Joint pain can be debilitating. Since joints connect bones, they are an integral part of each movement we make, all day, every day. When pain is associated with movement, a patient's quality of life can be drastically reduced. The Center for Disease control reports that at least 30 percent of Americans suffer from joint pain. New research into adult stem cell therapy, is showing hope for those suffering from joint pain that doesn't involve medications or invasive surgeries.

What Are Adult Stem Cells and Where Do They Come from?
The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons describes mesenchymal stem cells, commonly referred to simply as stem cells, in an easy to understand way as cells that are still deciding what they are going to be and where they are going to go in the body. That's exactly what makes them so beneficial according to Dr. Naota Hashimoto, DC, of Desert Medical Care and Wellness in La Quinta, California.

"These adult stem cells can be used to replace lost, damaged and aging cells in the body and even regenerate tissue," Hashimoto said.

"Stem cell therapy uses a patient's own cells to repair injuries and tissue in a simple in-office procedure."

In most cases, the best sources of stem cells are found in bone marrow, fatty tissue and the hip bones. They have also been found in many other organs and tissues including blood vessels, skeletal muscles, skin, teeth, brains, hearts and many others. Scientists believe they are found in a special area inside each tissue referred to as the stem cell niche.

How Does It Work?
"The stem cells are withdrawn from one area on the patient during the procedure and optimized before being injected into the target area for treatment," said Hashimoto. "Injecting the patient's own stem cells will help motivate the body to begin repairing or replacing the damaged tissue surrounding the injection site."

Stem cell therapy can be used to treat joint and soft tissue problems in the shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, wrists, ankles, spine, hands feet, Achilles tendonitis, tennis elbow, bicep tendonitis and more.

Joint Replacement Surgery and Other Join Pain Treatments
For some patients, joint replacement surgery becomes one of the only options for treatment. Many avoid or put off surgery because recovery can be a long, painful experience. According to Hashimoto, stem cell therapy could provide an alternative approach for those who don't want surgery.

"For example, when the ACL is torn or ruptured it can often be just a partial tear in which the outer sheath is still intact and the ligament remains in place. This is a situation in which stem cell therapy could be a very successful option for treatment," he said.

Joint Pain is Just One of the Many Health Problems Being Treated with Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy is still being studied relentlessly in the science community to find out how else it can be used to help patients achieve healthier, pain-free and disease-free lives. Some of the other diseases and health problems being treated with stem cells include:

• Pain and healing after surgery
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Autoimmune diseases
• Neurological diseases
• Hair loss
• Vision impairment
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Diabetes
• Pancreatic disorders
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Orthopedic injuries

As research continues, many scientists believe the opportunities for stem cell treatment in the future will be limitless.