Stem Cell Therapy for Ankle Pain
Ankle sprains and strains are among the most common injuries in the U.S. While these injuries often resolve themselves with rest and ice, some ankle injuries cause chronic pain. In fact, 90% of osteoarthritis cases in the ankle occur due to trauma or injury.
Since the ankle joint is critical to everyday movement and activities, chronic ankle pain can be debilitating. Unfortunately, most patients who seek relief for their chronic ankle pain are told that surgery is their only treatment option.
However, regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, is an emerging therapy option for those suffering from chronic ankle pain and looking to avoid surgery.
How Does Stem Cell Therapy Work?
Stem cells are the body’s raw materials. They are undifferentiated cells that can become cells with specialized functions. Stem cells are found throughout the body, lying dormant until they’re needed to replace and repair damaged cells.
When stem cells divide, they create two new cells. However, in the right circumstances, the divided stem cell creates one new stem cell and one specialized cell. A specialized cell can be a brain cell, blood cell, organ cell, or any other cell that serves a specific purpose.
In stem cell therapy, a certified physician administers them to the site of pain or injury. The stem cells then go to work replicating themselves, creating more stem cells and the specialized cells necessary for healing.
How Can Stem Cells Heal Ankle Pain?
Weight-bearing joints like the ankle are subject to pain and injuries throughout our lives. However, as we get older, the body’s healing mechanisms work more slowly. The slower process can cause ankle conditions that cause chronic pain to develop.
In the past, the only non-surgical treatments for chronic ankle pain were medications and cortisone injections. However, cortisone injections can often cause damage to the joint.
Since stem cell therapy is a form of regenerative medicine, it works differently, focusing on healing the damage to the joint instead of masking pain. The injected stem cells replicate, differentiating into the damaged tissue and working to heal the source of the pain.
In addition to their ability to heal and restore damaged tissue, stem cell injections also contain hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar naturally found in the body that lubricates and cushions joints and can reduce inflammation and swelling.
Stem cell therapy offers a potential healing, non-surgical solution to debilitating chronic ankle pain. As researchers continue to uncover its potential, patients are reporting benefits from this breakthrough therapy option.
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. We also offer Personalized Pain Management In St Petersburg FL.