If you’ve ever broken a bone you know how painful the healing process can be, not to mention lengthy. It’s as if your life flashes before your eyes when you realize that everything you had planned for the near future is coming to a hard stop. If you experience a bad break, it might be followed by months of physical therapy and rehabilitation, and the best you can hope for that the Arthritis doesn’t set in too soon. Advancements in stem cell treatments are creating new chances for patients with bone breaks to get back to life sooner and without lasting problems.

Because stem cells have the ability to generate new cells or help repair damaged cells, they need only a boost or push in the right direction. The stem cell treatments being conducted at Cedars-Siani Hospital see patients’ own stem cells being redirected in the body to the area of the fracture to help regrow the broken bone. Where larger fractures might require bone grafting or the insertion of stabilization devices, such as rods, stem cell treatments are increased and prolonged to simply grow more bone.

Another study conducted in South Korea, showed real promise for regeneration of bone that has been lost due to fractures, but also, in degenerative diseases, as well as bone loss due to trauma. One of the biggest achievements that came out of the study was the decrease in healing time when stem cells were exposed to red light. This means that not only can people be healed easier and without less intervention, it could mean that even the most severe breaks can be healed faster.

For patients who have fractures that are not healing as expected, or at all, stem cell treatments provide a great deal of hope in helping to return them to their post-injury day-to-day lives. Patients may experience non-healing fractures due to medical conditions, loss of bone mass, ongoing injury, prolonged infection, or medication use. But research conducted in Sacramento, California, found that during an orthopedic surgery, wastewater collects that contains vital stem cells, and they have developed a method for re-using those cells. This is especially helpful for patients who are not able to find a donor for cells, or who do not have access to early-life stem cells.

The frustration related to finding and securing donor stem cells is felt around the world, and none are more frustrated than the patients who are denied treatments that could improve their quality of life. Many professionals and doctors are working to bring stem cell treatments to the forefront of the medical community, and SCI is leading the charge. The SCIApplication, which is a blockchain-based platform, will help connect patients and doctors so that patients can get the help they need. But the amazing thing about SCI’s work is that they won’t just act as a referral agent between patients and stem cell specialists, they’ll act as an instant connection for them. What used to take weeks and months — or what would never transpire at all because of location or lack of access — will now take only moments.

Waiting for referrals in the traditional health care system can take so long that by the time a patient gets to see a specialist, there may not be anything they can do, and even then,

traditional medicine is often employed. With stem cell access about to grow exponentially, thanks to the team at SCI, patients no longer have to wait and can be in charge of their own health and quality of life.

For more information about SCI and their upcoming ICO, visit www.scia.io