To explain how adult stem cells work, we begin by taking a closer look at the natural healing processes of your body. Inside our bone marrow there are stem cells that have aged to different levels of maturation. Later on, these stem cells are recruited to transform into blood cells (hematopoietic) and muscle or bone cells (mesenchymal). All of the cells in your body (except nerve cells) are pre-programmed to die at a certain age, and adult stem cells are their replacements. When injured, our body fires up the natural healing process commonly known as inflammation.
Have you ever sprained your wrist or broken your leg? If yes, then you know what inflammation looks and feels like. When a joint becomes inflamed, fluid starts to accumulate around the injured area (known as swelling). This fluid contains specialized cells from your immune system, called macrophages, that consume the debris from an injury. This fluid also contains a high concentration of platelets, which aggregate to form an internal layer over the damaged area. These platelets later release chemical markers (called growth factors) into the surrounding tissue. After the chemical markers are absorbed into your blood stream, they are carried throughout your entire body, which signals the stem cells inside your bone marrow to migrate towards the injured area.
When the stem cells reach the injured area they embed into the surrounding healthy tissue, where they will mature (and transform) into new healthy cells and tissue. At this point, the inflammation/swelling subsides as normal healthy tissue grows. Humans and animals are able to heal naturally because of these processes. Chronic (persistent) inflammation occurs if this process is not carried through to completion. Often, chronic inflammation occurs in our joints as a result of poor blood flow to the joints themselves.
If you are living with painful chronic inflammation due to a old injury, please don’t hesitate to call us and ask for more information about stem cell therapy, Accellerate™ Therapy, or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. Our procedures are non-surgical and often described as painless! Call 720-583-1648 to schedule an appointment for your free consultation today!
