Cellular "Stem Cell" Therapy

Unleash Your Body's Ability To Repair Injury with stem cell therapy in Austin, TX.

Stem Cell Therapy Austin Texas

Cell-Based "Stem Cell" Therapy at CHARM

The Science of Autologous Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy has been used for over a decade to stimulate regeneration of injured and degenerative tissue. Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate has been shown has been shown to provide elevated levels of Mesenchymal Signaling Cells (MSCs), otherwise known as “Stem Cells”, platelets, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), chemokines, and cytokines including PDGF and TGF-β, which can result in pain reduction, functional improvement, and/or tissue regeneration. Stem cell therapy uses stem cells derived from your own (autolologous) bone marrow possesses anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, trophic, and immunomodulatory properties that can potentially have anabolic regenerative effects.

Stem cell therapy treatments are the safest and least invasive source of MSCs, and is obtained from the patient and re-implanted directly where the injured tissue needs to be stimulated, within a 2-hour, in-office, non-surgical procedure. CHARM only uses FDA-compliant techniques. We do not use tissue derived from other patients which has been shown to have a significant risk of infection and which does not contain viable, living cells.

Studies Showing The Efficacy of Stem Cells Derived from Bone Marrow

FAQ'S

Most patients will require a comprehensive treatment program and advanced solutions for their degenerative condition, and they should seek treatment by an experienced practitioner with the training necessary to work to resolve their condition. The best outcomes require comprehensive injection techniques, proper imaging guidance using advanced visualization equipment, and the ability to provide the optimized solutions required from our advanced in-house laboratory capable of producing the highest-quality growth factor and cellular solutions. The practitioners at CHARM have the experience, equipment, team, and laboratory processes required to maximize your response to treatment. 

During the process of tissue healing, platelets (injected or from trauma) stimulate the attraction of Mesenchymal Signaling Cells (MSC’s) into the area that needs repair. The MSC’s oversee and control the healing process by secreting growth and repair factors for the neighboring cells that already exist in the area and draw even more cells to the area to orchestrate the repair project.

Physicians specializing in Regenerative Medicine are able to collect these cells and use them to treat tissues that may have difficulty healing spontaneously and which can be chronically debilitating. This is done by harvesting bone marrow from the patient’s hip bone (iliac crest) and obtaining platelets from the patient’s blood. The MSC’s are concentrated and injected into tissues that may otherwise have limited healing potential because of a poor supply of healing cells in the region or because of poor blood flow.

Advanced solutions including PRP and bone marrow stem cell concentrates, processed in our in-house lab to optimize quality and cell count, are used when the degree of tissue damage is moderate to severe. Advanced solutions may also aide in faster healing and recovery when compared to simpler processes. Tissues found to have difficulty healing spontaneously or chronic degenerative processes can be vigorously stimulated…..

Although many claims are being made regarding these types of products, they are not living stem cells. There is a lot of “marketing hype” currently because many patients have heard about others who have benefitted from legitimate Regenerative Medicine techniques. Some practitioners who are not even allowed by their licensing to inject the body are claiming to be able to offer “stem cell” injections in their clinics usually with negligible experience and without the benefit of fluoroscopic and ultrasonic guidance.   

Beware of these false claims and marketing ploys. To date, there have been virtually no published peer-reviewed studies to back up claims made by these fringe clinics and unscrupulous salespeople. The products that they are injecting are not FDA-approved for the advertised treatments and they are NOT living tissue. There are no living “stem cells” in these products. Over 80 infections have been documented in the USA in the past 2 years from the use of these unsafe and unapproved products. Although there may be some potential value because there are some proteins in these products, the amounts that are available are in very small amounts.

It is quite difficult to comprehensively treat a joint such as the knee when you have 1cc of freeze-dried material that has been frozen and shipped across the country or from around the world. Most joint treatments require a much greater volume of growth factors to fully treat the complex structure of an injured and painful joint. 

Our experience to date has been that Dextrose, platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow aspirate concentrate have far greater effectiveness than these non-living products. By using your own stem cells, platelets, and growth factors we can reduce the potential risks associated with using donor cells from another person, including allergic reactions, infection, or rejection. 

