Stem Cell Treatment (Buyer Beware)

The Food and Drug Administration prevailed in a lawsuit against a stem cell clinic (U. S. Stem Cell Clinic) which had made claims that stem cells derived from a patient's own body can treat conditions ranging from Parkinson's disease to pulmonary fibrosis. Here in Minneapolis there are several clinics that have sprung up in the past 5 years which are making claims that stem cell treatment can successfully treat orthopedic injuries like degenerative changes or even traumatically caused back injuries.

In 2017 doctors reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that 3 elderly women lost their vision completely after being treated for macular degeneration at this same clinic (U. S. Stem Cell Clinic).

I have personally received reports from at least one physician who underwent stem cell treatment for a degenerative knee condition and who experienced a dramatic improvement not only anecdotally, but on actual x-rays of the knee joint. So the treatment can work for some people.

The best advice I can give is to very carefully do the research and to be sure you know what you are getting into because this treatment typically is not covered by any insurance due to the fact that it is still deemed experimental.