Knee Pain, Stem Cells and Nutraceuticals
Chronic knee pain affects the majority of patients over 65. Nutraceuticals have long been available, now TM cells for knee pain is . The most common causes are knee osteoarthritis and meniscal tears. It is of no surprise that health touted supplements flood the market to patients hoping for pain relief. Stem cells for musculoskeletal problems and for knee pain are becoming more popular. To make good decisions it is important to understand how they work or don’t work.
Chronic knee pain is most commonly the result of degenerative osteoarthritis. This is more complex than just a wear and tear disorder. Osteoarthritis is a multi-factorial process. One aspect is inflammatory signals. This results in the degeneration of joint cartilage.
Stem cells may exert an anti-inflammatory and regenerative healing response to joint cartilage stopping this degenerative process. This is why so much interest is focused on stem cells not just for arthritis, but in many medical conditions.
Nutraceuticals have been shown in some lab studies to exert an effect on some inflammatory processes. However, confirmation of these effects on humans has not been done. Human studies with these nutraceuticals are conflicting. These studies look at subjective reports of pain relief or x-rays over time. Again, these studies are conflicting. Large studies on a popular supplement Glucosamine has resulted in these conflicting reports.
It is entirely possible that the many variables at play in degenerative arthritis cannot be successfully managed at various stages by supplements, much as with prescription anti-inflammatories (NSAID’s). NSAID’s have failed to show long term effects on osteoarthritis progression.
Consultation with a physician familiar with these nutraceuticals as well as the application of Stem Cell Therapy for knee pain is perhaps a sound strategy to further understand these effects.
Dennis M. Lox, M.D., is an expert in Sports and Regenerative Medicine.