Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy is a therapy performed with the use of stem cells which can be harvested from blood, bone marrow, or even fat tissue. Stem cell therapy is still an object of extensive scientific research but it is believed to have a significant impact on patients’ health in a number of diseases. For this reason, we can hear more and more about using stem cell therapy for knees, stem cell therapy for cancer, stem cell therapy for autism and many other medical conditions. It is expected that research regarding stem cell treatment will only extend in the following years.

Types of Stem Cell Therapy
To most well-known types of stem cell therapy belong:
• Stem cell therapy for knees – stem cell therapy is believed to be a good way of fighting with knee problems such as knee arthritis. Stem cell treatment for arthritis is recommended by many specialists and thought to be the safest way of using stem cells.
• Stem cell therapy for autism – stem cell treatment finds also use in various degrees of autism. Many children reportedly got better after applying stem cell treatment for autism. However, the research is still ongoing as for possible placebo effect.
• Stem cell therapy for cancer – stem cell treatment serves usually as a complementary treatment together with radiation therapy, chemotherapy or cancer surgery. In some types of leukemia or myeloma, stem cell therapy for cancer proved to be highly effective.
• Stem cell therapy for hair loss – stem cell treatment may also serve cosmetic reasons. In stem cell therapy for hair loss, stem cells support the hair regeneration and may reverse the balding process.
• Stem cell therapy for diabetes – some doctors suggest that stem cell treatment may help people suffering from diabetes. As a result of stem cell therapy for diabetes, body regains control over the level of sugar.

How is Stem Cell Therapy Performed?

Stem cell therapy may involve stem cells harvested from one’s umbilical cord blood, blood, fat tissue or bone marrow. It is up to the type of stem cell therapy and the disease treated which type of stem cells is used in stem cell therapy. Injection of stem cells is performed in various places – stem cell treatment for hair loss will involve stem cell injections under the skin of one’s head, while stem cell therapy for arthritis will be focused on one’s knees.

Stem Cell Therapy Recovery

The recovery from stem cell treatment depends on the type of stem cell therapy. It may take days or weeks and show results within a longer period of time. Especially with regard to stem cell therapy for autism, results are expected to appear even months after the first cycle of stem cell treatment.

Stem Cell Therapy Risks and Complications

Due to experimental nature of stem cell therapy, there are many risks and complications possible. However, some types of stem cell treatment are safer than others. Especially stem cell therapy for knees is thought to be generally safe and well-documented. Risks and complications of stem cell treatment include depending on the type of the procedure, blindness, kidney and lung problems, and even, in the case of stem cell therapy for cancer, further aggravation of the disease.

Stem Cell Therapy Side Effects

There are no unavoidable side effects of stem cell therapy. Some patients may feel pain and tiredness but these should pass with time. For the complete list of stem cell therapy side effects, it is better to ask your medical provider before beginning the stem cell treatment.

Stem Cell Therapy Success Rates

There is no data available as for success rates of stem cell therapy since it is still largely experimental.