Dec 16, 2014
Let’s enter the new world of Cellular Orthopedics into which I graduated three years ago. Several months, ago, a long time friend was visiting his family in Chicago and stopped by to say hello. He told me about his skiing last winter and his hiking over the summer and fall. He also related he was seeing an orthopedic surgeon in the state where he now lived and that he had “bone on bone” in his knee. I launched into my customary spiel about his current level of athleticism, my cellular orthopedic initiative and the limits and risks of a knee replacement. Last week, a mutual friend told me that the out of state visitor had related “Mitch was right, I shouldn’t have done it”. He had undergone the Total Knee Replacement in spite of there being no limit in his recreational capacity and was now readmitted with an infected total knee prosthesis that might have to be removed to clear up the infection. Not being one to suggest “I told you so” but that’s what I am trying to get across to the patients I advise.
The Stem Cell Solution, Using the body’s almost magical repair kit to fix bad knees and hips-no surgery required is the title of an article appearing in the December, 2014, edition of The Saturday Evening Post, written by Sharon Begley, the senior U.S. health and science correspondent at Reuters. Last spring, the author had contacted me for an interview after having followed my Blogs unbeknownst to me. Ms Begley introduced herself and told me about an article she was writing for The Post to be published in June. I had forgotten about the interview until a patient came in last week and told me that she had read the article in the December issue. What I didn’t recognize at the time of the interview was that not only is the bone marrow a source of Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells but of Growth factors and Cytokines as well that may be of equal importance. The opening of the article features my patient. In 2011,”I was in a bad way.” ”He was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease eating away at the cartilage in his knees writes Begley.”The patient: ”and now I’m climbing stairs, have gone on two skiing trips, planning another, and playing golf in the summer.” “I am way beyond pleased.”
Tags: arthritis, athletes, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, Hip Replacement, Interventional Orthopedics, joint replacement, Knee Pain Relief, Mature Athlete, Orthopedic Surgeon, Osteoarthritis, Pain Management, Regenerative, Regenexx-SD, stem cells, treatment
Oct 27, 2014
I refuse to ignore the 50-plus demographic; that patient population is enormous and growing. According to a Nielson study, by 2017 boomers will control 70 percent of the country’s disposable income. Aging athlete, you are relevant. Additionally, as you are learning, there is an ever increasing deductable in your indemnification. That fiscal obligation could be used as an investment in your athletic future. Let me cite several examples of what is possible through Cellular Orthopedics.
Last year at this time, a 57 year old man presented with an arthritic left hip and had already received several orthopedic surgical recommendations for a left total hip replacement. Having learned about my work from the internet, he decided to get educated about the new world of regenerative medicine made possible through Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate. As the father of two teen age boys, he was concerned about a major surgical procedure and the inherent risks. He underwent a Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate in late November. When seen in late January, he reported that he had planned to take his two sons skiing in Colorado over their Easter vacation. Last week, he came in for assessment, reported how thrilling it was to have skied with his family: and told me of his New Years reservations for a return skiing trip over the holiday break.
Another example is a soon to be 70 year old avid cyclist and skier who had to stop skiing three years ago because of two arthritic knees. Just as the above individual, he had been advised by several orthopedic surgeons to undergo joint replacements. I shared with him, the activity scale results of patients who undergo a bilateral total knee replacement and compared them with my data base of outcomes for patients with arthritic knees who undergo stem cell interventions. It is now two years later and he has already booked two weeks of helicopter skiing in 2015 and a week with his family skiing in Colorado in February.
A study in 2007 found that 70% of boomers would change home appliance brands and slightly more would switch clothing preferences. Medicine is constantly changing, especially the providers as are surgical techniques and non surgical options. Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells and growth factors with cytokines contained in the Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate carry little risk and great potential to eliminate pain, increase function, help you maintain an active athletic profile; alter the natural history of the arthritic progression and perhaps even influence cartilage regeneration. There will always be an opportunity to undergo a joint replacement but wouldn’t it be better to maintain or return to a high quality of recreational performance with little or no risk and no incisions?
Tags: arthritis, athletes, Benefits and Risk, bone marrow, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Hip Replacement, Interventional Orthopedics, joint replacement, Knee Pain Relief, Mature Athlete, medicine, Orthopedic Surgeon, Orthopedics, Osteoarthritis, Pain Management, Regenerative, Regenexx-SD, stem cells, treatment
Sep 15, 2014
Well, there we were again over the Labor Day three day weekend, cycling up the elevations and over the roads of Southwest Wisconsin. In between, I was able to spend several hours wading in several of my favorite creeks that meander through the Driftless Area. As far as the fly fishing was concerned, it was with a hopper and dropper but I met with little success as I fished during the heat of the day. When it came to cycling though, that was very successful as on three consecutive days, my wife joined me after her cycling sabbatical of 15 years. Our group went out on long rides and two of the wives, mine included, joined us for part of the venture. Why this all becomes important is that two years ago, I was experiencing a major problem with my left knee. The symptoms, arthritis related, had caused me to stop running, decrease my cycling mileage, and alter my skiing agenda. One day, I decided it was time and I underwent a Cellular Orthopedic intervention in my left knee. It was either that or change my entire recreational agenda and limit myself to swimming.
