Osteoarthritis Stem Cell Treatments
Osteoarthritis Stem Cell Treatment: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. Although OA can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine.
Stem Cell Treatments for Osteoarthritis
Sometimes called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting many millions around the world. OA can affect any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and big toe.
In normal joints, a firm, rubbery material called cartilage covers the end of each bone. Cartilage provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion between the bones. In OA, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint.
As OA worsens over time, bones may break down and develop growths called spurs. Bits of bone or cartilage may chip off and float around in the joint. In the body, an inflammatory process occurs and cytokines (proteins) and enzymes develop that further damage the cartilage. In the final stages of OA, the cartilage wears away and bone rubs against bone leading to joint damage and more pain.
Risks of Osteoarthritis:
- Aging: The older the person, the higher the risk of osteoarthritis.
- Gender: For reasons still unknown, women are more susceptible to osteoarthritis than men.
- Obesity: Being overweight increases your risk of osteoarthritis in various ways; your weight may cause too much stress on weight-bearing joints and also the fat tissue may release proteins that may lead to inflammation in and around the joints.
- Injuries: If you keep getting joint injuries or have ever had a joint injury that healed, you at a greater risk of osteoarthritis
- Work, Sport: If you have a job that includes tasks that place a lot of continuous stress on joints or if you also do a lot of exercises that put a lot of strain on your joints, you are at a higher risk.
- Genes: If you have a close family member who has osteoarthritis, you may be at higher risk of osteoarthritis.
- Deformities: People born with any kind of bone deformity are at higher risk of osteoarthritis.
- Other types of joint diseases: People with other joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and gout are at greater risk of osteoarthritis.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis:
Symptoms vary from person to person. A typical symptom is a reaction to external natural elements like the weather, some people will experience different pain intensity based on the weather. Some of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include:
- Stiff joints: When you are at rest or still, your joints will feel stiff and then it wears off once you start to move.
- Pain: You feel pain when you are moving the joints or at the end of the day; the pain becomes more severe as the osteoarthritis worsens.
- Grating sensation: Due to bone friction, your bones may produce a creaking sound when you move or use the affected joint.
- Problem using a joint:You may experience trouble when using your joint; it might not move freely or it may be less stable.
- Bone lumps: When bones break down, the bits float around the joint forming lumps.
Stem Cell Treatments for Osteoarthritis
Beneficial Actions of Stem Cells for Osteoarthritis
- Reduce inflammation (anti-inflammatory)
- Transform into bone (osteogenic) and cartilage (chondrogenic)
- Migrate to sites of injury (chemotaxis)
- Communicate with and alter nearby cells (paracrine effect)
- Encourage existing cells to self-repair (autocrine effect)
- Regulating the immune system (immunomodulation)
Results Acheived with Stem Cell Treatment:
Stem cells have the ability to grow into various tissues, cells or even cartilages, and can help manage the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Stem cells are administered into the body using injections; once the stem cells are in the joint their objective is to fight off inflammation, to reduce pain, and to increase lubrication of joints by increasing production of synovial fluid.
- Pain and stiffness reduction
- Improved flexibility.
- Improved mobility
- Cartilage regrowth
- Muscular strengthening
- Reduced inflammation levels
- Reduced medication requirement
