Whether you’re an training professional athlete or enlightened yoga guru, muscle aches, tendon tears, and wrist strains come with the package of changing our bodies. Fortunately, through recent medical advances, treating these aliments are becoming simpler and virtually pain free. Board-certified Dr. Jeffrey Baker sat down with Haute Beauty to discuss regenerative cell-based medicine, which conditions can be treated with this procedure and more.

 What is Regenerative Cell-Based Medicine?

The term Regenerative Medicine was coined in the early 1990’s but has become more popular in recent years due to clinical research worldwide.  The cell based medicine allows the harnessing of the Pluripotent Mesenchymal stem cells to help regenerate and restore normal function without the need of invasive surgery for acute and chronic injuries.  This is done through targeted injections to the injured sites using mesenchymal stem cells and platelet rich plasma. This has always been such an exciting and fascinating part of the medical field for me.  After attending an international conference in Europe several years ago, I knew I wanted to take this innovative medicine to South Florida and to our community.

What conditions can be treated with this procedure?

Cell based medicine can treat a wide variety of conditions, both acute and chronic. From the weekend warrior with acute sprains, strains, or tears in the musculoskeletal system as well as the individual who has chronic arthritic pain or chronic tendinopathies.

Acute: Shoulder/ elbow/ wrist/ hip/ knee/ ankle tendinitis, tendon tears, ligamentous tears, and sprains/strains. Shoulder and hip labral tears, knee meniscus tears, lumbar strain/sprain.

Chronic: Pain secondary to arthritis in shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, lower back, hips, knees, ankles and toes.

Along with pain secondary to chronic tendinopathies or muscle strains/sprains.

Describe the treatment process?

The treatment process is quite simple and is done in my office. It takes less than an hour. I make every effort to make the patient feel at ease in the office. A history and physical exam are performed following with proper imaging (X-rays, Ultrasound, or MRI). Once the diagnosis is confirmed, a customized treatment plan is made. We make all injections as painless as possible. We use multiple forms of anesthetic techniques including topical creams, cold spray, Lidocaine, and tactile distraction before the stem cell injections are performed to the desired treatment area. There is little to no down time!

The type of cell-based injection differs for each person depending on their injury/ailment. Injections range from PRP to Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell injections.

How soon can patients see results?

Every patient varies but typically most of my patients start see results within the first two weeks. The results get increasingly better with time.

What, if any, follow-up procedures are needed?

Once a patient’s treatment plan is completed, there are no extra procedures. I ask the patient to go and enjoy an active life!