the failures will be minimal. We already know that there is a small group of patients who do not respond to stem cell therapy no matter what. The cause is unknown. But the answer could be genetic in nature.
If all other factors remain the same, outcomes from any procedure depend on three factors:
• Your general health, both physical and mental
• Your environment
• Your genetic makeup
While we don’t have much control over the latter, we can do a lot to benefit the first two. Our body’s capacity to heal from most conditions is dependent on how healthy we are. With similar conditions, two patients undergoing the same procedure using a physician possessing excellent technical skills can have very different outcomes. Medical treatments aid your body in healing. But ultimate healing takes place from within. No treatment can work unless your body and mind have the ability to heal. With so much emphasis on physical appearance, we have forgotten that the mind controls the body. Thoughts become actions. Our actions in turn determine our life. Everything that makes up the environment we live in, starting with the air we breathe, to the people that surround us, has an impact on our ability to heal.
20. Are stem cell treatments approved by the FDA?
Not yet. With so many different treatments under the “stem cell” umbrella, it has become difficult for any regulation to be formulated. Governments, providers, and commercial suppliers are equally to blame. There is a lack of understanding of the science of stem cells, especially the power of your own stem cells. Some providers manipulate desperate patients. Commercial suppliers are hungry for profits. Many have taken advantage of suffering patients. Many patients are getting fake stem cell treatments or denied a stem cell therapy that could have greatly helped. Either way, many patients end up paying a price. Unfortunately, ignorance and greed often overtake science.
21. Does insurance cover stem cell treatments?
Not yet. Some commercial manufacturers and clinical practices may offer insurance coverage. Generally this is through manipulation of a billing code that may be fraudulent. Unfortunately insurance companies are tied to government regulation. Yet insurance providers have a wonderful opportunity to conduct their own internal studies between patients receiving mainstream treatments and those undergoing recognized forms of stem cell therapy. Isn’t the purpose of your health insurance to offer you the best possible treatment?
22. How much does it cost for stem cell treatment?
The overall cost depends on the condition that is being treated, the source of the cells being used, and the number of treatments involved. The average cost of a treatment, for example, in a patient with joint pain is between $2,000 and $8,000 per stem cell treatment. We also hear numbers as high as $15,000 to $20,000 per treatment. This wide variation in cost tells us that stem cell therapy is all over the place. There are several ways of doing the treatment. Greed complicates things further. So beware! The lack of standardization makes it difficult to compare results. Further, none of these treatments or protocols have been approved. Published data are sketchy, and robust studies are lacking. We recommend that you look into clinical trials at academic centers. Google should not be your only source when it comes to stem cell treatments!
We hope that these questions and answers satisfied some of your curiosity. And also that you will have even more questions that we can address. That will be the true success of this endeavor. To further your understanding, let’s look at some clinical case reports.
CASE STUDY: NICOLE
Nicole, a 19-year-old college freshman, was riding on the back of her boyfriend’s motorcycle. They were headed to the dorm returning from a late-night party. As they merged onto the freeway, an out-of-control pickup truck hit them. Nicole was ejected into the air, hitting a utility pole. No drugs or alcohol were involved. Nicole became paralyzed from the neck down suffering a severe spinal cord injury. A life brimming with hope came to a halt. A day earlier, she could eat, bathe, dress, text, play, and engage in all the normal activities any other teenager could do. That ended. The psychological and emotional impact on both Nicole and her family was profound. Her younger brother was having a hard time coming to terms with her injury and hospitalization.
Luckily for Nicole, she gained access to a recently developed clinical trial. Stem cells had recently been programmed to grow into nerve cells. They could successfully be implanted into her damaged spinal cord.
Nicole underwent the new treatment. Over the next few weeks, she regained motion in her arms and hands. For the first time in months, she was able to write and even use her phone. This was a huge recovery. Only time will tell whether this was spontaneous. Did she actually benefit from the experimental stem cell therapy, or was it just luck?
Cases like this create faith in the power of stem cells. Although such treatments are now limited to just a handful of patients enrolled in high-powered clinical trials, there is tremendous hope for the future.
CASE STUDY: SEAN
Sean was a rising high school football star. He was recruited by a very successful college football program while in 12th grade. He was hoping to eventually transition to the pros. Sean suffered an injury to his knee causing a complete ACL tear with associated meniscal and ligamentous injuries.
It is not uncommon for the knee to suffer extensive damage when an ACL is completely torn. As Sean lay on the field with his leg twisted, his professional career hopes faded. Despite surgical repair and a robust rehab, Sean was unable to play football at the same level. He needed prolonged rest to recover, ruining his chances of landing in the pros. Having a profound love for the game, he now focused his energies on developing younger players. A couple of years out of college, Sean became the head coach at his alma mater high school. He was ecstatic about his new position and looked forward to being a good coach.
Now barely 36, and approximately 17 years after his original surgery, Sean began to notice pain in his treated knee, which progressively became worse. He especially felt discomfort after he ran drills with his players. The pain became persistent. It interfered with his daily life and job. He had always stayed in great shape. There was never any drug or steroid use. But now the pain was unbearable. Since Sean’s meniscus was torn and removed at the time of his ACL repair, he did not have much space left between his bones. He would need a knee replacement.
Sean was in the middle of rebuilding his career. Now the thought of undergoing such a major surgery frightened the hell out of him. He had a two-year-old daughter at home. With surgery, there are risks of blood clots, infections, and even future revision surgeries. Sean wanted to save his knee. He shied away from cortisone and gel injections that offered temporary relief. Sean started looking for alternative options. He was able to discover the promise of stem cell therapy. His own stem cells could be drawn from his tissues, and the procedure would be done on the same day at the same sitting.
After his own stem cells were separated, they were injected into his knee. Within the next few weeks, Sean noticed a significant reduction in pain that gradually improved mobility. After the therapy, he was able to get back to his coaching duties without pain meds. He continued to improve. Sean will possibly require additional treatments as time goes by. But he successfully avoided the debilitations of surgery.
These two case histories lay out the current scientific possibilities. However, keep in mind that the term “stem cells” has become a fad. As we noted earlier, it is the latest pitch among snake oil salesmen. It is important to ignore the hype. This craze encompasses a host of treatments, some of which may not even involve true stem cells. The only connection is that they are loosely
