I’m excited to welcome my friend Dr Brad Abrahamson back on as a YGR advertiser. You may remember Dr Brad from his racing days with Echelon Health in 2000s. Back then he worked with Associates in Family Medicine and was instrumental in their sponsorship of the Echelon Health Cycling Team, Your Group Ride and the Six Day Races at the Oval. Now he’s launched his own stem cell therapy practice and is excited to again be supporting the Fort Collins cycling scene. Read on to see what Regen Colorado does and how they can help you.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/regencolorado/
Website: https://regencolorado.com/
Regen Colorado Regenerative Medicine Specialists provide the latest in affordable, evidence-based, and FDA compliant stem cell therapies to treat acute and chronic orthopedic conditions. Our team has years of experience treating everyone from ranchers to current and former professional athletes. Our physicians have been involved in past and current clinical research involving the use of stem cells to treat chronic spinal and joint pain and are not only experienced in the field of regenerative medicine, but also have years of experience in interventional pain management and sports therapy. While regenerative therapies have shown an improvement in many orthopedic conditions, they are not appropriate for all ailments. Our doctors will present you with an honest, expert opinion on your options, including procedures or treatments that may be covered by your insurance, or no treatment at all if that is what is in your best interest.
We prefer to use the term “regenerative medicine” over stem cell therapy, as it describes a more complete and complex interaction between mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), growth factors, and existing cells and tissues in the body. A simple definition of a mesenchymal stem cell is a basic precursor or “progenitor” cell capable of differentiating into tissues such as bone, cartilage, and muscle. They also act to direct an elaborate process of healing and cell signaling, much like the conductor of an orchestra. Stem cells were first discovered and described over forty years ago. Since that time much clinical research has focused on chronic conditions such as degenerative joint and spinal disc disease. The primary source of MSCs for our purposes comes from bone marrow aspirate, or “BMA”. All of our procedures are performed with the use of your own BMA. Stem cell therapy involves using bone marrow aspirate that is concentrated and injected at the site of injury or degeneration to induce natural healing.
How Is The Procedure Performed?
Most procedures take 30-60 minutes to perform, in a single office visit. Patients are brought to our in-office procedure room and a light sedative is given through an IV. Bone marrow is then harvested from the iliac wing (posterior hip) using live x-ray guidance, called fluoroscopy. The concentrated bone marrow is then injected into the areas to be treated, i.e. spinal discs, joints, or tendons, using either ultrasound or x-ray (fluoroscopy) to precisely inject the intended area of treatment.
Platelet-Rich Plasma
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. Like bone marrow, PRP has been used for decades to help heal tissue in both animals and humans. Platelets contain a vast array of growth factors that help to decrease inflammation and to bring in new blood vessels to the injured area to help it heal. The white and red blood cells are usually depleted, although depending on the injury or condition, white cells may be used for therapeutic benefit. PRP is typically used for painful tendon and ligament injuries but has also been used in painful spinal discs, and arthritic joints. PRP is simply a concentrate of your own blood. After a simple blood draw is performed, the blood is then spun in a centrifuge to separate and concentrate the platelet-rich plasma. The PRP is then injected into the area being treated under sterile conditions. From your standpoint, it is just like a mini-blood donation and a short wait for processing and ultrasound-guided injection. It is done in one clinic appointment time from start to finish.
