Exosome Therapy
At Dr. Linette Williamson MD in Carlsbad, CA, we offer a variety of innovative therapies to manage pain and inflammation. Exosome therapy is just one way of relieving pain without the need to resort to surgery or harsh drugs with unwanted side effects.
What Is Exosome Therapy?
This is the latest frontier in cellular regeneration procedures, following in the footsteps of various other proven therapies like stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma. This therapy can strengthen signaling between cells, reduce inflammation, cause cells to regenerate, and modify the body's immune response when it's not healthy.
Understanding Exosomes
Exosomes are small vesicles released by all the cells, but particularly by stem cells. They are, basically, little messengers carrying essential signaling proteins and genetic information from cell to cell.
Their primary job is to act as a link between all our cells, facilitating communication whether cells are near to each other or distant. The information they carry tells our cells to turn on or off particular functions or to react in a certain way.
What It Has to Do with Pain
When our stem cells are communicating well with each other and doing their job, they rush to the site of injury and start repairing tissues. As we age, they become less and less efficient at this process. Injuries take longer to heal and degenerative conditions overwhelm us.
It's not only age that can create a problem. Environmental factors, genetic disorders, and chronic diseases like Lyme, autoimmune disorders, or chronic inflammation can interfere or dysregulate the signaling between cells, leaving them unable to reduce inflammation and repair tissues.
How Exosome Therapy Works
Exosome therapy is responsible, among other things, for helping both the T-cells and NK cells in our immune system. T-cells are in charge of calming an immune response, while NK cells are responsible for ramping up that response. We require both, however when NK cells aren't "turned off" or T-cells aren't "turned on," pain and inflammation are usually the result.
When exosomes are delivered directly into an affected joint, they begin signaling to the cells to return to healthy function. They send proteins into the walls of the cells telling the cells how to regulate themselves. There are two stages to the body's response. In the first stage, which happens almost immediately, the inflammatory response is turned off. In the second stage, the exosomes basically tell the cells how to regulate themselves properly in the future, leading to long-lasting relief.
Who Is This Treatment for?
There are several disorders that can be improved with this therapy or a combination of exosome therapy and various other interventions. It shows particular promise in the treatment of chronic inflammation, pain from autoimmune disorders or fibromyalgia, degenerative diseases, and Lyme disease.
When you visit us for an appointment, we will carefully look at your distinct medical history, physiology, and problems and help you choose the right therapies for the best possible outcome.
How Does Therapy Work?
Exosomes are simply injected into the area concerned, which is often a joint. The exosomes themselves are highly concentrated: just one milliliter of the solution can have as many as 1 billion to 15 billion exosomes. The dosing depends on your unique needs and the treatment strategy we come up with together.
The entire thing occurs in our office on an outpatient basis. There is no need to make special plans, and there is no long downtime period for recovery.
Is This a Safe Therapy?
Your body makes and utilizes exosomes all the time and knows what to do with them. No long-term negative side effects have ever been reported with this therapy.
Where Do Exosomes Come From?
Exosomes are taken from MSC or Mesenchymal stem cells. These stem cells are special in the human body because they have the power to differentiate. While all other cells divide and duplicate, producing a new cell of exactly the same kind as the original, MSC cells are able to turn into any kind of cell at all.
How Many Treatments Are Necessary?
Treatment is as unique as every individual who walks through our doors. For some individuals, only one treatment is plenty. Others may require several doses to get the results they need. Still others will just need an occasional booster therapy.
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
Your results will usually depend on your age, the extent of your condition, and how long you've been suffering. As we age, our bodies become slower to react to stem cell signals. But do not be discouraged if results aren't instant.
Since it takes the body time to repair itself, it's normal to need three to four months at minimum to start seeing the actual benefits. The best results typically manifest around nine months after treatment.
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