A cut in the skin will heal itself, broken bones grow back together, and organs can regenerate. The body is capable of incredible feats of healing, and regenerative medicine seeks to harness this power.
Leading medical experts consider regenerative medicine to be a new and powerful frontier. The innovative minds at Balanced Flow Wellness integrate regenerative efforts with traditional medicine to give you the best chance at full, long-term recovery.
In the field of regenerative medicine, researchers and practitioners are constantly striving for the next impossible thing. In 2001, a team of researchers in the Netherlands created beating heart tissue for the very first time using stem cells. Since then, regeneration science has expanded and developed.
What Is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine is a medicinal practice that focuses on regenerating the body at a cellular level. It addresses the root causes of illness and chronic disease by stimulating or replicating natural healing processes in the body. The restoration of the body’s normal function is its overarching goal.
When you have a chronic condition, you can generally link its persistence to a cellular malfunction. Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and type 1 diabetes all start with either excessive cell loss or growth.
Balanced Flow Wellness clinicians work to replace or regenerate cellular complications using regenerative medicine therapies near Lincoln Park, such as mesenchymal stem cells,prolotherapy, and vitamin blend injections.
In the future, regenerative medicine may make it possible for scientists to grow organs and tissues in a lab. Then surgeons could theoretically implant these synthetic structures in people who cannot naturally heal.
The possibilities of regenerative medicine are expansive and transformative. Once it’s more fully realized, we could treat previously incurable diseases. According to the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies, 1 in 3 Americans could benefit from regenerative medicine.
Cutting-Edge Treatments in Regenerative Medicine
There are four main types of treatment on the cutting-edge of regenerative medicine. These are stem cells, viscosupplementation, prolotherapy, and platelet-rich plasma. These are biomedical approaches to restore tissue function.
Stem Cells
Research tells us that stem cells are like construction managers that tell your body what to do with the resources it has to repair damaged areas. We lose stem cells as we get older, so adding them back into an area that needs special attention often creates the healing response we need.
Carefully screened mothers voluntarily donate stem cells during the birth process. This process does not harm any fetuses or babies in any way, contrary to a common misconception.
There are many diseases that have the potential to be treated by stem cells. Clinical studies are currently evaluating the efficacy of stem cell therapies for the following conditions:
- Leukemia
- Hodgkin’s disease
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Some solid tumor cancers
- Aplastic anemia
- Immunodeficiencies
- Inherited conditions of metabolism
- Type 1 diabetes
- Parkinson’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Heart failure
- Osteoarthritis
Keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list. As you can see, stem cells have a big future ahead of them.
Stem cells are the crown jewel of regenerative medicine. They are highly valuable and get the most attention, but they aren’t the only treatment that matters. Other avenues of regenerative medicine can be less fancy, but their foundational approach is what matters.
Viscosupplementation
Viscosupplementation is primarily a treatment for arthritis. It’s the injection of hyaluronic acid into a joint to reduce swelling and pain. The hyaluronic acid protects the cartilage and may also help to regrow it.
Several clinical studies have shown viscosupplementation to be effective. One study noted a 70% success rate in terms of pain reduction and improvements in function.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is another injection treatment. This injection contains an irritant, usually dextrose (sugar), to activate the body’s natural healing process. In 5 studies, prolotherapy was shown to reduce pain significantly between 6 months and 1 year.
Balanced Flow Wellness is proud to offer prolotherapy at our wellness clinic. It is ideal for individuals with musculoskeletal conditions, like fibromyalgia or chronic pain.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is also an injection. Your own platelets are used to make the injection solution. Platelets contain proteins which encourage regeneration and pain relief as well as reduce inflammation. Studies have shown PRP therapy to produce better results than a placebo.
Each of these regenerative medicine treatments will have optimal results when done in collaboration with movement, nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining an active and nutritious life can be challenging. That’s why the clinicians at Balanced Flow Wellness want to help you figure it out.
Why Does Balanced Flow Love Regenerative Medicine?
