The spine or backbone is a supporting pillar that runs along the vertebral column and serves as a highly important structure that carries signals from the brain to peripheral parts of the body. Any damage that occurs to the joints in the spine can affect the spinal nerves and impairs the spine movement and other bodily functions. Orthopedic treatment for spine often involves challenges, especially when it is surgical intervention. Also, the spondylosis recovery time is more when compared to other orthopedic surgeries.
Stem cell therapy for spondylosis is an advanced non-surgical treatment option that avoids the need for surgery. Regenerative medicine has emerged as an effective long-term successful minimally-invasive treatment option for spine conditions like spondylosis. The regenerative strategies have the potential to treat spine conditions by enabling the body’s natural healing mechanism.
Spondylosis is a degenerative disease where the spinal discs and spinal vertebrae undergo wear and tear. It is a type of arthritis where the discs and joints degenerate with growth of bony spurs on the vertebrae. Although the effects of spondylosis are not severe, some people would require prompt medical treatment depending on the severity of the condition.
The most common types of spondylosis are cervical spondylosis and lumbar spondylosis.
Cervical spondylosis: It is the most common type of spondylosis that affects the spinal discs and vertebrae in the neck. The discs shrink, and there is a development of bony projections, also known as bony spurs.
Lumbar spondylosis: It occurs in the lower back where the discs between the bones in the spine become stiff and breakdown. It is often characterized by the bony growth where the annular ligament is compressed.
Spondylosis reduces the space between the spinal cord and the nerve roots that travel through the spine to the remaining part of the body. When the nerve roots become pinched without much gap, one might experience symptoms, such as pain, weakness in the arms, legs, and feet. However, the symptoms of spondylosis may vary in each individual, depending on the structural stress. Most of the people who are suffering from spondylosis experience stiffness while trying to move after a prolonged period of rest. Also, people with spondylosis face difficulty in maintaining balance while they walk and would also lose their bladder and bowel control over time.
Spondylosis is often associated with the process of aging. Shrinking of the discs that act like a cushion between the vertebrae makes the bones rub against each other that gradually develops wear and tear. The ligaments are the tissues that connect two bones in the spinal cord. The spinal ligaments become stiff with the process of aging, which further decreases the flexibility in the neck or back.
Occupational stress that imposes more pressure on the neck and lower back can result in spondylosis. Trauma from previous injuries to the neck and lower back can put a person at risk of developing spondylosis. Also, genetic predisposition can increase a person’s risk of developing changes in the spinal cord over time.
Treatment for spondylosis
An MRI scan will help the doctor visualize the structures in the spine and helps to identify the severity and extent of damage that is to be treated. When non-operative methods, such as medications, physical therapy and steroid injections, fail to treat the condition, the doctor would recommend surgery that often results in prolonged recovery and rehabilitation. Although surgery helps to relieve the pressure in the spinal cords, the time taken for recovery and post-management care is quite bothersome.
Advanced treatments for spondylosis
With numerous advancements in the field of interventional orthopedics, regenerative treatment methods have become the best non-surgical solution to avoid surgery. Stem cell therapy and platelet lysate (PL) therapy have been widely used across the world to treat various orthopedic conditions.
Spondylosis treatment with stem cells allows the body to recover the injury or damage by itself. Stem cells can differentiate into different cells in the body and stimulate the body’s natural healing capacity with simple needle-based injections.
In case of stem cell treatment for spondylosis, stem cells isolated from the bone marrow tissue of the patient are concentrated in a lab and re-infused back into the damaged part of the spine to trigger the body’s own healing mechanism. The process of reinjecting the stem cells into the patient’s body is done with the help of image-guided techniques, such as advanced X-ray fluoroscopy and ultrasound. This allows precise placements of the stem cells into the damaged part of the spine. Stem cell therapy for spondylosis had better efficiency in regenerating a healthy tissue, which does not happen with surgery to the spine.
Stem cell treatment is an effective treatment modality to provide pain relief and to release the pressure in the spinal nerves or tissues. Stem cell therapy has improved the quality of life in patients who suffered from long-term spine conditions that showed a significant impact on leading a pain-free life.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Do stem cells work for spondylosis?
Stem cells are effective in relieving the back pain resulting from spondylosis. Stem cells help to enhance the body’s natural healing mechanism by repairing and regenerating the damaged tissue. These therapeutic agents repair the damaged tissue and regenerate healthy tissue without disturbing the integrity of the structure. Apart from spondylosis, stem cells are currently widely being used in the treatment of various other spine conditions with the need for surgery.
Does spine stem cell treatment result in adverse effects?
In the case of stem cell treatment for the spine, the regeneration of the tissue occurs naturally without any hazardous side effects. Stem cell therapy for degenerative problems like spondylosis helps to achieve better results by employing the biological agents that exist in the body. Stem cell treatment for the spine is highly safe procedures that do not result in any form of adverse effects.