Stem cells for injuries: what fighters swear by and what doctors say
Rogan and his fight-world friends trade stories of stem cell clinics, and he and Terry Bradshaw disagree about them in a friendly way, while physician Craig Koniver describes how he uses them and Stanford neurosurgeon Gary Steinberg describes stem cells as a recovery tool after brain injury. Putting the testimonials beside the clinical accounts helps readers tell hope from evidence before paying for treatment.
What kind of evidence supports stem cell injections for athletic injuries in these sources? Show answer
Personal testimonials and a physician's observations. No controlled trial of torn tendons or joints is presented.
What is Joe Rogan's own stem cell story? Show answer
A full-length rotator cuff tear that a surgeon said needed surgery. He says an MRI six months after treatment showed it had healed.
What limits does Rogan himself place on stem cells? Show answer
They are not a miracle, relief may be temporary for badly degenerated joints, and nobody knows the right dose.
Why does Terry Bradshaw doubt stem cells? Show answer
People he knows keep going back for more treatments on their knees and ankles.
Why do fighters travel abroad for treatment, per the panel? Show answer
US regulators do not allow the treatments, and clinics abroad can use more cells.
What does Craig Koniver say about the state of knowledge? Show answer
He is excited about stem cells and PRP but says there is a lot to learn and that we know very little.
What risk does Koniver name? Show answer
Practitioners getting too aggressive, such as injecting spinal discs, which has led to fast-moving infections.
What has Gary Steinberg's stroke trial shown so far? Show answer
Nearly all of 17 patients improved to some extent, some dramatically, even years after their strokes. It has no control group yet.
How do the cells work in Steinberg's account? Show answer
They secrete growth factors and modulate the immune system so the body repairs itself. They do not turn into new neurons.
What harms from unregulated clinics do the doctors cite? Show answer
Tumors, infection, and patients with macular degeneration who went irreversibly blind after injections of their own cells.
Why are testimonials weak evidence? Show answer
Bodies recover without treatment, people use several treatments at once, and those it did not help rarely speak up.
What should someone ask before paying for stem cell treatment? Show answer
What the cells are, what dose is used and who set it, what has gone wrong elsewhere, and whether it is part of a registered trial.