Stem Cell Injections for Bulging Discs

[lookslikesausage]

yay or nay in your guys opinions?

 

[malcom young]

From stemcells.com?

 

[MyNameIsJeff]

Not sure how a tumor growing next to your spine would help with bulging discs

A particularly high-profile case covered by The New York Times featured a 66-year-old man who visited clinics in China and South America to receive stem cell injections into his spine to attempt to fix residual neurological deficits he lived with after a stroke. He developed incontinence, paralysis and lower-back pain, and doctors subsequently revealed a growth on his spinal cord, formed from the stem cell injections. The growth didn’t have any classic cancer-related mutations, so it’s difficult to formally define it as a malignancy, but this and scattered other cases, such as the example of a 13-year-old boy in Israel who developed growths in his brain after an ill-advised attempt to treat his rare genetic disease with stem cells, serve as a stark warning to those wanting to try these treatments.

As a cancer research scientist, I’m worried. Stem cells in the lab form tumors called teratomas when put into mice. Indeed, it’s one of the tests frequently used to prove that we have made genuine stem cells. Last year, researchers at Harvard showed that stem cells grown in the lab frequently acquire mutations in the notorious p53 gene, which is mutated in over 50% of cancers. Additionally, they showed that these mutated cells had a growth advantage, progressively outcompeting the non-mutated cells in the cultures. Many stem cell therapies in development involve periods of culture in the lab and sometimes genetic manipulation before injecting them into the participant, so there are significant concerns as to whether this might increase the likelihood that they can cause cancer.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/victor...t-be-injecting-them-into-myself/#612c027873de

 

[heavyb]

Maybe if you trying to regrow a disc. Try to work on your core and maybe see a Prolotherapy doc it helped me. I am just too far gone in my back now so I am seeing a surgeon now.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Maybe if you trying to regrow a disc. Try to work on your core and maybe see a Prolotherapy doc it helped me. I am just too far gone in my back now so I am seeing a surgeon now.

yeah, i was told they might "regenerate" the disc. i have constant pain that will not go away. core work, stretches. none of it seems to alleviate the pain. i can walk now but am never without discomfort and some things i do not feel safe doing and i want very badly to get back to them.

 

[WhyIncision]

yeah, i was told they might "regenerate" the disc. i have constant pain that will not go away. core work, stretches. none of it seems to alleviate the pain. i can walk now but am never without discomfort and some things i do not feel safe doing and i want very badly to get back to them.

Do you have imaging, CT or MR, to confirm it is in fact a disc issue? Just because there's pain doesn't automatically mean it's a disc issue. A disc issue can present with, but not limited to, radiculopathy, paresthesia, decreased DTR's, decreased muscle strength following a specific myotome.

I don't see how stem cells can help a bulging disc.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Do you have imaging, CT or MR, to confirm it is in fact a disc issue? Just because there's pain doesn't automatically mean it's a disc issue. A disc issue can present with, but not limited to, radiculopathy, paresthesia, decreased DTR's, decreased muscle strength following a specific myotome.

I don't see how stem cells can help a bulging disc.

that's what a doctor mentioned to me. i have doubts about actually going through with the procedure. I have multiple MRIs confirming bulging discs at three areas. One might be herniated at this point and yes, i have radiculopathy also in addition to constant back pain.

 

[WhyIncision]

that's what a doctor mentioned to me. i have doubts about actually going through with the procedure. I have multiple MRIs confirming bulging discs at three areas. One might be herniated at this point and yes, i have radiculopathy also in addition to constant back pain.

If you are having doubts, you can always get a second opinion. You can also looking into traction therapy. Don't do that in home stuff, find a DC or DPT that has a traction table in office. I assume you are referring to your lumbar spine, so you'd be looking for a doctor with a lumbar traction table.

Another type of conservative treatment would be Cox Flexion Distraction and Decompression technique (Cox Technique). You'd need to call around and find a chiropractor with a Cox table. Plenty of studies online supporting Cox.

It comes down to the severity of the disc lesion(s), that will dictate your course of action.