Stem cells are increasingly being used to treat injuries that have occurred while playing sports. Many sportspeople in the United States are traveling long distances to receive a stem cell treatment that they hope might reduce the pain they are experiencing or repair damage to their body.
This was the case for former professional archer John Dudley. He has dealt with pain in his bicep and upper forearm over the past few years. The pain was a result of years of archery practice and participation in professional archery tournaments. The strain of repeatedly pulling back bowstrings had caused a great deal of long-term damage to his muscles.
The pain in his arms was so bad that he was struggling to perform everyday activities like carry milk from the refrigerator to the kitchen bench. Dudley had already had surgery performed to his shoulder to address pain there. He was dreading the notion of having surgery performed to his elbow, biceps and forearms — where pain had appeared.
John did some research and discovered a stem cell treatment that might be able to address the pain in his arms. The treatment involved stem cells that were taken from the amniotic sac of a woman’s placenta. This tissue is normally discarded as medical waste after a baby is born, but researchers have discovered that it contains valuable stem cells. The tissue was donated by a woman who had her baby delivered via an elective C-section.
The stem cells were injected into the areas of Dudley’s body where he was experiencing pain. The cells began to repair and regenerate the tissue in his arms. Within a few weeks, Dudley’s pain levels had greatly decreased and he was regaining some strength.
Source: Hitting the bullseye | Former pro-archer finds pain relief from stem cell treatments
{{cta(‘010124f3-c9bc-4a23-b9fc-74953e6288c9’)}}