With advancements in scientific research and technology these days, there are a variety of ways to treat different health conditions. One of the newer areas of medicine that you may not know much about is regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy.
At Senara Health and Healing Center & Spa in Peoria, we use regenerative medicine to help the body start producing cells to improve the functionality of joints as well as improve certain health conditions in men. What is regenerative medicine, though? And how does stem cell therapy play a part in it? Continue reading for a better understanding of regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy, and contact us today to find out if our stem cell therapy or men’s health treatments could help improve your happiness and health.
What is stem cell therapy?
The goal of regenerative medicine is to replace tissue and body cells that are damaged or don’t function correctly to ease pain and discomfort from health conditions caused by these faulty human cells.
Stem cells are body cells that have the ability to turn into different body cells, essentially regenerating cells that the body has lost the ability to create correctly. Stem cells can also divide to become new stem cells, and, therefore, other body cells, allowing body cells and tissue to regenerate from just a small dose of stem cells.
What makes stem cells so special?
Stem cells have specific properties that allow them to be so useful in regenerative medicine. They are able to replicate and renew themselves; they do not have a specialized function; and they can transform into specialized cells.
Stem cells are derived from two sources. Stem cells taken from donated embryonic tissue have the ability to divide and renew themselves over long periods of time. For this reason, embryonic stem cells are ideal for creating more stem cells and specialized cells. Adult stem cells, however, do not divide or renew quite as rapidly, but are still useful in stimulating healing. This cell division and renewing characteristic is unique to stem cells because specialized cells like nerve cells, blood cells, and muscle tissue do not regenerate in this way.
While stem cells don’t have a specific function on their own, they have the ability to turn into specialized cells through a process called differentiation. This is when the stem cell starts to turn into a specific cell — like a nerve cell, red blood cell, or body tissue — in order to serve a more specialized purpose.
How do stem cells differentiate into specialized cells?
While scientists are still researching exactly how stem cells differentiate into more specialized cells, they have discovered that the environment that stem cells are placed has an effect on the type of cells they will become. This is because the stem cells come into contact with surrounding specialized cells and receive messages about the function of those cells and whether or not they need more in order to keep the body healthy. The body truly is an amazing thing!
How can stem cells be used?
In theory, if scientists can figure out how to differentiate stem cells into all different specialized cells and tissues, the applications of regenerative medicine are endless.
Currently, the most common regenerative medicine treatments are for joint pain to help regenerate joint tissue. Stem cell therapy has also shown to be effective in treating men’s health conditions such as Erectile Dysfunction.
Because of the regenerative properties of stem cells, they can also be used in medical spas to help repair skin. This is done via microneedling and PRP facials. Stem cell therapy and PRP can also be used for hair restoration therapy because it helps stimulate dormant hair follicles.
How do I find out if I can receive stem cell treatment?
If you suffer from joint pain due to arthritis, bursitis, a joint injury, or other joint condition, you may be a good candidate for stem cell therapy.
You may also be eligible if you’re experiencing hair loss or would like to improve the health and appearance of your skin.
Contact Senara Health and Healing Center & Spa today in Peoria to schedule a consultation with one of our specialized physicians.