Growing older can be frustrating: Your mind says you can get out on that tennis court, but your knees are telling you otherwise. If your body is beginning to show signs of wear and tear, or it’s not bouncing back after an injury like it once did, it means your regenerative capabilities have weakened. The good news is that we can strengthen these resources through stem cells.

As specialists in the field of regenerative medicine, Dr. Warren Bleiweiss and our team here at Alternative Disc Therapy have devoted our practice to helping patients fight back against the aging process. Whether you suffer from degenerative disc disease or arthritis, stem cells provide your body with the tools it needs to maintain optimal health.

Right under your nose

Stem cells are the building blocks upon which all other cells are created, and they’re most potent and numerous during embryonic development.

Amazingly, these cells, quite literally, build a human body from the cell up, as they transform into different cells and then multiply indefinitely as that cell. As an example, when an embryo starts to form internal organs, stem cells can become kidney cells or liver cells in order to create the organ.

As an adult, you still carry stem cells in your body, which we call mesenchymal cells. These cells aren’t as powerful as those that exist during embryonic development, but they still have incredible regenerative capabilities.

Most stem cells are found in your bone marrow or in your fat tissue. At our practice, we aspirate the cells from your bone marrow and redirect them into damaged tissues to encourage healing and repair.

Where stem cells can help

While the medical world has long recognized the power of stem cells, harnessing this power has been a fairly recent breakthrough.

Through our stem cells, we address a number of musculoskeletal problems, including arthritis and degenerative disc disease.

Arthritis

Let’s start with arthritis, which affects 23% of all adults in the United States. While there are many different forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is by far the most common. With OA, the protective cartilage inside your joints begins to wear down, which creates pain and inflammation in the joint.

One of the main hurdles when it comes to OA is that your cartilage doesn’t enjoy a good blood supply, which means its ability to regenerate is severely hampered. Through stem cells, we introduce those resources to help your cartilage rebuild and heal.

To put some numbers to the success of this approach to OA, one study among 42 candidates for total knee replacement found that 97% of these patients were able to avoid this invasive surgery at the one-year mark, and 86% at the two-year mark — all thanks to regenerative medicine, including autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells.

If you’re struggling with joint pain and you want to avoid joint replacement surgery, stem cells may hold the key.

Degenerative disc disease

Another area where stem cells has been very successful is combatting degenerative disc disease. This problem is one that affects most people as they age and their discs begin to break down and lose moisture, leaving them vulnerable to rupture and bulging.

Through stem cells, we stimulate a renewal process in your discs, helping them to strengthen and repair themselves.

While arthritis and degenerative disc disease are two of the more common ailments we can improve through stem cells, we can help many areas of the body that don’t have the resources needed to repair and rebuild.

To learn more about how stem cells can help rebuild your body from within, contact our office in Caldwell, New Jersey, to set up a consultation.