22 Aug Stem Cell Injections Can Relieve Tennis Elbow Symptoms
Tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition of the elbow caused by overuse in the joint. Not surprisingly, playing tennis or other racquet sports can cause this condition because of the constant use of the arm. However, several other sports and activities can also put you at risk. There are several treatment options, including medication, physical therapy, and even surgery. Stem cell therapy may be able to heal your elbow from the inside out, allowing you to avoid invasive surgeries.
What is Stem Cell Therapy?
The beginning point of all our cells is stem cells. They are the basis for all our organs and tissue. Doctors are now able to harvest stem cells in a variety of ways. These methods include embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, adult cells that have been turned into embryonic stem cells, and perinatal stem cells. Fat cells are another source of stem cells. Adipose-derived stem cells are taken from a patient’s fat tissue and can become other mesenchymal cells, like bone cells, muscle cells, fat cells, cartilage cells, and many others. Fat-derived stem cells are abundant in the body and often used to regenerate injured cells. Harvesting fat cells is a non-invasive procedure, making them better than bone marrow cells, which can be painful to reach. Fat cells regenerative properties also do not decline with age, like other stem cells can.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition that occurs when tendons in your elbow experience overuse, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm. Athletes aren’t the only people who can develop tennis elbow. People whose jobs feature the types of motions that can lead to tennis elbow include plumbers, butchers, and desk jobs that require a lot of typing. The pain of tennis elbow comes from the place where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to a bony bump on the outside of your elbow. Pain can eventually spread down into your forearm and wrist. Rest and anti-inflammatory medication often treat and cure tennis elbow. If normal home treatments don’t seem to be helping, or if symptoms are preventing you from doing the things you love, your doctor might suggest hyaluronic acid injections or surgery.
How Can Stem Cells Help My Tennis Elbow Symptoms?
Some patients do not respond to traditional treatment methods for tennis elbow symptoms. These patients may need to seek other pain relief treatment methods to heal their elbow and return it to full function. Studies have been testing the effects of fat-derived stem cells on tennis elbow symptoms. They have found that stem cells are able to reduce the amount of chronic pain felt in patients, and return better function to the elbow. Stem cell injections are better than steroid injections because corticosteroids can weaken tendons over time, causing more damage to the elbow than before. Stem cells are able to regenerate tendon, healing the elbow from the inside.
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