Stem Cell Therapy for Athletes: How Regenerative Medicine Can Help Treat Sports Injuries

Stem cell therapy is gaining popularity in many fields of medicine, especially orthopedics. However, it is also gaining attention in the sports medicine field to help athletes who have been injured and are looking to get back to playing sports. As a leading name in stem cell therapy, Dr. Burke Orthopedics understands that Pearland, Texas, athletes want to get back to their favorite game. We’ve laid out some common sports injuries that stem cell therapy can help heal:

1. Bone Injuries

A common injury among both professional and amateur athletes is bone injuries. Stress fractures caused by excessive strain on joints can lead to serious pain for even the most conditioned athletes. However, stem cell therapy can help heal current bone fractures and reduce the risk of future occurrences. Healthy stem cells introduced to the affected area can help stimulate new blood vessel growth, which helps bones naturally repair themselves.

2. Cartilage Damage

Knee injuries in athletics can cause players to feel as though their game-playing days are over, but with stem cell therapy, those who have suffered damage to the shock-absorbing cartilage can dramatically increase the chances of getting back to their favorite game. A key benefit of stem cells is their ability to repair damaged cartilage. When an athlete suffers from an injury that affects knee cartilage, stem cell therapy can be utilized to actually rebuild the damaged cartilage, along with strengthening it to protect from future injuries.

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3. Damage to Tendons

Tendon damage is most likely in sports that require repetitive movements, like tennis, or sports that involve a large amount of running. Even when steps are taken to protect these tendons, the repetitive movements still pose a risk for damage that can lead to painful symptoms. Stem cell therapy can help with this tendon damage, as the healthy, new stem cells work to return both strength and structure to the affected areas. While many areas affected by tendon damage can benefit from stem cell therapy, it is most commonly used for damage in the elbow, bicep, and hamstring tendons.

4. Muscle Injuries

The most common injuries sustained by athletes are injuries to the muscles. Before stem cell therapy, surgery was the most common way to treat severe injuries. However, stem cell therapy can help athletes suffering from muscle injuries avoid the need for surgery. In a process called “regeneration,” stem cell therapy can treat muscle injuries by repairing the tissue and creating new, healthy muscle tissue. As a bonus, this non-surgical treatment method can dramatically reduce the amount of time that an athlete needs to fully recover from a muscle injury.

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Stem cell therapy is an amazing treatment that can help a wide variety of conditions and injuries. To learn how stem cell therapy can get you back in the game after a sports injury, give Dr. Burke Orthopedics a call at (713) 436-3488).