Your health: Stem cells may be new therapy for joint pain

In order to avoid knee replacement surgery, some people are trying stem cell replacement therapy. AP file photo

We all get those aches and pains every once in a while. But for some folks, those nagging aches are a pain in the … well, you know.

"My pain is a variety of different type of pain," David Flory said. "In certain parts of the knee, certain types of activities bother it. some don't. Some do."

Flory has had knee problems since high school and has had five knee surgeries throughout his life.

Now his doctors have told him he needs a total knee replacement, but like a lot of people, Flory didn't want to go through the long recovery time that comes with going under the knife.

So in order to do that, Flory found a doctor's office that offers stem cell replacement therapy, CW -- Dallas reports.

"Stem cells are the type of cells that replicate and become other cells that are used in most healing," said Dr. Bill Johnson with Innovations Medical.

Basically what the doc does is take the stem cells from fat stored on your body, then inject that into the joint. This type of stem cell therapy is still being researched. Dr. Johnson says so far, 85 percent of knee patients have seen improvement.

"That's improvement to the point where they don't require joint replacement," Dr. Johnson said.

Since the procedure is still in the investigational stage, it isn't covered by insurance and can get a little pricey -- up to $6,000.

"With the investment I'm making out-of-pocket, I'm hopeful what we're doing today will pay off," said Flory.

And for him, the payoff will, hopefully, be pain-free.