Stem Cell Therapy for Hand & Wrist Pain

Effective, quick and safe treatment without surgery or painkillers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the most common occupational injury that resulted in lost time at work was carpal tunnel syndrome. Millions of people also suffer limiting or disabling hand and wrist pain because of other injuries and diseases.

Hands and wrists endure a lot of wear and tear with constant pivoting and swiveling. More recently, a common culprit for hand pain has been referred to as “gamer’s thumb” because it’s caused by frequent use of cell phones and other mobile devices. Similarly, typical athlete’s hand injuries have nicknames like “skier’s” thumb.

In the recent past, people suffering from these hand and wrist conditions often received steroid shots or even invasive surgeries. But those old-style treatments are no longer your only options to treat hand or wrist pain. Regenerative medicine is a natural, minimally invasive and safe procedure that uses your own cells to help repair and regenerate healthy tissue.

What Hand & Wrist Conditions Can Stem Cell Therapy Help?

These are examples of hand and wrist conditions to consider stem cell and PRP therapy for:

Basal Joint and hand arthritis
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal instability
TFCC tear
Trigger finger

How Do the Procedures Work?

Our regenerative medicine therapies vary slightly in the materials they use and from where they’re derived, but from the patient’s perspective they are quite similar:

Stem Cell Therapy

Extraction

As you lie facedown on a table, the doctor extracts bone marrow aspirate from your hip with a special needle. You may experience mild discomfort but the majority of patients tolerate this easily.

Concentration

To concentrate the adult stem cells and platelets in the marrow fluid into BMC, the aspirate is spun in a centrifuge for up to 15 minutes.

Injection

The doctor re-injects the stem cell-rich, concentrated BMC into the area of pain.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Extraction

The doctor draws a blood sample from your arm, just like in a routine blood test.

Concentration

The blood we’ve drawn is spun in a centrifuge to separate the growth factor-containing platelets from the other components in the plasma. The PRP is then removed.

Injection

With the PRP material prepared, it is injected into the damaged tissue, disc, joint, or tendon, using x-ray or ultrasound guidance, if necessary.

A platelet-rich plasma treatment will seem like simply giving blood from your arm, except in this case the now-enhanced blood is re-injected at the end.

Stem Cell Therapy Vs. Traditional Hand and Wrist Surgery

Hand and wrist surgery always involves risks and a significant recovery period. According to the American College of Plastic Surgeons, some potential risks include scarring, loss of sensation, bad reactions to anesthesia, and even persistent pain. In contrast, both stem cell and PRP therapy only require injections of cells originally taken from the patient. Since these newer therapies are much less invasive than surgery, it’s also possible to qualify for them, even if you’re not a good candidate for surgery.

While surgery attempts to reconstruct the joint, it fails to address the original breakdown on a cellular level that led to surgery in the first place. Conversely, regenerative medicine tackles the root cause encouraging and providing raw materials for growth of new, stronger and healthier tissue that can better cope with daily wear and tear.

Why is Stem Cell Therapy a Safe and Natural Alternative?

PRP and stem cell therapies are autologous treatments. This means that the doctor will extract stem cells or blood from the patient’s own body to produce the injection material. This practice eliminates the chance of rejection and allergic reactions. It also encourages the patient’s own tissues to regenerate without the need for another donor, artificial appliances, or synthetic medication. The procedures carry the same small risks of infection and bleeding as all injections.

Both applications are minimally invasive and adhere to all relevant FDA guidelines. The MSC therapy we provide is an FDA-accepted part of the practice of medicine, because we only process and apply the cells you already have in your body. We produce PRP using 510(k) cleared medical devices, registered and fully compliant with FDA regulations.

Is Stem Cell or PRP Therapy the Best Treatment for You?

Here at Philadelphia PRP and Stem Cell Institute, we’re eager to discuss your hand and wrist injury to find out if you’re a good candidate for stem cell or PRP therapy. Get in touch with us right away for a free, quick, and confidential evaluation to discuss the ways we can help you relieve your pain.