Top 5 Stem Cell Therapy FAQs
Book an appointment with one of our providers: 1-360-768-4045
Stem Cell Therapy Seattle Area by Rainier Family Medicine & Pediatrics™
Please note every patient is different when it comes to regenerative medicine.
Simply give us a call, and we’d love to tailor our procedures and therapy to your specific needs: 360-768-4045
Do you use aborted tissue?
No. Our product is derived from donated amniotic membrane and umbilical cord tissue. These tissues stimulate growth in arthritic areas. Think of it more so as a ’tissue transplant’ per se.
How long does it last / how much improvement will I actually get?
It really depends on how much cartilage growth you’ll get and how active you are after the injection. It can last from a months to several years. It really is patient-dependent, and we always strive to be conservative and careful with our estimates.
Where exactly can you inject?
Our top injection sites are knees, hips, shoulders, hands, and elbows. We may have the ability to inject elsewhere, so please give us a call. For example if you are needing foot or ankle, we highly recommend Dr. Bock at Rainier Foot and Ankle.
What is the recovery? Anything special I need to do before or after?
Stem cells take about 3 months to mature. We recommend having a slow return to activity across 3 months to allow these to mature and grow.
Most people do not have any pain or inflammation, but there’s always a risk you may.
Please avoid anti-inflammatories or anything that could create join damage (e.g. moderate alcohol use and/or tobacco use). At the time of your consultation or procedure, we will provide additional instructions and guidance.
What is the cost of stem cell therapy?
This varies by product type and institution, but our pricing is affordable and always transparent; in general knees and hips are around $2000-3000. Elbows and shoulders are less. Hands are typically less as well. Please give us a call so we can give you an accurate estimate.
You will probably find surrounding procedures ranging from an astronomical $7,000-15,000 on average. (e.g. bone marrow biopsy) We delight our patients by offering a similar procedure with nearly identical results at a fraction of the cost.
Bonus: What are some common misconceptions?
Interestingly a lot of people initially think we are injecting literal stem cells.
Our procedure is unique because we are “calling in” existing stem cells. So no, we are not injecting literal stem cells, which is an extremely expensive procedure. Rather we are leveraging the stem cells that your body is already naturally producing… all while achieving virtually similar results at a fraction of the cost.
Insurance update
As of now, we have not found any insurance programs that are covering this procedure. Please notify us if your insurance has recently updated their coverage and is able to cover this procedure.
Exception: Tricare *may* be covering this procedure, but the process is challenging. We always recommend you consult your insurance first, but it would be wise to expect cash pay at the time of your visit.
