What is Stem Cell TherapyThriveMD, Colorado’s Stem Cell expert with patient facilities in Vail and Aspen

Contents

1. Definition of Stem Cell Therapy

2. Types of Stem Cells

3. Orthopaedic Conditions Treated by Adult Stem Cells

4. Advantages of Stem Cell Therapy

5. Harvesting Stem Cells

6. Stem Cell Therapy Procedure

7. Stem Cell Therapy Patient Cases

8. ThriveMD Contact Info

Definition of Stem Cell Therapy

What are stem cells?▪ Undifferentiated cells capable of dividing and differentiating into specialized

cells in your body.▪ One type of stem cell that is abundant in our body is the adult stem cell. Its

primary role is to repair and replace damaged tissue.

What is stem cell therapy?▪ Stem cell therapy, also referred to as stem cell treatment, helps the body

repair itself naturally. The cells neutralize inflammation and accelerate healing. They have the potential to regenerate injured cartilage tissue, tendons, bone, muscle, ligaments and vertebral annular disc cartilage.

How do stem cells regenerate the body?▪ By finding the damaged tissue and initiating its repair or regeneration, stem

cells stimulate your body’s own natural healing processes.

Types of Stem CellsAdult stem cells

▪ Autologous (the patient’s own) stem cells are harvested from your body as part of the same procedure.

▪ Found in highest concentration in adipose (fat) tissue. ▪ Additionally found in a patient’s bone marrow in smaller concentration.▪ ThriveMD therapies only utilize autologous adult stem cells.

Umbilical cord stem cells▪ Harvested from cord blood just after birth and banked for later use.▪ In the US, its application is limited to compassionate-care cases.▪ ThriveMD therapies do not utilize umbilical cord stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells▪ Generated from fertilized, frozen eggs at in-vitro fertilization centers.▪ This type causes the most political and ethical controversy.▪ ThriveMD therapies never utilize embryonic stem cells.

Orthopaedic Conditions Treated by ThriveMDJoints and soft tissue injuries▪ Knee, hip, shoulder and all other joint injuries – Joint injuries can be treated by

stem cell therapy. The potential for improved function is often seen in conditions such as acute and chronic osteoarthritis as well as partial ligament and tendon tears. Stem cells can potentially improve post surgical recovery times and are quickly becoming a viable alternative to joint replacement surgery.

Back pain▪ Degenerative disc disease - Stem cell therapy can potentially treat lumber

discs and be an alternative to spinal fusion surgery for discogenic low back pain. In the lumbar disc, studies have shown that stem cells improve hydration, decrease inflammation and improve disc height.

▪ Facet joint pain – Central back pain, such as a whiplash injury, is often caused by damage to the facet joints which are found in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Like other joint damage, facet joints can be treated with stem cells.

Advantages of Stem Cell Therapy▪ No risk of rejection – autologous stem cells are harvested from your own

body and thus, there is no risk of rejection

▪ No communicable disease transmission – autologous stem cells are harvested from your own body and thus, there is no risk of disease transmission to yourself

▪ General anesthesia is not necessary. The procedure is performed using only mild oral medications.

▪ Fast recovery – stem cell therapy is an out-patient procedure. Patients can return to work in 1-2 days and don’t typically require bracing or crutches.

▪ Powerful results – stem cell patient cases and testimonials have demonstrated long duration of benefits of the treatment

▪ Minimally invasive – Stem cell procedures are minimally invasive and the entire out-patient procedure is performed in approximately 3 hours. Patients generally do not require any post operative pain medication.

Harvesting Stem Cells

▪ Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) – PRP is harvested through a peripheral blood draw.

▪ Bone marrow – Utilizing a local anesthetic, bone marrow is obtained from a patient’s iliac crest under live x-ray guidance and then the cells are concentrated using a centrifuge process.

▪ Adipose (fat) tissue – The most abundant source of adult stem cells are obtained through a small liposuction procedure, called Tickle Lipo. Adipose tissue has the highest concentration of stem cells per volume(about 1,000 times as much as bone marrow).

ThriveMD believes the best patient outcomes are achieved by using a combination of all three above mentioned biologics.

Stem Cell Therapy ProcedureA patient’s specific 'stem cell procedure will be decided upon during a one-on-one consultation. Below is a general outline of what to expect:

▪ Consultation – An appointment with your doctor to determine if you are a candidate for stem cell therapy is required.

▪ Harvesting stem cells - from fat and bone marrow, under local anesthesia

▪ Injection – Under real-time x-ray guidance, stem cells are precisely placed at the site of the damaged tissue.

▪ Regenerative process – The regenerative process typically begins to occur within the first 3 months and ongoing improvements generally continue for up to 1 year.

▪ Follow-up treatment – 4 weeks after the initial injection to joints, ligaments, tendons or discs, patients return to ThriveMD for a PRP and/or bone marrow injection. This booster provides additional growth factors and or cells to support the ongoing healing process.

Stem Cell Patient Cases

One of ThriveMD’s favorite stem cell reviews comes from a patient who was previously told by an orthopaedic surgeon that his bilateral knees were “bone on bone” with knee arthritis and he was told his only treatment option was a bilateral joint replacement:

“I am 61 years old (almost bone on bone both knees/had this stem cell procedure done on both). Knees feel like when I was back in my twenties (pain free/and no more arthritis pain / walking upstairs pain free). I tell everyone that has problems with their joints about this procedure and highly recommend having this simple procedure done. Because I had this procedure done: I am back at the gym going 100% two hours a day on the elliptical machine and was able to lose 60 pounds in three months. My job is very physical at times… but now I physically feel I can do my job for another ten years easily and I can play golf and run again pain free. It has been a long time since I could do that. I cannot thank Dr. Brandt enough.”

ThriveMD Contact Info

We believe stem cells are the future of medicine.

To learn more about ThriveMD and stem cell therapy:▪ http://thrivemdvail.com/stem-cell-therapy/▪ www.facebook.com/thrivemdvail ▪ http://www.slideshare.net/StemCellExperts

For one-on-one information or to schedule a consultation:▪ info@thrivemdvail.com ▪ Vail 970.766.8245 ▪ Aspen 970.456.3949