Stem Cells for Shoulder Pain

The Healthy Shoulder

The shoulder is a ball and socket joint made up of three bones, namely the humerus, scapula, and clavicle. The ends of all articulating bones are covered by smooth tissue called articular cartilage which allows the bones to slide over each other without friction enabling smooth movement.

The ligaments of the shoulder joint include coraco-clavicular ligaments, acromio-clavicular ligament, coraco-acromial ligament, and glenohumeral ligaments. The rotator cuff is the main group of muscles in the shoulder joint and is comprised of 4 muscles. The deltoid muscle forms the outer layer of the rotator cuff and is the largest and strongest muscle of the shoulder joint. Two important groups of tendons in the shoulder joint are the biceps tendons and rotator cuff tendons.

Shoulder Injuries

The shoulder is the most flexible joint in the body enabling a wide range of movements. The most common shoulder injuries/diseases include

• Shoulder Arthritis
• Rotator Cuff Injury
• Shoulder Bursitis
• Glenoid Labrum Tear
• Inflamed Synovial Membrane

Stem Cells

Stem cells are present in all of us acting like a repair system for the body. However, with increased age sometimes the optimum amounts of stem cells are not delivered to the injured area. The goal of stem cell therapy is to amplify the natural repair system of the patient’s body.

Preparing for the Procedure

It is important that you stop taking any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at least two weeks before your procedure.

Preparing for a stem cell procedure is relatively easy and your doctor will give you specific instructions depending on your condition

Stem Cell Procedure

The procedure begins with your doctor extracting stem cells from your own bone marrow. Bone marrow is usually aspirated from your hip region. Your doctor will first clean and numb your hip area. A needle is then introduced into an area of your pelvic bone known as the iliac crest. Bone marrow is then aspirated using a special syringe and the sample obtained is sent to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the aspirate is spun in a machine for 10 to 15 minutes and a concentrated stem cell sample is separated.

Your doctor then cleans and numbs your affected area to be treated and then, under the guidance of special x-rays, injects the stem cells into the diseased region. The whole procedure usually takes less than one hour and you may return home on the same day of the procedure.

Post-Operative Care

• You will most likely be able to return to work the next day following your procedure.
• You will need to take it easy and avoid any load bearing activities for at least two weeks following your procedure.
• You will need to refrain from taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) for a while as this can affect the healing process of your body.

Risks and complications

Stem cell therapy is generally considered a safe procedure with minimal complications, however, as with any medical procedure, complications can occur.

Some risks factors related to stem cell therapy include infection as the stem cells may become contaminated with bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that may cause disease during the preparation process.

The procedure to either remove or inject the cells also has the risk of introducing an infection to the damaged tissue into which they are injected. Rarely, an immune reaction may occur from injected stem cells.