Truth be told, stem cell therapy is one of the most promising fields of medicine, and with it, doctors have high hopes of regenerating damaged tissue and treating conditions that are untreatable today. However, before agreeing to stem cell treatments and wasting thousands of dollars on unproven and unregulated stem cell procedures, patients should do their homework.
There are qualified stem cell treatment providers out there and there are unqualified providers. Knowing how to tell the two apart can not only save your money, it may save you from serious illness or infection brought on by procedures that are not properly tested and approved.
Unfortunately, the market is currently flooded with scammers looking to separate patients, many of who are suffering from chronic pain, from their hard-earned dollars. As an example, consider the case of this patient, who, along with two family members spent over $30,000 on “Amniotic Stem Cell Therapies” from his chiropractor. The treatments did not work. In fact, his father-in-law ended up with a severe leg and foot infection from being injected with Liveyon, a product that has since been recalled by the FDA.
So what can you do? Begin by doing your research. Make sure that the therapy being offered only uses FDA-allowed procedures utilizing stem cells taken from your own body. If someone offers to inject stem cells taken from a donor mother’s amniotic fluid, promising that it will regenerate tissue and organs — stay away. There are no living stem cells in these types of amniotic products; that’s been proven by independent nonprofit testing. In fact, there are FDA regulations requiring that stem cell products derived from another human’s tissues must be dead. And if the stem cells in the products are dead, they are incapable and scientifically unproven to regenerate tissue.
The bottom line is this: before you put all of your trust (and money) into a stem cell clinic and physician, it’s important that you know the right questions to ask. It is equally as important to recognize when not you’re getting the right answers. If a chiropractor or physician offers you expensive stem cell therapies and the promises seem too good to be true, be sure to ask them these questions before committing to the treatment. You (and your wallet) will be very glad you did.
