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How to Avoid Surgery with Stem Cell Treatment 

Surgeries are the traditional medical approach used to treat many injuries and conditions. For instance, damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is often treated with surgery. ACL surgeries are particularly common following sports injuries.

The ACL keeps the knee joint stable. When active people sustain damage to this ligament, they often experience pain and other symptoms. For example, patients may lose their range of motion, feel stiffness, and lose stability in their knees. Surgeries often present patients with painful and difficult recoveries.

Thankfully, regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, may offer a method for some patients to recover from ligament damage. For those patients who experience positive results, ACL surgery may potentially be avoided.

Downsides of ACL Surgeries 

There are both long-term and immediate risks from ACL reconstruction surgeries. Because of this, many patients choose to seek alternative treatment options.

Speaking with your physician will help you to understand the potential risks of invasive surgery. Excessive bleeding during the procedure is the most common negative side effect of ACL surgery. Infection after the surgery is another potential side effect. Even if an ACL surgery goes according to plan, patients may experience difficult and lengthy recoveries which still include pain.

For athletes and other active individuals, the time needed for these invasive surgeries can be a deterrent to treatment.

Stem Cell Therapy as an Alternative to Surgery 

Unlike ACL surgeries, stem cell treatments are minimally invasive. A stem cell procedure can be completed in a single day and patients often recover quickly from the procedure.

Those who chose to seek alternative ACL treatments may explore the option for stem cell therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells are a type of simple cell that can replicate and differentiate themselves. This means that stem cells can encourage the growth of the types of cells needed to heal an injury. In the case of ACL damage, stem cells can help the ligament to grow new tissue and heal itself. 

The Process of Stem Cell Treatments 

To enact stem cell therapies, medical professionals administer mesenchymal stem cells into the targeted areas of the body that is damaged or injured. In this case, the patient receives an injection in their knee.

Depending on the clinic and the extent of the injury, patients may receive more than one treatment. No matter how many treatments are needed, the goal is the same. Stem cell therapy can encourage the body’s natural healing processes. This may allow athletes and other patients to avoid painful and invasive surgeries.

This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions. Click here to learn more.

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