Introduction
It is indeed an uncomfortable situation when your joints give up on you with pain, stiffness, limited range of motion and swelling. You might be having a joint condition – arthritis. It is a very common condition you get normally due to wear and tear over time, autoimmune responses or could be genetic, or other reasons like injuries or trauma. When this condition continues, your joints will have severe discomfort or damage, which will limit your daily activities. There are several treatments you can opt for to correct it – both non-surgically and surgically. But not all want to go through the surgical process. Nonsurgical options include physiotherapy, pain medications, etc., and those also have their own limitations and won’t work for some people over time. Regenerative medicine is also an approach where the body shows its natural healing approach to treat arthritis or other joint pains by targeting the root cause of the concern instead of a temporary treatment for symptoms.
In this article we will dive into the details of regenerative medicine techniques, how they work to treat arthritis, and why they are the most promising way of treatment for arthritis.
Know more about arthritis
Arthritis is found to be the major cause of disabilities in older people. It is not just a single condition, but it covers many different types of joint conditions, where the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition where the cartilage tissue between the bones wears off, whereas rheumatoid arthritis is more of an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the synovial lining of the joints that causes inflammation and leads to damage in the joints.
Both types of arthritis cause severe joint pain, stiffness and limited mobility and lead to a poor quality of life. There are many ways to treat arthritis, both surgically and non-surgically. But when you don’t want surgery and all the other non-surgical ways give up on providing any kind of improvements, regenerative treatment can be your valuable alternative.
What is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine provides a natural approach to treating the joint pain, arthritis, stiffness, etc. by focusing on the root cause of the condition. Your body is extremely powerful to heal on its own. Regenerative medicine focuses on stimulating and supporting the body’s natural healing abilities. Here the body’s own cells are used to promote healing, as the treatment is cell-based like regrowing cartilage, tissues and ligaments. The regenerative approach is used to treat conditions like arthritis, tendonitis and degenerative disc conditions in the spine, and more. These treatments reduce symptoms, and in some cases, they can reverse the progression of arthritis.
Most people would not wish to go for joint replacement surgery, as it comes with its own set of risks like infections and long periods of recovery, and sometimes the knee implants may cause failure in some people. Such fears will make them think of minimally invasive options to get them relief. That is where regenerative medicine comes as tremendous help and hence it is now becoming a top option to treat arthritis in the non-surgical way.
Who Can Benefit From Regenerative Arthritis Treatments?
You might get effective results from regenerative treatments if you:
- Have osteoarthritis or any degenerative joint conditions.
- Have not got any result from traditional non-surgical methods, including physiotherapy.
- Are in your early to moderate stages of arthritis.
- You want to avoid surgical treatment.
- Have a damaged tendon or a meniscal tear and want a non-surgical treatment.
Your expert orthopaedician will be able to suggest if you are the right candidate to appear for regenerative medicine depending on the condition and its severity.
Types of Regenerative Treatment Procedures for Arthritis
There are different types of regenerative medical treatments available to treat arthritis and these have proven to give positive results in treating the condition. The treatment will be given based on your unique condition.
- Stem Cell Therapy
The “master cells” or stem cells are found in various tissues in our body and they are not specially differentiated. These cells have got the ability to renew by themselves and differentiate into unique cell types where they are introduced in our body. For treating arthritis, mesenchymal stem cells are taken from the patient’s bone marrow or from the fat tissue (adipose tissue), and then it is injected into the affected joint. From there these stem cells can stimulate repair of the damaged tissues and control inflammation. It also plays a role in releasing the signaling molecules or growth factors in other cells to help with the regeneration process. Stem cell injections have proven to reduce pain, improve cartilage thickness and increase mobility in patients.
- PRP Therapy for Arthritis
PRP involves using the patient’s own blood to promote tissue regeneration and repair. The platelets are found in the blood in plenty and they serve as the growth factors. The PRP solution is prepared by processing the patient’s blood in a centrifuge. This solution will have 5-10 times more platelets than the normal blood sample.
When PRP is injected into the joints, it stimulates the healing process. PRP treats osteoarthritis by targeting the damaged cartilage tissues and promoting healthy tissues. This is mainly used by athletes to recover from injuries that are usually slow in healing. This method is found to be more durable than other types of non-biologic injections, as it is taken from the patient’s own body for healing the condition.
