Understanding Four Main Types of Regenerative Medicine

Medicine has come a long way. Not only do we better understand the human body now, but we’re also starting to get a better handle on the miraculous way it can heal itself. This gives doctors the opportunity to harness that regenerative power that already exists within you, then strengthen and redirect it where you need it most. 

This is called regenerative medicine, and it’s available right here at Integrated Pain Solutions in Stamford, Connecticut. In fact, Dr. Halina Snowball specializes in regenerative medicine and can use it to help with everything from injuries to joint pain. 

She offers four specific types of regenerative medicine to apply the right treatment for you:

Stem cell therapy

A stem cell is essentially an unprogrammed cell. It’s raw material that your body can use when and how it needs. When applied in a specific location, for example, your body can turn the stem cell into the type of cell it needs for healing there. 

Fortunately, you have plenty of stem cells — they’re just generally confined to areas like your bone marrow. Dr. Snowball can extract them, create a concentrated serum with them, then inject them into targeted locations to support healing and pain relief. 

Placental matrix

During pregnancy, the placenta plays a critical role, delivering nutrients, removing waste, and more. But once the baby is born, it usually ends up in the trash.

Research has shown that what we currently dispose of could be a powerful tool for healing. When the mother is healthy, the placental matrix tissue that she and her baby no longer need can be used to get powerful tissue-repairing cells. 

Exosome therapy

Exosomes are liquid-based structures that your cells make outside themselves. Researchers expect them to be a powerful tool in medicine as we understand them better. 

With exosome therapy, Dr. Snowball can harness this resource to support healing at a cellular level. 

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

One of the more common types of regenerative medicine, PRP allows Dr. Snowball to tap into the growth factors that naturally occur in the platelets in your blood. To get PRP, she takes a very small sample of your blood and uses a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the other components. 

This leaves her with a plasma that has a much higher concentration of growth factors. By injecting PRP into injured or painful areas, Dr. Snowball floods the location with resources your body can use to support its natural healing processes. 

Clearly, regenerative medicine gives Dr. Snowball a variety of ways to support healing in your body. Plus, it’s all done using naturally occurring substances, helping to minimize the risk of side effects and complications.

If you’re ready to learn more about what regenerative medicine can do for you, call our office at 203-293-0549 or request an appointment online today.