Case Study 2019

Studies have been accumulating over the past decade regarding the use of umbilical cord stem cells (UCSC) in the treatment of degenerative joint disease. Included in this group are patients with arthritis, those with loss of cartilage in the knee, tears in the meniscus of the knee, degeneration of the bone, and more.

Until now, patients with joint pain had limited options. The standard treatment by orthopedic doctors is to treat patients first with oral pain relievers followed by steroid injections. If pain persists, the next step is to clean up the joint (i.e. scoping of a joint), and the final option is joint replacement.

It’s encouraging to see studies in alternative treatments for degenerative joint pain. One such study was undertaken by a medical sports practitioner in South Africa. This was a large study consisting of 40 patients followed over the course of two years. Patients presented with chronic knee, shoulder, ankle or wrist pain and ranged from 40 to 75 years of age. All had an MRI of the affected joint. All joints showed at least arthritis, and all knees showed cartilage damage and edema in the joint. All patients had been active in sports such as running, tennis and golf. Patients either experienced pain during or after exercise while some could no longer play their sport because of debilitating pain.

The 40 injuries could be summarized as follows:

• 30 knees
• 5 shoulders
• 3 ankles
• 2 wrists

Patients were injected with five-million UCSC into the injured joint. They were instructed not to use any statin or anti-inflammatory drugs for a period of three months. This decision was based on studies out of the University of Tulane which showed that statins render UCSC non-viable.

After six months, all 40 patients were re-evaluated. Four patients reported there were no changes in the condition of their knees. It is important to note that these patients never stopped using anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief. The remaining 36 patients all showed considerable improvement in their targeted joint and were almost without pain or experiencing minimal pain. Patients were enjoying their sport without pain. Some repeated MRIs of the injured joint and results varied from partial to complete resolution of the joint injury.

Two-year follow-up: none of the 36 patients have experienced pain in the treated joints. All continued or returned to their sport of choice.

 John D. Young, MD has been treating patients at Young Foundational Health Center since he opened the private practice in 2005. The author of Beyond Treatment and creator of Young Health Products, Dr. Young’s approach is “Treat the cell, heal the body.” Sought after because of his out-of-the-box thinking in conjunction with integrative and natural medicine, Dr. Young is the innovator for human umbilical cord stem cells and has trained doctors worldwide on its effectiveness.

Young Foundational Health Center is located at 7241 Bryan Dairy Rd., Largo. To schedule an appointment, call 727-545-4600. Most major medical insurances accepted. For more information, visit YoungFoundationalHealth.com.