The OutSPOKEn Cyclist
By Diane Jenks
Seven years ago, I had stem cell replacement therapy in my right knee. It was the best thing I’d done for myself in a long time.
Back in college (maybe 150 years ago) I was in a motor-scooter crash and went down on my right knee. A few years later, due to pain and swelling, all the cartilage was surgically removed from the lateral side of the knee – that was the accepted and usual treatment back then. (We’re talking the 1960s.)
Things were pretty okay — I was able to run, walk, ride, and do most everything with minimal discomfort. There were good days and bad days, but all-in-all, I was pretty okay. I was also pretty young.
Fast-forward decades, and the knee started to fail. It was painful to the point that I wasn’t able to ride my bike or teach my yoga classes anymore.
I was adamant to try anything (everything) else before having a knee replacement, so the quest was on for a non-surgical solution.
Hyaluronic gels shots were recommended, with the caveat that not only would they have to be repeated periodically, but they might not work at all. And, just as I was about to sign up for a series of them, a client of my husband’s urged me to check into stem cell therapy. This father of three young children was only in his 30s, but he was having problems with his knees and was an avid cyclist, as well. He had enjoyed great results with stem cell treatment and asked me to just check it out.
I did. And I’ve never looked back.
Seven years later, my right knee is about 98% perfect. The process took about six months from initial consult to actual procedure, because there were interim things to do, such as physical therapy to prepare my legs with more strength.
I had a follow-up PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) shot in the knee about a year later as “fertilizer” to keep the stem cells healthy until their ultimate growth was achieved. (Stem cells have a finite life.)
The story doesn’t end there.
About six months ago, I started having serious issues with my left leg — go figure! I thought my foot was causing the problem because I have an inherited bunion that probably needs something — but I was unwilling to have the surgery that was recommended — it was beyond barbaric, in my opinion.
So back to my stem cell guru I went, and x-rays confirmed I had some arthritis in my left hip. He gave me a cortisone shot the same day that even now is still working just fine.
He also warned me that a cortisone shot wouldn’t be a permanent solution; he began preparing me for a PRP injection instead of stem cells.
You’ve probably been seeing a lot of advertisements for PRP being used for everything from hair loss to injuries.
So what exactly is PRP? It’s platelet-rich plasma, but not all PRP is created equally.
Here is the definition that explains it fairly well:
“The term PRP applies to a wide variety of similar, but quite different preparations made from blood platelets. Platelets are the little packets of growth factors and other natural healing molecules that help clot your blood. So if you were to get a paper cut, they would both stop the blood flow and also release healing growth factors to help get the local cells on course to heal the skin. PRP is created by centrifuging the whole blood drawn from an arm vein (or anywhere else) and concentrating the platelets in the serum. The idea is that more of a good thing is better than less.”
This time, the process wasn’t a lot different from the stem cell preparation. I did some physical therapy and returned to the office where they drew blood (a LOT of blood) and decided how they wanted to spin it before injecting it. (In the time between my cortisone shot and returning for the PRP injection, my right hip began to bother me. I called ahead so they were prepared to draw enough blood for both hips.)
It’s a short and simple process, so today, a few days later, I’m resting. I feel great but have been admonished to be a good girl and remain somewhat still for a few more days. The pain in my right hip is diminishing daily and my left hip still feels really good.
It should take two to three weeks until everything is mostly back to normal.
The last piece of this is, of course, the cost. Everyone wants to know if stem cell and/or PRP therapy is covered by insurance. It is not.
But hear me out – if I had had a knee replacement, I would have lost weeks — if not months — of teaching income, and insurance probably would not have covered the entire cost, anyway.
The PRP shots are about one-seventh the cost of the stem cell therapy; another no-brainer.
I hope this gives you some options if you are contemplating joint replacements or have other issues that either stem cell or PRP therapy could address.
- From Dr. Chris Centeno at Regenexx – regenexx.com
Photo courtesy pexels.com