- Prolotherapy
In this method a natural irritant, usually a dextrose or sugar solution, is injected into the joint or the surrounding tendons. The solution makes the body send healing cells to that area because, being an irritant, that area will get inflamed as a natural response of the body. The healing cells’ interference will help strengthen the tissues and make the joints stabilised. This is normally used for people having joint instability or early-stage arthritis or hyperactive ligaments due to laxity. Prolotherapy has proven to be effective in reducing pain and improving mobility.
- Cartilage Regeneration Treatment
Cartilage is a connective tissue found throughout our body, with an important role in bones where it helps with smooth joint movements and functioning with very minimal friction. But when this cartilage is damaged, our joints will have a difficult phase and we start feeling pain and discomfort.
Cartilage regeneration is focused specifically on restoring cartilage through regenerative medicine methods for cases of chronic arthritis or severe injury.
Regenerative Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is widely known for its popularity in creating diseases in your joints and has been found to have affected over 530 million people all over the world. It creates extreme joint pain, stiffness and reduced mobility in people, subsequently affecting their quality of life. The non-surgical treatments, however, help in reducing pain and symptoms, but only temporarily, and may not treat the root causes of the condition.
Osteoarthritis is found to make bone alterations too that result in pain and stiffness. Living with such a condition is extremely difficult, as it affects your everyday activities, leading to physical, social and psychological distress.
Traditional methods of treatment involved NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), in addition to physiotherapy, which caused severe risks when taken for a long time, like kidney damage, heart problems, gastric issues, etc. Most of the people never wanted to invite a surgical remedy in their life for obvious reasons.
That is when regenerative medicine was found to give very good results in treating the condition by treating the underlying cause of the condition. This method uses stem cells to regenerate the damaged cartilage tissues or surrounding areas while providing tremendous healing and relief from the pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis. The end result is healed and regenerated tissues with improved functioning.
Regenerative medicine makes good use of the body’s natural healing mechanisms to repair, regenerate or replace the injured or damaged tissues using different methods like PRP treatment, stem cell therapy, cartilage regeneration, and prolotherapy. The treatments are proven to provide remarkable results in providing reduction in knee pain. Improved mobility and inflammation management. This method has helped people to improve their joint function as well as their quality of life, as they specifically focus on regenerating cartilage tissues in the knee joints. This has helped many patients to delay the need for total knee replacement surgery when done in the early stages of arthritis.
Regenerative Treatment Procedures for Arthritis
The advanced procedures of regenerative treatment for osteoarthritis are the new reliable solutions happily accepted by both patients and the doctors alike due to their proven ability to provide great results.
Biological therapies like regeneration treatments help the body’s natural healing solution to act. This method makes use of the body’s own products like proteins, growth factors, and cells. The damaged tissues are repaired with the help of these, and thus they trigger the natural regeneration of the cells where they are injected. They act on the root cause of the problem.
Injection-based therapies in regenerative medicine include PRP (platelet-rich plasma), stem cell therapy and prolotherapy. There are combination therapies too that are used for specific conditions, like pairing PRP with stem cells or PRP with cartilage regeneration, etc., to address multiple conditions associated with knee arthritis.
There are also provisions to administer injections with the help of images of the affected areas like with ultrasound or fluoroscopy. This ensures precision and maximum effectiveness with less risk of complications. The therapies are mainly meant for knee arthritis and shoulder arthritis only during their early stages, as they are the weight-bearing joints. When there is a timely intervention, patients will be able to delay joint replacement surgeries, can maintain mobility and can have their discomforts reduced.
PRP vs Stem Cell Therapy Which is Better?
When it comes to different types of regenerative therapies, it is really tough to say which is better than the other, as the type of treatment provided will be exclusively for the patient’s unique condition. However, PRP is found to be safer and more effective for mild-moderate arthritis or other injuries. It is also more affordable, as it involves only the patient’s blood. Stem cell therapy is administered for cases involving severe degenerative conditions and is also more expensive.
Let us look at the key differences between PRP and stem cell therapy and it is up to the doctor to decide which is the best solution for your individual condition.
| PRP Treatment | Stem Cell Therapy |
| Includes growth factors that trigger healing properties. | Regenerates new cells or tissues |
| Usually affordable, as it doesn’t involve any medicines externally. | Very expensive |
| Safe and less risky | Though safe, it’s a complex process. |
| Healing lasts for months, after which it can be repeated. | Longer duration of relief. |
Cost of Regenerative Therapy for Arthritis in Chennai
The cost of regenerative therapy in Chennai for arthritis varies substantially depending on different factors, like the type of treatment provided (PRP or stem cell), the number of sessions given, hospital location and reputation, and the surgeon’s expertise. In Chennai the stem cell therapy costs from Rs 80,000 to Rs 3,00,000 per session, and the PRP treatment costs from Rs 8,000 to Rs 25,000 per session.
