Stem Cell Therapy for Soft Tissue Injuries:
Stronger Healing, Fewer Limits
Get Started with a One-on-One Soft Tissue Consultation
When an Injury Won’t Fully Heal on Its Own
Recovery from tendonitis, tennis or golfer’s elbow, a partial tear, or a more serious injury is often long, frustrating, and full of limitations. Crutches, a boot, and pain become part of your daily routine. Even after healing, many patients are left with lingering discomfort or the fear of getting hurt again the moment they return to doing what they love.
Stem cell therapy at thriveMD offers a minimally invasive way to support your body’s ability to repair and regenerate damaged tissue, including Achilles tendon injuries, elbow injuries, and other soft-tissue damage.
Conditions We Treat
- Hip labral tears
- Hip arthritis
- Achilles tendon tears
- Partially torn ACLs
- Rotator cuff tears
- Tennis Elbow
- Golfers Elbow
- Bicep Tendonitis
- Soft tissue injuries of the knees, shoulders, wrists, ankles, hands, and feet
A thriveMD patient from California uses stem cell therapy for both of his Achilles tendons, returning to exercise and construction work.
A Groundbreaking Treatment for Soft Tissue Injuries
We’re excited to report that thriveMD patients with Achilles tendon injuries, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and other soft tissue problems have responded well to stem cell therapy. Many have been able to avoid surgery or, for those who required surgery, were able to expedite their recovery.
The results we’ve witnessed include dancing a month after the stem cell injection, running a marathon less than twelve months after, and returning to demanding construction labor without pain.
Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy for Soft Tissue Injuries Compared to Surgery
A Closer Look at Common Soft Tissue Injuries
Achilles Tendon Injuries
An Achilles rupture occurs when the tendon separates, either fully or partially, often with an audible pop. It’s most common during sports, typically in people between 30 and 50, especially with quick starts, stops, and side-to-side motion. Signs include not being able to raise your toes and a noticeable gap at the back of the heel.
Tennis Elbow
Tendinitis is the painful swelling of a tendon, usually in a joint that sees repetitive movement or chronic overuse. When it settles into the elbow, it’s commonly called tennis elbow, and it can be surprisingly painful for something so small. When the tendon damage is more extensive, stem cell therapy offers real potential.
Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is a form of tendonitis that causes inflammation and pain on the inner side of the elbow and forearm. It typically results from repeated stress, gripping, clenching, swinging, or flexing the wrist, which leads to tiny tears in the tendon over time.
The Process: How Stem Cell Therapy for Soft Tissue Injuries Works
Initial Consultation: A review of your imaging, a one-on-one conversation with your provider, and a clear picture of what to expect.
The Procedure: Performed as an outpatient with IV sedation and local anesthesia. Stem cells are harvested from fat tissue and bone marrow. A blood draw provides PRP, the biologics are processed and then injected into the soft tissue under live image guidance.
After the Procedure: Most patients return to daily activities and work within a day or two, with a follow-up injection typically scheduled around the one-month mark.
The results speak for themselves. For example, a 52-year-old marketing executive who dealt with Achilles tendon pain for roughly nine months returned to full aerobic exercise, weight training, cycling, skiing, and Pilates after stem cell therapy. A Denver patient treated for an Achilles tendon injury and back pain went on to run a marathon.
Meet Our Providers
thriveMD’s stem cell treatments are led by physicians who specialize in regenerative and longevity medicine. Their experience spans multiple areas of medicine, which means they can match the right harvesting method and protocol to your specific injury, using the most advanced regenerative therapies available.
Soft Tissue Stem Cell Therapy Frequently Asked Questions
Take the first step toward feeling your best.
How do I know if I am a candidate for soft tissue stem cell therapy?
Good candidates are typically dealing with a painful cartilage injury from overuse, trauma, or conditions such as degenerative arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or osteoarthritis, as well as tendonitis, ligament injuries, and slow-healing fractures. Your provider will confirm candidacy through a history review, physical exam, and imaging.
How does stem cell treatment work for tendon injuries?
Stem cells are harvested from your own fat stores and bone marrow, combined with growth factors and other biologics to form a concentrated solution, then injected back at the site of injury, where they help reduce inflammation and support tissue regeneration.
How fast is recovery?
Most patients return to normal daily activity and work within a day or two. Significant improvement in pain typically shows up within 4 to 12 weeks, with most patients back to full activity, skiing, hiking, cycling, or their sport of choice, within 3 to 6 months.
Does stem cell therapy treat every Achilles injury?
No. It can be an excellent option for a partially torn or chronically inflamed Achilles tendon, but it isn’t recommended for a completely torn tendon that hasn’t undergone surgical reconstruction first. Your provider will walk you through whether your specific injury is a good fit.
How much does stem cell therapy for soft tissue injury cost?
Cost depends on the type of injury and your individual treatment plan. Financing is available, and the clearest way to get real numbers is to schedule a consultation.
Stem Cell Therapy for Tennis Elbow Frequently Asked Questions
Take the first step toward feeling your best.
What is stem cell treatment for tennis elbow?
Stem cells are components of our body’s natural healing processes. In the earliest stages of life, stem cells direct cell differentiation, causing our bodies to develop specific kinds of tissues and organs. But stem cells also exist in adult bodies, helping to regulate cell function and even, sometimes, cell regrowth. It is this type of stem cell, adult (not embryonic) stem cells, that can be used to potentially improve tennis elbow symptoms.
At thrivemd, we harvest adult stem cells from a patient’s own body. Adult stem cells naturally reside within many sources throughout the body, but we believe those found in adipose and bone marrow tissue offer the best therapeutic potential and frequently draw our samples from fat stores in the flank and bone marrow from the iliac crest. We then combine the extracted stem cells with growth factors and other biologics to form a concentrated aspirate. This aspirate is subsequently injected back into the patient at the point of injury (in this case, the elbow).
