For back pain sufferers, stem cell regeneration could present a less-invasive alternative to surgery and bring some much-appreciated relief from a problem affecting 8 out of every 10 people at one time or another.
Non-surgical spine procedures are typically employed for patients first reporting persistent back pain. When certain medications or other treatments prove to be ineffectual, surgery is often recommended. While surgical intervention can be successful, the recovery process can be long and sometimes present additional difficulties.
Stem cell regeneration involves the use of certain cells that can become specialized. These cells can then be duplicated to make more specialized cells, which will help damaged areas of the spine regenerate or reinstate at least some of the function that’s been compromised by injury or disease. Here are a few cases where this type of stem cell research has shown promise in the spine:
A 12-month study conducted by the Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates involved 100 patients. Some patients were given a placebo injection while others received either 6 million or 18 million stem cells throughout the duration of the study. Patients receiving the stem cells reported more sustained improvement compared to the placebo patients.
A Columbia Interventional Pain Center study involved 24 patients who also reported some degree of back pain receiving bone marrow injections. Half of the patients went on to pursue other procedures to deal with their pain. Of the 12 that only had the injections, 10 reported less pain within two to four months from the time they first started receiving the injections.
Another 100 patient study was conducted under partnership from Mesoblast Limited, a world leader in the development of biologic products for regenerative medicine, and Dr. Hyun Bae, medical director of The Spine Institute Santa Monica. The clinical trial enrolled 100 patients with moderate to severe low back pain as the result of early disc degeneration, persisting for more than six months. Mesoblast’s stem cell therapy product showed positive results, suggesting improvement in disc structure and stability. Click here to read more.
To learn more about stem cell regeneration for the spine, reach out to The Spine Institute Center for Spinal Restoration. Dr. Hyun Bae is one of the top spine surgeons in Beverly Hills and is actively involved in research and clinical trials for the use of stem cells to treat conditions of the spine. To request additional information or an in-person consultation, call (310) 828-7757 today.