If you’ve been battling pain and inflammation and want a treatment that doesn’t rely on either surgery or drugs that may be hard on your body, exosome therapy could be an option for you. This cutting-edge treatment is just one of the options our team at Right Path Pain and Spine Center in Davenport, FL, offers.
What Is Exosome Therapy?
This Treatment Harnesses the Power of Cellular Regeneration
You’ve probably heard of either platelet-rich plasma therapy, or stem cell therapy. Both of these treatments can help heal the body from the inside out through cell regeneration. Exosome therapy takes a similar approach to these treatments by supporting the body’s immune response. It does this by improving signaling abilities between your cells, reducing inflammation, increasing cell regeneration, and supporting the overall wellbeing of the body.
How It Works
T-cells and NK cells play a huge role in supporting the human body. NK cells increase our immune response when necessary, while T-cells keep it in check and calm our immune response down when needed. Exosomes help our T-cells and NK cells do their jobs correctly. When NK cells don’t know when to turn off, or T-cells don’t activate, this can cause inflammation and pain.
If your T-cells and NK cells need a boost, this therapy can help by delivering exosomes right where they’re needed the most. When these exosomes are introduced to a painful joint, for instance, they trigger T-cells and NK cells to “wake up” and start functioning at a more effective level. This is done in part by the exosomes sending proteins to the cells, which tell the cells how they should be regulating themselves.
How This Process Can Increase Your Comfort Levels
The body should respond to this treatment in two ways. First, there should be an almost immediate decrease of inflammation. Secondly, with the exosomes keeping your T-cells and NK cells in check, you should experience lasting relief as the cells are better equipped and informed to carry out their work in a more effective way.
Why Is This Treatment Needed?
As our bodies age, our cells become less efficient. A healthy response to injury entails cells communicating with each other, knowing what’s needed and rushing into the injured area to begin repairing the site. As age begins to take its toll on our body’s inner world, sometimes our cells struggle to keep up with both degenerative conditions and acute injuries.
Age Isn’t the Only Factor
While age can be a reason your body isn’t responding to pain or injury the way it should be, other factors can contribute to this as well. These conditions can include:
- Certain environmental factors
- Chronic disease and inflammation
- Genetic or autoimmune disorders
Any of these conditions can potentially impact the signaling ability of your cells and leave them unable to properly do their job.
What Are Exosomes?
How They’re Made
There can be some confusion about what exosomes actually are. That’s partly due to the term “exosome” being used pretty loosely over the years. The term was first used over 30 years ago, and since then it’s been used to describe different kinds of extracellular vesicles.
In short, exosomes are extracellular vesicles formed when a plasma membrane fuses together with an intermediate endocytic compartment. This unique fusion process is what leads to the release of exosomes.
How They Function
Exosomes function as messengers that carry important genetic information and signaling proteins to different cells in the body. They’re part of what connects the intricate web of cell communication, and helps our cells to know what their job is and when to do it.
Exosome Therapy FAQ
1. How Does It Compare to Stem Cell Therapy?
Both treatments can be very helpful, and whether one or the other should be used really depends on the patient and what their needs are. Stem cells can be delivered by injection or IV, and this treatment is also known to encourage regeneration in the treated area.
One difference between stem cell therapy and exosome therapy is that exosomes don’t multiply themselves. Their job is to function as a messenger, bringing important signals and materials to your cells so they, in turn, function at their best.
2. How Long Until I Notice Results?
While this treatment may offer some immediate relief due to calming down your body’s inflammation, it can take three to four months for the treatment results to begin to be noticeable, and the results tend to be at their best once you hit nine months after your treatment. Each case is unique and may vary somewhat, with some patients getting results sooner than others.
Your age, the condition you’re seeking treatment for, and how long you’ve been dealing with your symptoms can all impact how quickly you see results. During a consultation we’ll be able to take a look at your condition and give you a better time estimate.
3. How Many Treatments Will I Need?
This also depends on your condition. Some patients find that one treatment is enough to boost and support their body, while others benefit from a series of treatments to really get back on track.
When you come in to visit us, we can talk through your options and help you choose a plan that’s a good fit for you. After treatment, we can re-evaluate how often you may want booster therapy to maintain your results.
4. Is This Therapy Safe?
Exosomes originate from mesenchymal stem cells, also known as MSC. These cells are unique in their ability to become any cell they need to be.
They are both unique to and familiar to the human body, so your body should know exactly what to do with the exosomes that are introduced to your system. It is considered an extremely safe treatment with no known long-term side effects associated with it.
5. What Can I Expect During Treatment?
This treatment is minimally invasive and involves a simple injection. Many patients who seek out this treatment have a painful joint they want to improve the function of. The exosomes can be delivered right into the joint to provide immediate reinforcements for the cells and tissues of the area.
To give you an idea of how many exosomes are being put to work, a single milliliter of this solution can have anywhere from a billion or even 15 billion exosomes in there. How much solution we inject will depend on what’s being treated. The process is a quick outpatient therapy, so you’ll be able to leave our office after treatment and enjoy the rest of your day without any necessary downtime. That’s a definite benefit for a busy schedule!
6. What Can Be Treated?
This treatment can be helpful for a range of different issues, especially ones that cause chronic inflammation. Once we take a look at your medical history and your goals, we can determine if this treatment is right for you.
It Can Help Battle Autoimmune Disorders
Since this treatment can help regulate the body’s immune response, it could be a helpful tool for patients struggling with autoimmune diseases, degenerative diseases, or even illnesses like Lyme disease.
It May Help Relieve the Effects of Aging
Aging can have a painful effect on our joints. Exosomes can help the body’s response to osteoarthritis through their ability to improve cell to cell communication, as well as protecting the affected joint from further damage. They can also inhibit synovitis by reducing inflammation, and promote the healing of damaged cartilage.
It Could Speed Up Your Healing Process
If you’ve suffered an injury, exosomes are a tool that may help promote healing. They can provide support for your cells throughout the injured area as they set to work repairing your damaged tissues.
Tackle Your Pain With Exosome Therapy
Chronic pain can feel like a leech sucking away at your energy and enjoyment of life. Our team has tools and options that can help you tackle your pain in a way that’s gentle on your body. If you’re ready to learn more about this therapy or the other treatments we provide, contact our team today at Right Path Pain and Spine Center in Davenport, FL, to set up your consultation.
