BY KAREN BOSSICK

What would you say to a 20-minute treatment that could erase the pain from back or hip degeneration or an ACL tear?

Relief is in a stem cell injection, says Dr. Justin Griffin.

Griffin heads up Advanced Regenerative Medicine of Idaho in Meridian, which he says is among one of the first clinics in Idaho to offer the treatment.

“It’s exciting to be doing the cutting edge of future medicine,” said Griffin, whose office also offers physical therapy and other services.

Stem cell therapy has been refined during the past 20 years, becoming widely used in places with large elderly populations like Florida and California.

But professional athletes have also used it to treat ACL tears and other injuries. And European doctors are using it to regenerate the pancreases of individuals with Type 1 diabetes.

It’s being used to regenerate the myelin sheath around nerves in those with Parkinson’s Disease and multiple sclerosis. It’s being used to regenerate lungs in those with pulmonary disease and is being injected into heart muscles to repair defective hearts.

It’s being used to replace cells damaged by chemotherapy or blood-related diseases, such as leukemia. It’s being used to rebuild people’s immune system and neuropathy. And two human clinical trials reported in October indicate that the treatment offers much promise to treat frailty.

Stem cell therapy, or regenerative medicine, is also the future of organ transplantation, replacing donor organs, which are limited in supply, according to The Mayo Clinic.

Locally, Dr. Glen Shapiro uses Epifix, a stem cell recruiting non cellular product to heal surgical wounds, reduce scar tissue and augment reconstructive surgeries, such as rotator cuff and ACL repairs.

Griffin has concentrated so far primarily on joints ravaged by arthritis and injuries.  His office was just trained this week in how to use the therapy for back problems.

Historically, doctors have extracted stem cells from bone marrow and fat tissue, re-injecting them back into the person’s body. They’ve also taken cells from the amniotic fluid of a baby’s placenta.

But the holy grail of stem cell therapy has been determined to be stem cells from the umbilical cords of babies taken during C-sections.

Babies have far more stem cells than adults, and their stem cells have all the necessary growth factors and other things to make treatments far more effective, said Griffin.

It takes one treatment per joint, with a machine guiding the needle into the right space. The stem cells find the damaged tissue, whether it be muscle or cartilage, and stimulate growth. The cells have naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agents and lubricating properties.

Patients have reported pain relief in 24 to 48 hours and no pain at all by the fifth week, Griffin said. They  continue to regenerate for six months to a year.

One treatment costs $6,000; Griffin offers discounts for multiple treatments. As a relatively new treatment, it is not covered by insurance, although such things as x-rays are covered. Griffin says he thinks treatment will be covered by insurance in the next 10 to 20 years.

Bruce Brink, the publisher of “Sun Valley Source” magazine, is among those who have received stem cell therapy.

He had had partial shoulder and knee replacement surgeries, which left him in pain. He was dreading the prospects of another painful surgery when he decided to try injecting his shoulder and knee with stem cells, instead.

He went from having to rely on using a walker to get to the kitchen for his morning coffee to walking on his own within a couple weeks. And two weeks ago, he said, he was able to lift hundreds of pounds of books without any problem.

“I believe it’s a great alternative to surgery,” he said.

Griffin said he believes stem cell therapy stacks up well compared with alternatives.

The use of NSAIDS, or anti-inflammatory steroids, to treat pain is reported to cause between 10,000  and 20,000 deaths a year are due to severe bleeding from their use, he pointed out. Vicodin and Hycodine are habit forming and can causes seizures, constipation and more.

Cortisone injections to reduce swelling can cause up to 8 percent loss of bones in four months. And low doses over a year can cause cataracts, elevate blood sugar and suppress the ability to fight infection.

Surgery can often take three to six months of healing and rehabilitation with no guarantee of the result. It carries such risks as bleeding, blood clots, difficulty breathing and infections. Half the people who undergo the knife need additional surgery, he said. And a typical uncomplicated case can cost as much as $57,000, with some of that out of pocket.

“Most procedures are degenerative. Stem cell therapy is regenerative,” he said.

Griffin ventured that a lot of people take better care of their cars than themselves.

“The moment the warning signal comes on, we take the car into the shop to figure out what’s wrong. Would it be effective strategy to cover up the light with tape? You see people doing that to their body,” he said.

Griffin added that he’s seen stem cell therapy work for people who were told nothing would work.

“It’s a way to wake up each morning without pain,” he said.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Dr. Justin Griffin will offer a presentation on stem cell therapy at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 8 at the Wood River Inn in Hailey. A light breakfast will be served. To reserve a space, call 208-887-6791.