Osteoarthritis: Here's how stem cell therapy works as pain relief to heal knee joint swelling

Cell-based therapy is where cells and growth factors from the patient’s own body can be used to regenerate tissues. Here's how stem cell therapy works as pain relief to heal knee joint swelling in Osteoarthritis patients

Arthritis or joint swelling is a common condition, affecting people above the age of 50 years where the knee joint is commonly affected as it bears the weight of the body. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, meaning the joint undergoes wear and tear and doesn’t function well, as in young age since the soft tissues around a joint are damaged and ultimately the bone gets affected, leading to pain, swelling, difficulty in movement, etc.

Osteoarthritis: Here's how stem cell therapy works as pain relief to heal knee joint swelling(Image by naturwohl-gesundheit from Pixabay )

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Pradeep Mahajan, Regenerative Medicine Researcher at StemRx Bioscience Solutions Pvt Ltd in Navi Mumbai, shared, “We have seen many advertisements of oils, pain killers, heating/cooling pads, etc., which claim to reduce joint pain and help in walking. One must understand that these treatments can only help temporarily and cannot act internally. In advanced cases, joint replacement is the only advice given—however, its success depends upon various factors such as weight of the patient, presence of other diseases, etc. Moreover, there is a risk of infection and displacement or even fracture of the prosthetic joint in rare cases.”

The need of the hour is a therapy that can slow the wear and tear of tissues so that the progression of the condition can be delayed. Dr Mahajan suggested cell-based therapy for various conditions in which cells and growth factors from the patient’s own body can be used to regenerate tissues.

“The principle behind cell-based therapy is that our body has internal healing mechanisms. Stem cells are generally not affected by disease—they are the most basic cells of the body. Their number might reduce which age, which is why the natural healing processes slow down. Hence, we obtain cells and growth factors from a different part of the body (bone marrow, which is the factory of stem cells) and transplant them into the affected area. The key is to provide a pool of healthy cells in the desired region, at the appropriate time and let the body heal itself,” explains Dr Mahajan.

Through cell-based therapy, patients with osteoarthritis can have pain relief, as the cells reduce the inflammation/swelling in the joint. Their movements become more free as the cells and growth factors (which act as nutrient sources for the cells along with performing other functions) remove the damaged tissue and regenerate new tissues. Joint replacement surgery can be avoided or at least delayed through cell-based therapy, thereby preserving natural function and mobility.