I am happy to report that the musculoskeletal care via Cellular Orthopedics for this Mature Athlete worked and here I am, living a totally unrestricted life. My winter ski trips to the west are being planned so as not to interrupt my work schedule this winter. The absence of knee pain allows me to look forward to another long weekend in pursuit of the 20 inch Brown Trout before the end of the season in Wisconsin..Two years ago, I wasn’t sure if there would be any more skiing in my life or wading up the spring creeks because of the arthritic knee. Sure, I could always fish from a drift boat but it isn’t the same and the Wisconsin spring creeks are for wading, not drifting while seated in a boat.
OK, you get the message; the role of Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate derived Stem cells in Musculoskeletal Care of the Mature Athlete. Now if you will excuse me, I am off to the fitness center to stretch, run and row; all made possible by that Cellular Orthopedic Intervention, two years ago.
Tags: arthritis, athletes, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, Knee, Mature Athlete, Osteoarthritis, Regenexx-SD, stem cells, treatment
Aug 11, 2014
Last Thursday, I presented my Data on our minimum 12 month Outcomes regarding Marrow Aspirate Concentrate derived Stem Cells for Osteoarthritis of the knee to the Regenexx 3rd Annual Conference. It was held at the Scientific and Research Institute in Thornton, Colorado. The baseline number included 118 patients. While I presented the customary orthopedic objective data on the patient cohort such as point scores, Range of motion, patient satisfaction, psychological profiles and pain scores, I introduced two new Scoring parameters: 1) Activity Scores and 2) Comparison to Knee Replacement Outcomes.
Activity Scores are increasingly recognized as an objective outcome measurement documenting results without superimposed psychological disability, sociological factors, and serves as a quantitative measure of how much rather than how well. We measured impact sports breaking them down into very active categories, active, moderate and mild categories. In each category, the patients who had undergone stem cell intervention scored very well in either returning to a prior level of activity recently abandoned or actually advancing to a higher category of activity. As an example, I saw a patient last week six weeks past stem cell intervention for osteoarthritis of the knee. He had presented for treatment when his ability to walk was less than a city block. He marched in six weeks post treatment without a smile indicating that he was dissatisfied, as he still needed to use a handrail for stairs. When I asked him how he got to the office for the six-week follow-up, he responded that he had walked from home. I then inquired how far? His response ” 3 and 1/2 miles”.
In comparing knee replacement outcomes to stem cell interventions, the mean functional score for patients who had received Total Knee Prosthesis at a minimum of one year was 67. In comparison, the functional score for BMAC Stem Cell interventions was 90.5. While it may be that the stem cell population was not exactly comparable to those who had received a Total Knee Replacement, you decide, knee replacement or try stem cells first.
Tags: arthritis, arthritis treatment, athletes, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Hip Replacement, Interventional Orthopedics, Mature Athlete, Orthopedic Surgeon, Osteoarthritis, Regenexx-SD, stem cells
Jul 14, 2014
Beware of a company that treats everything from MS, to ALS, to arthritis with stem cells.
It is the obligation of anybody using stem cell therapy to track and report his or her data. I run a large registry with a designated medical researcher using the same outcomes criteria I used as director of a joint replacement program at a major university. I also have access to a full time bio-statician to analyze data. In August, I will report that data on-line and begin publishing the Outcomes in peer reviewed publications. My mission statement is musculoskeletal care of the aging athlete.
What prompted this tirade is the increasing marketing bombardment by Regenerative Medical providers offering false hope and information based on faulty science. Fat stem cells are not better than bone marrow stem cells for osteoarthritis In fact, for an osteoarthritis application, about 10 papers where fat and bone marrow cells were compared showed that the bone marrow cells were more suited to the application. The big issue with fat stem cells is that the closer the cell source is to the target tissue to be repaired or helped, the more likely it is that the cell will work. So bone marrow cells are involved in helping and maintaining joints and the fat cells from your stomach are not. I highly recommend the reading of a Blog written by Dr. Chris Centeno, the founder of Regenexx for a more complete explanation
http://www.regenexx.com/2014/07/checking-the-facts-about-fat-stem-cell-therapies-breaking-down-the-slick -marketing/
This is a common problem with clinics offering fat based stem cell therapies as there is scant evidence that this therapy is effective for arthritis at this point. Rather than conceding that fact, most clinics will -quote research that looks great on the surface but falls apart once you dig just a little deeper! So whom can you trust?
Prior to the dawn of contracted medicine, a patient had a doctor in whom they trusted and confided. When there was a need for a specialty referral, the family physician made the recommendation. Now that patient chooses health care based on a contract or even worse, an app. Perhaps in the evolving era of Cellular Orthopedics one might be guided by the message in Robert Browning’s classical poem Rabbi Ben Ezra…”Grow old along with me/The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made”. One of John Lennon’s final songs written “Grow Old with Me” appeared in the album Milk and Honey. For stem cell experience, updates and questions, make an appointment with this senior.
Tags: arthritis, athletes, bone marrow, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Orthopedic Surgeon, Osteoarthritis, Regenerative, Regenexx-SD, stem cells
