Sachin Tendulkar’s Tennis Elbow, Sania Mirza’s ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), Saina Nehwal’s knee-injury – sportsmen sustain several injuries and traumas throughout their careers. In fact, former midfielder, Franck Ribéry is famous for having sustained a whopping 72 sports injuries in his entire career.
Most recently, New Zealand Cricket announced that the skipper of the New Zealand Cricket Team will miss the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup due to a ruptured ACL.
Fortunately, for sportsmen (and their fans), stem cell therapy for sports injuries is now being widely recognised and accepted as a viable way of managing their condition.
Let’s read on to know more.
Stem cells and stem cell therapy
Stem cells are progenitor cells with the ability to transform and/or multiply into specialised cells. The cells in our body have specific roles and functions. On the other hand, stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are capable of becoming specific types of cells that our body requires.
Stem cell therapy is a type of regenerative medicine that helps in repairing or restoring function of tissues that have been damaged due to disease, abnormalities, and/or injury.
Read about stem cell therapy in India.
Types of sports injuries
Any athlete worth their sweat knows health matters as much as form. However, continuous pressure on joints, limbs, back, and other parts of the body (depending on the type of sport) can lead to serious sports injuries.
There are two types of sports injuries. They are:
Acute Injuries
These result from sudden injuries, such as an awkward landing (wrestling, mixed martial arts, beach volleyball, etc.) or a sprained ankle (athletics, football, tennis, etc.) Symptoms include severe pain, localised swelling and sensitivity, and impaired movement.
Chronic Injuries
These are slow developing injuries typically involving pain and swelling while performing an activity, and a dull throbbing or ache when resting. These injuries result from repeated overuse of joints or muscle groups (tennis, swimming, cricket, weight-lifting, etc.)
Some common sports injuries include:
- Meniscal tears
- Tendon Tears
- Rotator Cuff Tear
- Shoulder Impingement
- Shoulder Instability
- Shoulder Bursitis
Symptoms of sports injuries
Every sports injury comes with its own set of symptoms. We’ve listed the most common ones below:
- Bruise
- Aches and pains
- Stiffness
- Tenderness
- Swelling
- Decreased range of motion
- Deformity
- Inability to wear weight on hip, leg, or foot
- Sounds from joints – grinding, cracking, clicking, popping
- Impaired movement, especially of injured body part
How does stem cell therapy benefit sports injuries?
Stem cell therapy for sports injuries offers athletes and sportsmen a plethora of benefits, the most shining one being that they do not have to stay away from their game for long!
Injected stem cells move to the site of injury and secrete growth factors that kick-start the body’s natural repair mechanism, called neuroprotection. Additionally, stem cells provide immunomodulation, reduce inflammation and pain, and also generate supporting cells that protect damaged tissue from further deterioration.
The advantages of stem cell therapy for sports injuries at Plexus include:
- Reduces inflammation and also prevents future inflammation
- Reduces side-effects and risks of immune rejection
- Helps regenerate damaged or injured tissue
- Improves functional plasticity
- Painless and non-invasive procedure with fast recovery
- Faster recovery leads to quicker comebacks
- Stem cell therapy, unlike a surgery, is not followed by prolonged periods of immobilisation/bed rest
We use autologous mesenchymal stem cells taken from the patient’s own body to help manage their sports injury.
Sports Medicine at Plexus
At Plexus we offer customised rehabilitation for sports injuries. This includes:
- Stem cell therapy
- Pain management
- Physiotherapy
- Sports rehabilitation therapy
- Nutritive therapies
It is important to mention here that sports injuries are not limited to professional athletes and sportsmen. These injuries are looming on the heads of even those of us who play a sport as a hobby. So, even if you’re not a pro golfer like Tiger Woods, you too can sustain a rotator cuff injury.
If you wish to know more about the sports medicine programme at Plexus, reach out to us today.
WhatsApp +91 89048 42087
Call +91 78159 64668 (Hyderabad) | +91 82299 99888 (Bangalore)
FAQs
Is stem cell therapy allowed in sports?
FDA-approved Plasma Therapy is prescribed for the management of a variety of sports injuries.
Can stem cells heal injuries?
Stem cells help manage symptoms of the injury, reduce inflammation and pain, and improve quality of life post-injury.
Is stem cell therapy legal in India?
In India, stem cell therapy is legalised for the management of blood disorders and orthopedic conditions.
Is stem cell therapy a permanent fix?
It depends on the severity of injury and the extent of damage.
What is the success rate of stem cell therapy?
Presently in India, stem cell therapy has witnessed a success rate of 60-80%. This success is measured by improvement in the patient’s quality of life.
Is stem cell therapy painful?
Stem cell therapy is not a painful procedure.
What is the lifespan of stem cells?
Stem cells will live as long as we do. They have the capacity to self-renew and produce new stem cells. However, as we age, this process of self-renewal can slow down too.