How does stem cell treatment for tennis elbow work?
Research shows that adult stem cells can be taken from one part of the body and applied to another in order to facilitate natural tissue repair. This is because of the adult stem cell’s inherent ability to differentiate into just the type of cell needed at any particular time and place. Thus, when applied to a point of injury or degeneration, adult stem cells can possibly stimulate the body to reduce inflammation and regenerate cells, accelerating the healing process, offering pain relief and improving your game, as well as your life!
Who can get tennis elbow?
While up to 50% of athletes using over-the-shoulder arm motion experience tennis elbow, the majority of tennis elbow sufferers aren’t actually tennis players! Approximately 95% of patients diagnosed with tennis elbow get it while participating in other activities, most often an occupation (such as plumbing, construction, car maintenance and even cooking) that requires recurring arm movement and weight-bearing activity.
Stem Cell Therapy for ACL Injuries Frequently Asked Questions
Take the first step toward feeling your best.
How do stem cells help an ACL injury?
When an ACL ruptures or tears, it’s often only a partial tear with the outer sheath remaining intact, or only minimally retracted, which leaves the ligament still mostly in place. When this is the case, stem cell treatment can be an excellent option for repairing the damaged ligament.
This state-of-the-art procedure uses stem cells from your own body, which are injected into the damaged ligament. The procedure takes about 3 hours, with no need for surgery or anesthesia, and offers a far less painful recovery. Many patients return to some forms of exercise within several weeks and back to full activity within several months.
ACL injuries of the knee and Achilles tendon injuries are particularly representative examples of how a stem cell procedure can potentially be an effective alternative to invasive surgery. Skiers, mountain bikers, and many other athletes with a torn knee ligament can now consider forgoing the usual choice of invasive surgical repair.
Stem Cell Therapy for Achilles Tendon Frequently Asked Questions
Take the first step toward feeling your best.
What Is Achilles Tendonitis?
Achilles tendonitis is the result of overuse of the Achilles tendon, the band connecting calf muscles to the heel.
This chronic condition frequently occurs when athletic activity is inconsistent. Common scenarios include a rapid increase in intensity of runs, or intensive weekends of tennis or soccer during otherwise sedentary weeks. The associated pain usually begins as a mild ache, with more severe pain after strain. Daily activities, such as walking upstairs, become problematic. Symptoms include tenderness, stiffness, swelling, and persistent pain.
Commonly applied conservative treatments for Achilles tendonitis include deep tissue massage, physical therapy, ultrasound, rest, and dry needling. Achilles tendon pain can be persistent, so results of the conservative treatments vary greatly. Tendon injuries have a challenging recovery because their natural repair process is inefficient and intricate.
How do stem cells help with Achilles tendon pain and injuries?
Stem cells are an active and multi-potent repair agent in your body. Yet, certain body parts, such as joints, tendons, ligaments, and spinal discs, don’t have an adequate supply of stem cells that would be required to repair some injuries or conditions resulting from years of wear and tear.
Applying findings of modern stem cell research and years of patient experience, a skilled stem cell physician will harvest stem cells from your adipose tissue and bone marrow. The resulting ortho-biologic is injected directly into the site of injury or chronic pain. The cells then find the damaged tissue and have the potential to help improve the tendon structure, neutralize inflammation, and accelerate healing.
For Achilles tendon pain and injuries, stem cells may have the potential to target the cause of inflammation or to regrow tissue where a partial tear exists. With some patients, that leads to avoiding surgery. For patients who have undergone surgical reconstruction already, stem cells have the potential to significantly speed up the recovery.
Does stem cell therapy treat all Achilles tendon injuries?
As groundbreaking as stem cell therapy is for treating Achilles tendon injuries, it’s certainly not the answer to every Achilles tendon injury or condition. So, it’s important to understand the indications for stem cell therapy.
Stem cell treatments may have the potential to treat a partially torn or chronically inflamed Achilles tendon, but it’s not the recommended treatment choice for a completely torn Achilles tendon that hasn’t had surgical reconstruction yet.
thriveMD puts an emphasis on educating our potential patients. This helps you make a well-informed treatment decision. Learn more about stem cell misconceptions in our article about 10 Stem Cell Myths. Better yet, contact us to talk to a medical professional about your particular case and get answers to your specific questions.
How fast do I recover from Achilles tendon stem cell treatment?
Within a day or two after the procedure, most patients* return to normal daily activities and work.
Within 4-12 weeks, most Achilles tendon patients report significant improvement in their daily pain scores. The first month following the procedure, patients avoid any activities that place strain on their Achilles tendon. In the second and third months post-procedure, patients may slowly start increasing their exercise routines.
Within 3 months, most of our patients treated for Achilles tendon injuries report significant improvement.
3 to 6 months post-procedure, most of our patients have returned to full activity. They can once again enjoy their favorite sports, such as skiing, yoga, hiking and cycling. For more detail, read about our Achilles tendon patient who ran a marathon less than 12-months after his stem cell procedure.
It’s important to note that recovery from a stem cell procedure is far less painful than the recovery from an invasive orthopedic surgery. Post-procedure, patients don’t require bracing or casting, and can begin light cycling and walking as long as the tendon doesn’t become stressed.
*Individual patients results vary.
Access Soft Tissue Care in Centennial, Cherry Creek, and Vail/Edwards
If you or someone you care about may be a candidate for soft-tissue, elbow, or Achilles tendon stem cell therapy, contact thriveMD today.