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mdorian Asked May 2015

We're considering placenta stem cell injection for my Mother in her knees to ease the pain of osteoarthritis. Has anyone tried this?

In order to keep my mom at home, we need her to stand with assistance to change her, etc. She is in a wheelchair. We know the stem cell injection won't enable her to walk again, but the doctor suggested it might help with the arthritis pain when she has to stand with assistance for a very brief time. The injection is very expensive and not covered by insurance, so we are not sure if this is a good decision. Also, are there safety concerns? Any advice is appreciated.

susansuno Aug 2015
I have osteoarthritis and PMR,R knee bakers cyst,injected with hyaluronic acid,had cortisone injections in past.this works out well for me .

OwenWong Jun 2015
Hello. I have never heard of such a thing.... I would agree with own456. Have you considered other methods to manage her pain? Use of heat? gait aids? What about a consult and speaking with a Physical Therapist regarding alternative strategies that could before jumping to a "stem cell injection". Hope this helps.

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own456 May 2015
Be wary of the doctor you may choose because a lot of them may not want to do stem cell transplants because they make more money off an elderly patients misery.

GardenArtist May 2015
MDorian, I was wondering about additional PT to help with your mother's transfer activities? There are exercises she could do while sitting as well as laying down. They can help strengthen the leg muscles to support her better as she stands.

Are you using a gait belt to help hold her, if there's anyone else there to help when she stands?

In addition, it wouldn't hurt to take a good look at her diet, check which foods are aggravators for arthritis, and eliminate them.

Rosebush May 2015
We also used a lift chair and a stair chair, both of which were wonderful. I put a potty in kitchen behind a screen because the bathroom was too small and could not get the wheelchair in. Sometimes if a bad day I would just bring the potty in next to the lift chair but that requires 2 people.

blannie May 2015
Yikes, that sounds like using an elephant gun for a mosquito to me.

Has she tried cortisone injections as mentioned above? Or Synvisc, which is a fluid to cushion her joints? I got cortisone injections which really helped in my knees. Then I started taking turmeric and in three months (with one pill daily) my pain has totally subsided and I have bone-on-bone in one knee. You could also try the old standby, glucosamine/chondroitin, which has helped some people.

I think stem cells for osteoarthritis is way too out there, which is why insurance won't cover it. If it was my mom, I wouldn't do it.

You could also consider a lift chair to help her stand depending on what your situation is. We have had one for my mom, who also has had bad knee osteoarthritis. It has helped her stay mobile and on her own at 95.

Rosebush May 2015
I know nothing about stem cells. However, we were in the same position with my mom that she at least be able to stand. While my mom was still walking she received , I think, cortisone shots in her knees from the orthopedic doctor every 3 or 4 months. She had very bad arthritis and her knees were bone in bone. We continued with the shots when she stopped walking because I noticed a difference in her ability stand when she was due for a shot . It worked for my mom for about 2 more years before her legs finally gave out.

pamstegma May 2015
Stem cells are intended to regenerate the cartilage. For younger patients this may work well. For older patients, not so much.
For overweight patients the biggest help is weight los and PT. Swimming provides weightless range of motion and helps a lot to relieve pain. Some municipal pools have hoyer lifts. Check around.

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