Regenerative Medicine

• Regenerative medicine is growing in popularity due to the extensive research for a wide range of treatment options and effectiveness when treating various joint disorders. Regenerative medicine is a term that includes treatments such as human stem cell therapy, human cell, and tissue products from umbilical cords and amniotic materials, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and prolotherapy injections.
• In the media we hear a lot about “stem cell therapy” and all the indications highlighted in the latest research, but what we don’t hear much about is all of the other regenerative treatment options that are rich in growth factors and cytokines contributing to tissue healing and regeneration. Adult mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy, which will be offered soon, present some growing concerns and consideration. These therapies, derived from the bone marrow or adipose tissue, are valuable in younger populations to address degeneration or trauma to the joint or tissue. However, in the aging populations, it is difficult to determine the number and quality of viable MSC’s. In addition, the process of retrieving these adult MSC’s from bone marrow and adipose is more invasive and often leads to significant pain and downtime.
• At The Wellness Center, we believe that these Human Cell and Tissue Products (HCT/Ps) provide our patients with profound outcomes due to their ability to stimulate an optimal regenerative process with very little discomfort and incredibly short healing time. These tissue products include Wharton’s Jelly and amniotic matrix or fluid and are obtained from the umbilical cord and amniotic tissue of healthy donors who have been extensively screened to ensure their safety. Because these tissue products are from biologically young sources and are naive to any parent cells, they present little to no risk of rejection. Directly after birth, the donated umbilical cord and amnion are immediately cryopreserved and minimally processed in their FDA registered laboratory to retain the highest amounts of growth factors, cytokines, and viable tissue products to promote optimal healing capacity. We obtain our injectable products from multiple labs including Predictive Biotech, a biotech company located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Predictive Biotech has the highest standards of processing that are compliant with the FDA’s CGTP requirements. Once the cryopreserved products pass quality control they are sent out for delivery to us and are stored in a liquid nitrogen tank until the moment they will be injected into the joint or tissue being treated.

Patients that suffer from soft tissue injuries or have degenerative joint conditions such asosteoarthritis can benefit from regenerative medicine injections. During the procedure, fluid containing growth factors, cytokines, scaffolding proteins, hyaluronic acid and/or collagen is flash thawed and injected into the damaged or degenerated tissue or joint using sterile techniques and under ultrasound guidance. After the cells and tissue are injected into the tissue or joint it activates the body’s innate immune response to begin the healing process. 

The biggest benefit of using Regenerative Medicine to treat damaged joints is that the procedure consists of a single injection and is noninvasive. When compared to traditional surgery the recovery time is infinitely shorter. Patients also find they recover more quickly when they follow our programs. Not only is the damaged joint repaired, but the growth factors and cytokines promote new tissue growth to make the joint stronger. Injections are quick, most often as short as 15 minutes, and nearly 85% of patients only require one injection to reduce pain and improve range of motion in the joint. 

If you are suffering from a soft tissue injury or a degenerative disease  in your hip, knee, wrist, or shoulder we can help. The Wellness Center  PDX is well versed in state of the art, cutting edge technology. Our  caring and professional staff can quickly diagnose and suggest the best  options to help with painful joints. We have two convenient locations in  both Portland and Beaverton. Our Portland office is located at 1359 NE  35th Ave, Portland OR 97232, with a new office open at 11750 SW Barnes  Rd, #240, Portland OR 97225. Call our team today at (503) 389-5545 to  schedule an
appointment. We look forward to helping you live a pain-free life.