What Are Stem Cells?

An Overview on Stem Cell Therapy

Orthopedic injuries and conditions affect millions of patients around the country, as well as in the Chicago, Westchester, Oak Brook and Hinsdale, Illinois communities. Many patients begin treatment of their orthopedic injury with conservative measures, such as rest, ice and medications. When conservative measures fail to alleviate symptoms, patients often have to turn to a surgical procedure. This was before stem cell therapy. What are stem cells? Adult stem cells are found in a patient’s own body and have the ability to help the body decreased pain or inflammation associated with orthopedic conditions, or heal more rapidly by regenerating new tissue and bone. Dr. Nikhil Verma, shoulder specialist and knee surgeon, offers stem cell injections to help treat chronic tendon and ligament injuries, bone fractures and painful symptoms of osteoarthritis.

What are Stem Cells?

What are stem cells? Adult stem cells, otherwise known as autologous stem cells, are found throughout the patient’s own body and have the natural ability to help an injured joint heal more rapidly by regenerating new soft tissue and bone. Stem cells are found in bone marrow and can be used to treat a number of orthopedic injuries and conditions.

If you would like to see the leading research on the outcomes of biologic/regenerative treatments, please visit our research library.

Can Stem Cell Therapy Help You?

There are two ways to determine if you are a candidate for this procedure:

You can provide current X-rays and/or MRIs for a clinical case review ($250).

You can schedule an office consultation that should be covered by your insurance.

What is Stem Cell Therapy?

Stem cell therapy performed by Dr. Verma is considered autologous since it uses a patient’s own “pluripotent” adult stem cells and not controversial embryonic or fetal stem cells. A patient’s own stem cells can produce similar healing results without the ethical concerns of embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells also help eliminate the risk of disease transmission, infection and tissue rejection, often found in fetal stem cells.

Dr. Verma begins stem cell therapy by extracting stem cells from a bone marrow sample, most commonly in the hip region, and circulating the sample through a special machine where the blood is separated into various parts, including a combination of adult stem cells, white blood cells and platelets. The combination of cells and platelets is then injected directly into the patient’s injured area with stem cell injections to help promote healing and accelerate regeneration.

Alternatively, allograft (donor) stem cells harvested from otherwise discarded placental tissue may be used as an office based procedure.

Have a question about regenerative medicine? Dr. Verma answers frequently asked questions.

How Much Do Stem Cell Therapies Cost?

In patients who have exhausted all conservative treatment options, Dr. Verma may recommend a stem cell injection to promote healing and symptom reduction of the injured soft tissue or bone. Stem cell injections with Dr. Verma are $3,000. Since stem cell therapy is still considered experimental, insurance does not cover the procedure. All procedures require cash payment.

What do Stem Cell Injections Treat?

Dr. Verma commonly recommends adult stem cells as a treatment option for a variety of orthopedic injuries and conditions. Stem cell injections effectively treat:

Ligament injuries
Tendon injuries
Bone fractures
Cartilage injuries
Degenerative joint disorders, including osteoarthritis

What are stem cells? For that answer and additional information on stem cell therapy, or to determine if you are a candidate for stem cell injections, please contact the orthopedic practice of Dr. Nikhil Verma, shoulder specialist and knee surgeon located in the Chicago, Westchester, Oak Brook and Hinsdale, Illinois area.

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