expert in sports medicine. Under his guidance, you can experience stem cell therapy’s benefits at All Star Pain Management and Regenerative Medicine of Annapolis, Baltimore and Glen Burnie, Maryland, and surrounding communities.
If you’re interested in scheduling a stem cell therapy consultation with Dr. Zed, please contact us at (443) 808-1808 or visit our contact page.