1. Understanding The Consequences of Poor Spinal Health
Spinal health is vital to the maintenance of an individual’s mobility as well as their quality of life. When there is a failure of an individual’s spine to maintain its integrity, there is a large amount of pain that follows. A Disc Bulge, which is an example of a structural abnormality, causes discomfort and pain that is physically and mentally debilitating and limits normal day to day functioning. Patients experience pain in a number of areas. Chronic back pain causes a large decline in an individual’s ability to produce work and worsens their overall quality of life. Traditional medicine is centered around the management of symptoms and lacks the ability to provide a treatment that addresses the underlying damage to the affected tissues. For many of these reasons, patients view a certified Stem Cell Clinic and regenerative medicine for the treatment of chronic back pain. Modern medicine has to be able to address the underlying cause of the damage to the tissues. Regenerative therapy has the ability to restore the integrity of damaged tissues.
2. The Mechanism of the Disorder Structural Abnormality
To understand the pathology that is characteristic of many of the disorders of the spine evaluated at a Stem Cell Clinic, it is critical to have a comprehensive understanding of the anatomy of the spinal column. The anatomical structures that compose the spinal column consist of vertebrae that are separated from each other by an intervertebral disc. Each of these intervertebral discs is composed of an outer ring that is tougher in comparison to its center which is a gelatinous mass. This center is displaced in the event of a traumatic injury to the spine or in the event of degeneration of the intervertebral disc. This distortion of the center creates pressure on the outer ring of the disc. This pressure leads to distortion of the annulus fibrosus which in turn leads to protrusion of the annulus into the spinal canal. This protrusion is what is medically referred to as a Disc Bulge. In this Disc Bulge, the annulus fibrosus presses on the nearby nerve root which leads to a cascade of inflammatory symptoms that are further exacerbated by the distorted annulus fibrosus.
As a result, patients experience chronic radiculopathy or chronic back pain. The adult intervertebral discs are almost completely lacking in blood supply. Nutrients are absorbed very slowly through the cartilaginous endplates. Due to the slow diffusion of nutrients, a Disc Bulge almost never heals itself without advanced treatments from a Stem Cell Clinic.
Figure 1: The Mechanism of the Disorder Structural Abnormality
3. Standard Methods and Their Constraints
After a Disc Bulge is diagnosed, most medical physicians begin treatment by using conservative methods. To diminish the swelling they prescribe a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Concurrently, physical therapy is used to build strength in the core muscles to support the spine. During this time, the swelling and pain are expected to subside as a result of inflammation being inhibited by epidural steroid injections. If the Disc Bulge is not managed using conservative methods, the physician’s next course of action will be surgical methods such as discectomy and spinal fusion. These traditional methods are riddled with problems. Medicines offered to patients only provide temporary relief of pain without correcting the structural damage. Surgical methods are designed to remove bulging tissues, but that method is not without risk; surgery can lead to infection or damage to nerves. There are also significant mechanical problems of the spine that occur due to surgery which can lead to more back problems. Because of the lack of adequate treatment methods, many of these patients seek regenerative therapies such as are offered at a Stem Cell Clinic.
4. Mechanisms of Cell Therapy Regeneration
Cellular therapies are a significant improvement in the therapy of spine conditions. A specific Stem Cell Clinic is important because it offers therapies that are designed to improve the aging spine by healing the tissues. Mesenchymal stem cells have the unique quality of being able to heal tissues which make them ideal candidates to treat a Disc Bulge. Once grafted into the target location, the cells partake in a variety of biological processes. The primary mechanism relies on paracrine signaling, in which the grafted cells release exosomes that contain a variety of growth factors. The growth factors instruct intrinsic disc cells to synthesize constituents of the extracellular matrix, such as collagen type II. The cells also possess potent immunomodulatory capabilities. The cells shift the local inflammation response from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory. This change in inflammation response results in the reduction of irritation to the nerve root caused by the Disc Bulge. Rather than removing damaged tissue like standard surgical procedures, biological therapies from a leading Stem Cell Clinic promote the actual repair of tissue. The annulus fibrosus’ structural integrity improves over a period of time. It is not uncommon for patients to opt for stem cell therapy instead of undergoing standard invasive procedures.
World class Disc Bulge biological treatments originate in Bangkok, Thailand, at a fraction of the cost in most Western countries. The synthesis of Thai hospitality and advanced medical science solutions for chronic pain sufferers is phenomenal.
Figure 2: Comparing of Standard methods and Cell therapy