Lipoaspirate Prolotherapy
Using Stem Cells to treat chronic pain
 Prolotherapy is the regenerative injection treatment that stimulates repair of a painful area of the body. Most notably it is used for arthritic joints (such as degenerative disc disease and knee osteoarthritis), sports injuries (such as a torn meniscus or rotator cuff injury), and chronic pain (such as from bunions and low back pain). The Prolotherapy solution starts with a dextrose base as the primary proliferant (Prolotherapy solution used for injection). The proliferant causes an inflammatory reaction at the injection site, triggering the healing cascade to regenerate and repair the damaged soft tissue. This proliferant works well in most cases, and sometimes minerals or fatty acids may be added to the Prolotherapy solution. In some more severe pain cases, especially with extensive cartilage damage, Cellular Prolotherapy provides a stronger proliferant by using a person’s own stem cells.
One method of Cellular Prolotherapy used at Caring Medical is Lipoaspirate Prolotherapy, which uses liposuction aspirates. These lipoaspirates are combined with platelet rich plasma (PRP) from a blood draw or bone marrow retrieved from the iliac crest. This primary proliferant solution is injected into the damaged, painful joint. The ligament and tendon attachments of the joint are also treated with Hackett-Hemwall dextrose Prolotherapy. In our experience, where the Prolotherapy injections are given is also an important factor, not just what is injected. This means that Stem Cell Prolotherapy with Dr. Hauser includes not just a couple injections of stem cell proliferants, but additionally, the whole joint/painful area is treated for underlying instability, which is likely the cause of the injury in the first place. If this aspect of the patient’s condition is not treated, we find that complete healing may not occur.
 Lipoaspirate Prolotherapy is a type of autologous (from your own body), same-day stem cell therapy. This means the collected stem cells are put into a different part of the body in the same person during the same day procedure. Lipoaspirates are obtained from the abdomen or love handle area through a quick liposuction procedure. The gentle liposuction takes a few minutes, and the whole time in the office is an estimated 60-90 minutes.
Lipoaspirate Prolotherapy is generally used in more severe cases, where a very strong proliferant may be a factor in speeding up the healing response more than expected with normal dextrose Prolotherapy. The main reason to use lipoaspirates as the proliferant in Prolotherapy is that adipose (fat) tissue contains an abundant population of stem cells. Stem cells are self-renewing cells in our bodies which repair and replace old/damaged cells. Injecting these cells directly into the damaged tissue has been shown to enhance the integrity of the tissue and reduce pain. In other words, lipoaspirates contain cells that have the potential to give rise to cells from multiple, but a limited number of, lineages. For instance, the adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells can become fibroblasts (ligament and tendon cells), chondrocytes (cartilage cells) and fibrochondrocytes (meniscus and labrum cells) but they cannot become brain or nerve cells.
 Conditions in which Stem Cell Therapy is most often considered include the following:
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avascular necrosis in a bone (joint)
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cartilage injuries
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chronic ligament injuries
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degenerative joint disease
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labral tears
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meniscus tears
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osteoarthritis
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osteochondral defects
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tendinosis (degenerated tendons)
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numerous others
How will you feel after Lipoaspirate Prolotherapy? Just as with Hackett-Hemwall dextrose Prolotherapy, the treated area is typically stiff and swollen after the treatment, because the desired effect is a temporary, localized inflammation to stimulate blood flow and growth factors in the area. A patient can return to work the same or next day. Dr. Hauser will help athletes return to exercise within a couple of days, discussing possible modifications to encourage healing and minimize discomfort. The average number of treatments needed to achieve full healing is four to six, and each treatment is given four to eight weeks apart.
 Like all medical conditions and therapies, each person responds individually. At the initial visit, Dr. Hauser discusses how many treatments he feels will be needed to achieve the patient’s goals. An experienced Prolotherapy physician can give a reasonably accurate estimate. Because we see a lot of tough cases in our clinic who have failed numerous other treatments, sometimes it might be known upfront that Prolotherapy treatments could be needed for a full year or longer. Though this is rare, for a patient who is adamantly against surgery, or who has already failed surgeries, he or she may consider the time, energy, and money to use Stem Cell Prolotherapy worthwhile.
To make an appointment, call or email us. To learn more about Lipoaspirate Prolotherapy, you can visit our Stem Cell Therapy site: www.stemcellprolotherapy.com
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