It is different in different hospitals or clinics, and hence it is always best to contact the concerned team for more details about the pricing.
Does Stem Cell Therapy Work for Arthritis?
The symptoms of arthritis are proven to be reduced with stem cell therapy, but the actual function is yet to be confirmed by the right sources. If you want to know if stem cell therapy works for osteoarthritis, then it is better you understand about the reality of stem cell therapy outcomes and who can benefit from it.
Stem cell therapy is used in arthritic conditions that are in the starting or moderate stages. If there are severe bone changes, it cannot be corrected with stem cell therapy. This therapy just gives relief from symptoms.
Stem cell therapy does not promise a reversal in bone structure, but a huge relief in symptoms is proven, as the mesenchymal stem cells can perform those functions efficiently.
Why Choose Regenerative Arthritis Treatment in Chennai?
Chennai is a popular hub for advanced regenerative treatments for knee and shoulder problems, where PRP injections and stem cell therapy play the main role. A lot of patients benefit from the advanced medical technology led by specialised orthopaedic and regenerative medical experts. The professionals stick to international protocols for regenerative arthritis treatments to ensure consistency.
Many leading hospitals in Chennai are already equipped with advanced stem cell labs, cryopreservation facilities, and safe and sterile environments. Doctors ensure holistic recovery for the patients by helping patients understand which treatment suits them the best for their unique conditions.
So if you are looking for a regenerative treatment for arthritis in Chennai, you can rest assured that you are accessing highly qualified regenerative medical experts, world-class medical technology, proven care and a patient-first approach.
Best Regenerative Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis
As mentioned earlier, the best regenerative treatments practiced in Chennai for treating knee osteoarthritis are
PRP therapy – where the patient’s blood is drawn and centrifuged to obtain the concentrated platelet solution having growth factors and then injected into the target area. This stimulated the tissues with their natural healing and regenerating properties.
Stem cell therapy – here the stem cells, usually the mesenchymal cells, are extracted from the patient’s bone marrow or fat tissues and injected into the injured area. Here the cells differentiate into those cells where they have been injected and regenerate the damaged portion.
Biologic injections – This is used to reduce inflammation and to lubricate the joints for flexible movement. The biologic injection usually has hyaluronic acid and cytokine blockers to perform the function.
Customised treatment plans – Doctors perform a customised treatment for some cases where the patient needs attention on more than one issue. It can be a combination of regenerative treatment like PRP with biologic injections, PRP with stem cell therapy, etc.
All treatment depends on the severity of the condition and the patient’s overall health and body adjustments to the treatment, as different regenerative treatments give different outcomes.
FAQs
What is the regenerative treatment for arthritis and how does it work?
The regenerative medicine uses biologic therapies like stem cells, cytokines, PRP and other injections to trigger the body’s natural healing process to reduce the knee joint swelling, inflammation, etc. Regenerative medicine works on the root cause of the problem rather than giving temporary relief.
Is PRP or stem cell therapy better for knee osteoarthritis?
It depends on the arthritis stage of yours. If it is mild or moderate arthritis, then PRP is supposed to act better than stem cell therapy. But if it’s advanced osteoarthritis, then it should be the stem cell therapy that you should be looking for.
How much does regenerative arthritis treatment cost in Chennai?
The cost varies with different factors like which therapy it is, the hospital and surgeon’s reputation and expertise, and much more. However, ideally, it is shown that PRP treatment will cost from Rs 8,000 to Rs 25,000 per session and stem cell therapy will cost from Rs 80,000 to Rs 3,00,000 per session depending on from which site the stem cells are extracted.
Can regenerative therapy prevent knee replacement surgery?
Prevention of knee replacement surgery with regenerative medicine cannot be guaranteed; however, if the therapy is introduced at an early stage of arthritis, it can provide complete healing and proper aftercare for lasting results. And this can significantly delay the need for a complete knee replacement process.
How long do PRP or stem cell therapy results last?
PRP therapy results last for about 6 months to a year, with a need for repeated sessions. Stem cell therapy will push the results to 1-3 years with longer relief. The lasting results depend largely on how well the patient is adjusting to the new lifestyle, like strict dieting to prevent overweight pressure on knees, which stage of arthritis, and also depend on the clinic’s expertise and injection methods. The patient also should actively participate in the prescribed method of physiotherapy too.