Research

The Research: Steroids Hammer Stem Cells!

Steroids are widely used in Orthopedic care like water, sprinkled here and there for good measure in arthritis and surgical procedures alike. We’ve known for sometime that these high dose steroids are horrible for cartilage and other cells, but there hasn’t been much published on how they impact stem cells. A recent study adds to the…read more

Orthopedic Stem Cell Research: Is There Enough?

(Click here for a larger view) While stem cells are clearly gaining ground in orthopedics, there are still some physicians and many scientists that argue that there just isn’t enough research yet for physicians to use this therapy in patients. Since I’ve been following the research since 2005 and watching it develop, I have a…read more

Are You Getting Ripped Off by Your Fish Oil Brand?

Whether We like it or Not…Fish Oil Brand Matters I’ve blogged many times before that fish oil is really good stuff. The Omega 3 fatty acids it can supply can be helpful for arthritis and for heart disease and can counter the bad Omega 6 fatty acids in the American diet. However, what if the…read more

Plantar Fasciitis Steroid Injection Side Effects: Platelets Decimate Steroids in Effectively Treating Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis steroid injection side effects? Plantar fasciitis is a problem involving the tough supporting structure on the bottom of the foot. It anchors in the heel and when this area is over loaded (or when nerves in the back are irritated), it can become sore and make it tough to walk (especially in the mornings).…read more

New Study: Your Meniscus Tear may be Caused by a Bad Nerve in Your Back

You don’t often hear meniscus tear and bad back nerves in the same sentence.  But we see patients all the time who have low level issues in their low back causing problems in the knee. Most of these patients don’t think they have a back issue because their back doesn’t hurt much. However, a new…read more

Why Statins are Really Bad for You

As you know, we have seen statin cholesterol drugs do really bad things to stem cells in culture. On the other end of that spectrum, we’ve also seen high triglycerides due to metabolic syndrome hurt stem cells. One of our patients who was instructed to get off statin drugs before her stem cell procedure recently sent this article by MIT professor Dr. Stefanie…read more

How can I get more or better Stem Cells? Top 10 List of things to do…

We often get asked how patients can get more or better stem cells, or improve the quality of their stem cells before a procedure. The research is finally at a point where there are a few pointers we can give, along with our 7 years of experience. Here’s our top 10 list. Realize that age cures many…read more

What does the latest research say about VMO strengthening exercises?

What does the latest research have to say about VMO strengthening exercises?  I blogged awhile back on how weak gluteal (butt) muscles may cause patellofemoral syndrome (knee cap arthritis otherwise known as chondromalacia patella). The exercise prescription usually given to patients with knee cap tracking issues is VMO strengthening exercises (VMO=vastus medialis obliquus muscle-inside of the big…read more