Primary Blog

By: Edward G. Loniewski, DO, FACOS, FAOAO

What’s the Difference between Cell Based treatments at a Health Spa and Cellular Healing?

In our area which is around the Detroit, Michigan area of Southeastern Michigan there are health spas offering stem cell therapy. Many health spas are wonderful facilities for a massage, manicure, liposuction, hair plugs or even a facial. However, they may not be the best place for a stem cell therapy for arthritis. There are four major reasons.

The cost of cell therapy is something patients ask about all the time and understandably so. We constantly make decisions everyday based on what it costs and we measure this against what we really value. Cost and value play this constant game of tug of war in our conscious and even subconscious to create either our perception of customer satisfaction if we purchase the item, or anxiety if we really want it, but can’t afford it. If you consider this internal process, it is amazing that we remain sane with all the ads and enticements we are presented every single day. Our job here is to help you sort out these conflicting feelings and make an educated decision on the best value for your health care. At Cellular Healing we understand that you are looking for a value in health care and we work very hard to provide the best product with the best results in a customer friendly environment.

1. What type of cells are used?
2. What is the pre- and post-treatment plans?
3. How much experience do you have and what are your compiled results?

Stem cell clinics and stem cell experts are filling the internet and the airwaves at a surprisingly rapid rate of growth. Once, these treatments were only available at tertiary medical centers or obscure medical clinics in Europe. Today, almost any medium sized city in the United States has a clinic offering some sort of cell therapy for anything from hair loss to multiple sclerosis. The lack of government control in this burgeoning field of medicine ,and the allure of a "cure" for cash paying patients has made this area of medicine fertile ground for shysters and charlatans ready to take money from desperate patients. A recent study published in the Journal of Knee Surgery in July of 2018 conducted by Dr. Puizzi at the Cleveland Clinic evaluated over 317 clinics in the US advertising stem cell therapy for arthritis of the knee. There were able to contact over 273 of these clinics over the phone and pose as a 57 yo man with knee arthritis. When they asked about the clinics success rates and costs, the answers tended to vary showing that there is little consensus in this field on the costs and results. Furthermore, the cost of the procedure had no correlation to the outcomes reported. So, you did not get what you paid for.