Are Stem Cells a Safe Treatment Option?

Health media coverage in the United States continues to highlight stem cell therapy as a groundbreaking treatment. On the news or from our office, you may have heard how it can relieve chronic pain, treat diseases, and give you back zeal for living. Many people are sharing online how stem cell therapy has been a miracle versus surgeries or pills.

However, you may still be wondering if stem cell injections are safe for your body since the treatment is still relatively new. We agree that a cautious approach is wise for any medical method still undergoing research and clinical trials. Our team has kept up with the FDA’s authoritative guidelines and can confidently tell you that we offer stem cell treatments that are safe.

The FDA’s Approval Requirements

Stem Cell research so far shows that stem cells can repair, restore, replace, and regenerate cells, making it a potent therapy in regenerative medicine. Doctors are excited about the possibilities of treating different chronic pain conditions, including your back, neck, and other body pains. However, the government enforces strict guidelines to ensure the stem cell transplants you receive are safe.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversees and regulates stem cell treatments in the United States. This fact means that every stem cell clinic in America can only offer approved stem cell treatments. Also, treatments can be those that researchers are studying under an Investigational New Drug Application (IND). This document contains completed research that goes through the FDA for confirmation and circulation to the public as a safe treatment option.

Check Every Practice Before Treatment

The FDA encourages you to be wary of medical clinics that advertise stem cell therapies, but do not prove their treatment is safe. Your local clinic may provide stem cell therapy, but the government cannot guarantee it will not have disastrous aftereffects without an IND.

The best way to find out is to ask the practioner, which you should always do as a responsible patient seeking healing. If they are confident marketing their stem cell therapy in their office, they should be open and honest about the stem cells they use. Again, the FDA cannot guarantee an unapproved stem cell therapy will treat you the way you want, so you need to exercise caution.

Safe and Tested Stem Cell Treatments

As of 2021, the FDA has only checked off on one stem cell type you can rely on for safe healing. They are blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic progenitor cells) a doctor will extract from cord blood. For example, you can find these cells surrounding umbilical cord vessels as an insulating material (also called Wharton’s Jelly).

Cord tissue is rich in millions of adult stem cells called Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) that can turn into almost all body cell types. Also, MSC that doctors extract from cord tissues prevent negative responses from a person’s immune system. They are a safer stem cell treatment that has minimal rejection among most people.

Our office follows FDA guidelines with our stem cell treatments so you can have peace of mind about healing. We use Amniotic Stem Cells that we obtain from human amniotic fluid that adheres to ethical guidelines. The growing embryo is kept safe during the process and we prioritize the mother’s protection during extraction. However, other medical practices use other types of stem cells via bone marrow transplantation, which have also been successful and safe treatments.

The FDA lists all their approved stem cell treatments on their website that you can check out to learn more.

Unapproved Injections Can Bring Pathogens

One of the major safety concerns medical researchers have about stem cell treatment is that injecting your own cells could be harmful if done the wrong way. Ideally, your body’s immune system will not attack your own cells when used in a transplant. However, they could undergo manipulations after extraction because of the stem cell growth process, contaminating them with pathogens.

These manipulations have the tendency to stop normal cell functions and can produce negative side effects, especially if a doctor injects them where they do not belong. Unproven stem cell therapies may carry these problems, which is why it is crucial to only opt for FDA-approved treatments.

Negative Side Effects from Unapproved Stem Cell Treatment

You’ve probably heard or seen testimonies of stem cell patients rave about how the treatment has changed their life. For example, DVC Stem affirms that stem cell therapy can treat Parkinson’s disease, among others. However, there are severe consequences you can experience if a doctor injects stem cells into your body that the government did not approve.

The FDA cites two startling examples of patients that suffered as a result of unapproved stem cell therapies. The first was a person who become blind after a doctor injected stem cells into their eyes. Another patient that sought stem cell therapy without checking if the practice met FDA guidelines had a spinal tumor growth from injection for a spinal cord injury. Both are further proof that stem cell treatments can be dangerous when getting them from doctors who are willing to compromise your health.

We Only Use Safe Stem Cell Therapy

No matter what the media or your local medical practice says, stem cell treatments are only safe when the FDA says they are. The national government has done extensive research and testing to protect patients like you from dealing with harmful effects you didn’t ask for. They care about your overall wellbeing and want to see you get better rather than worse.

Our pain management doctors respect and honor the FDA’s ethical and medical guidelines by only providing stem cell-based therapy from their approved list. We take your chronic pain seriously and believe this emerging medicine is your step toward elevating your quality of life. Call our office at (480).986.7246 if you’d like us to tell you about how stem cell therapy can treat decades of aches and pains!