We are constantly reviewing ALL of the products and techniques available throughout the world of Regenerative Medicine, and we always strive to provide the best for our patients. If and when better options and techniques become proven and available, we will be offering these to our patients. 

Standard Dextrose Prolotherapy works well for many mild problems, and PRP is better for moderate problems. Advanced cellular therapies mixing bone marrow aspirate concentrate with platelet-rich plasma is recommended for moderate to severe tears and degenerative processes. The cost for more advanced cellular therapies is greater due to the additional time, effort, and expertise needed to draw the blood / bone marrow and then complete the proprietary lab process to obtain the highest quality and quantity of biologics possible.

BMAC in coordination with PRP is used for moderate to severe problems. The financial cost for PRP and BMAC is significantly greater than for dextrose and ozone, and more time and effort is needed to obtain the blood and bone marrow to then begin the complex lab processes needed. The recovery time after an advanced procedure is frequently a few days longer than with the standard, simpler solutions.

At CHARM, we try to select the most appropriate process needed to match the degree of involvement of the damaged structure, based on over 20 years of clinical experience using each of these solutions. 

Physicians specializing in Regenerative Medicine are able to collect stem cells and other growth factors from the bone marrow. This is done by harvesting bone marrow from the hip bone (iliac crest). Blood is also drawn and processed to form PRP. The orthobiological cellular concentrates are then processed in the advanced in-house CHARM laboratory. 

Each of these techniques is very well-tolerated and much less painful to the patient than one might expect. The bone marrow aspiration procedure takes about 10 minutes to perform in the procedure suite at CHARM using simple local anesthesia. No sedation is typically needed at all for the procedure unless the patient is unusually anxious. In this case, a pre-treatment oral dose of Xanax or inhaled Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) is available as needed. 

The quality of studies involving the use of bone marrow aspirate concentrate and platelet-rich plasma are continuing to improve as the field is gaining acceptance worldwide. Studies for the treatment of different musculoskeletal structures have been published and many more await publication. Studies have now been accepted for publication involving the injection of bone marrow aspirate concentrate into the disks of the lumbar spine and results to date have been very promising. Bone marrow aspirate concentrate has been used in the Veterinary field for horses for over 15 years. Similar cellular therapies have been used in the Veterinary field and horseracing industry for over 15-20 years

CHARM only uses PRP from the patient’s own blood and adult bone-marrow derived (BMAC) orthobiological concentrates obtained from the patient him/herself, on the same day of service during the same procedure, using minimal-manipulation laboratory processing. There are no ethical or legal issues at CHARM using the patient’s own cells and growth factors to stimulate healing. 

The procedures at CHARM are compliant with the FDA’s regulations on orthobiologic tissue technologies. There are no ethical or legal issues at CHARM because we ONLY use the patient’s own cells and growth factors to stimulate healing. Although proprietary, the in-house laboratory processing here at CHARM requires minimal-manipulation and is reinjected the same day of service during a 90-120 minute procedure.

PATIENT RESOURCES

Patient Guidelines For Regenerative Procedures

Pre-treatment information and guidelines for patients pursuing BMAC / PRP treatments

Post Treatment / After Care for Regenerative Procedures

If you are planning to or have recently had Regenerative Medicine injection treatment you can download our short term after care information sheet here

My first experience with CHARM was with stem cell therapy in Austin, TX for the regeneration of cartilage and ligaments in multiple joints in my body. The staff there is easy to work with and are super professional. All the affected joints are much better since I had the treatment 10 months ago, especially a hip without any noticeable cartilage left (prior to treatment) and a shoulder that had been giving me issues since my 20’s. This treatment may very well have prevented me having hip resurfacing/replacement in the next decade, and given me more quality years for the physical activities I enjoy. Thank you so much. You have earned my continued business.

- 5 Years Later

Just wanted to reach out again to say that I am now going on 5 years, pain-free, since my stem cell therapy treatments at CHARM. I am still continually referring friends and family to your practice. I am very grateful for your services and wish many more people find relief at CHARM.

- Tom