Watch Now: Stem-Cell Therapy Enhances Orthopedic Care

(VIDEO: Sports medicine physician Michael Swartzon, M.D., explains how experimental stem-cell therapy is being used to treat pain caused by damaged cartilage and tendons.)

When someone has an injury or condition that causes pain and limits movement of a joint – like a knee or shoulder – the traditional standard of care is to treat it with a progression of physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and cortisone injections. If these treatments don’t work and the pain interferes with daily life, surgery is often the next step.

But now, advances in sports medicine have produced another alternative. Sports medicine physicians at Baptist Health South Florida are using adult stem cells to treat patients with injuries and damage to joints and tendons.

“Stem-cell therapy is a promising, non-surgical technique that targets the source of various orthopedic injuries such as cartilage and tendons,” said Michael Swartzon, M.D., sports medicine physician with Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute at Baptist Health South Florida. “It may be an option for patients who are not candidates for surgery, have unsuccessfully tried conservative treatments and continue to have pain.”

While the therapy is experimental and not yet covered by insurance, Dr. Swartzon says it’s showing promising results. Over the last six months, he has treated about one patient a month with stem-cell therapy.

“In sports medicine, we are always looking for new ways to repair and reconstruct tissue, reduce pain and inflammation and increase speed of recovery,” adds Dr. Swartzon.  “Stem-cell therapy brings us one step closer to that goal.”

The Baptist Health News Team talks to Dr. Swartzon and one of his patients, David Weissman, about this treatment breakthrough. Watch it now.