We operate with the intrinsic understanding that the body we were born with is the best possible condition to be in, assuming you were born healthy. Artificial parts and temporary fixes can be necessary at times, but ideally, people should be able to live in their “original condition” their entire lives, even as you age or face injury and disease.
Using regenerative medicine near Lincoln Park to restore your original condition is our preference. Surgery, often the main alternative, is quite hard on the body. It also induces added pain and downtime.
We’ve seen people turn surgery down to avoid that added pain and downtime. Fortunately, miraculous therapies have come from modern science that have resulted in better function than the patient would have gained from surgery.
The body holds significant power to heal naturally if we just provide the right stimulus. Whether it be stem cells, exosomes, simple vitamins, or a little dextrose, with the proper expertise, amazing results can happen.
The thought of healing you to your “original condition” with original parts drives our passion for regenerative medicine.
Regenerative Medicine Treatments for Tissue Repair & Healing
Tissue repair and healing is the principal goal of regenerative medicine. There may be several cutting-edge therapies to facilitate this, but there are many other approaches that encourage the body to heal naturally.
At Balanced Flow Wellness, we use regenerative medicine near Lincoln Park in tandem with physical therapy to promote overall physical rehabilitation. This is a great example of our initiative to bring the traditional and more progressive therapies together.
Physical therapy and regenerative medicine pair well because they both work toward the restoration of normal functioning of injured or diseased tissues. The following are treatments that we often combine with physical therapy in order to better personalize your rehabilitation plan:
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Mesenchymal stem cells at Balanced Flow generally come from umbilical cords. These younger stem cells are more potent and less invasive than other approaches as they don’t require a procedure to obtain.
These special stem cells are able to convert into bone, cartilage, fat, and possibly other cell types. Research indicates that mesenchymal stem cells have a positive effect on the immune system.
Mesenchymal stem cells at Balanced Flow are often used to treat musculoskeletal issues in joints, cartilage, ligaments, muscles and tendons. These conditions can all be treated with physical therapy as well, making the pairing beneficial once again.
Balanced Flow Wellness also performs mesenchymal stem cell therapy to support the immune system and overall health. One of our knowledgeable clinicians can answer any questions you still have about this regenerative therapy.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy was described earlier in this article as a musculoskeletal treatment. We often combine prolotherapy with physical therapy to treat conditions like joint pain and instability, back and neck pain, and tendonitis.
When prolotherapy and physical therapy work together under the management of an experienced expert, we see very encouraging results. If you are interested in prolotherapy, a team member from Balanced Flow Wellness would love to chat with you about it.
Vitamin Blend Injections
Vitamins alone are not usually considered regenerative medicine. However, at Balanced Flow we use vitamin injections in conjunction with physical therapy as an element of an overall regenerative process to provide the body’s healing system what it needs to function.
This approach can boost your immune system, recovery abilities, and athletic performance. Even if you’re just feeling broadly more tired, weak, or unwell, vitamin shots can help!
Vitamin injections are very customizable, so we can make a plan that is specific to your needs. Our most popular injections include, but are not limited to:
- Amino blend
- Biotin
- Glutathione
- Fat-burning lipotropic MIC
- Vitamin C
- B-12 shots
If you’re unsure which injections would be best for your concerns, don’t worry. That’s exactly what our staff is here to take care of. We will start with an in-depth consultation before making our recommendation and administering the injection(s).
You can get just one injection after a night out or an intense workout session. Alternatively, you can make a rehabilitation plan that is designed to address specific, recurring complications. Balanced Flow Wellness will be by your side, no matter which route you choose.
Begin Your Regenerative Journey With Balanced Flow Today
If traditional medicine has failed you so far, regenerative medicine could be your ticket to superior healing. At Balanced Flow Wellness, both traditional and progressive methods are used to improve your chances of full recovery.
Our team welcomes you to join us in our mission to revolutionize healthcare through regenerative medicine near Lincoln Park. We not only care about treating your symptoms, but we also want to enhance your quality of life.
To begin your regenerative journey, select the button below and request an appointment at Balanced Flow Wellness.
