A treatment utilizing cells generated in your body to accelerate the recovery process of your injury sounds like a dream, right? Yet a dream, with real benefits, can also do real damage when it’s not used responsibly. Stem cell therapy has been promoted to athletes as a tool to cure chronic, long-term or acute injuries seemingly magically. While many professional athletes have found a use for this recovery style, non-FDA-approved, unsafe methods are penetrating professional sports. These unorthodox methods could harm the overall trajectory of an athlete’s career.
Back in 2018, during the dog days of the MLB season, upcoming phenom Shohei Ohtani sought alternative forms of therapy. He had just suffered a Grade 2 UCL strain from his time on the mound, and the Los Angeles Angels could not afford to lose their new superstar. During his time on the injured list, he underwent “stem cell injections to help alleviate pain and inflammation and to facilitate healing,” according to Stephania Bell from ESPN. The treatment allowed him to return to the field as a designated hitter and begin pitching again in September. Although it got him through the latter half of the season, he was eventually forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. Several baseball and football players have since experimented with stem cell treatment.
For athletes who train and compete at a high volume, this non-invasive recovery style can be incredibly beneficial. Stem cells can rapidly recover tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage and bone. The method can reduce inflammation and decrease pain, allowing players to return to play quickly. Rather than simply managing symptoms and pain, this therapy can provide a more structural and functional solution. Clinics are also experimenting with how this treatment can assist with ligament tears and cartilage damage.
In the years since the introduction of stem cells to sports, their capabilities to stimulate recovery in high-intensity athletes have been extensively tested. According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), “such as procedures where stem cells are extracted from the patient (e.g., from bone marrow), and then reinjected during the same surgical procedure,” are not subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. These cells can repair, replace and regenerate damaged tissues in the body. The cells can then be injected into a specific target area to promote tissue regeneration and recovery.
In opposition to this acceptable form of treatment, many clinics are promoting treatments without extensive research and FDA approval. These alleged magical cures to chronic or acute injuries may lead to irreparable damage. Clinics are offering “‘off the shelf’ stem cell preparations, which are harvested from donor patients,” said the USADA. They state that the patient could be unaware of how the clinic has manipulated these cells and what they are injecting into their body.
The FDA has reported several severe cases of misuse of stem cell therapy leading to devastating outcomes. Patients have become blind and even developed tumors after injections into unsafe parts of the body. Another major issue arising is “stem cell tourism,” which is where people travel abroad to receive stem cell treatments that are not yet approved in the United States. The FDA has also raised concerns about stem cells being injected and migrating to unintended areas of the body, which could result in tumors.
While “autologous” stem cell therapy, which involves cells that are removed from a person and rapidly reinjected in a different area, is not illegal, many health and sports agencies advise athletes to exercise extreme caution when considering stem cell treatment. If the cells are removed and modified to be performance-enhancing or have additional growth factors, it is illegal. Athletes must ensure that the FDA has approved the treatment they wish to undergo and that it is in the athlete’s best interest. Athletes can be particularly vulnerable during the rehabilitation process following an injury and are even more susceptible to risk engaging in untested treatments to return to play. It is unethical for clinics and doctors to take advantage of athletes during that moment of vulnerability.
Stem cell therapy is an example of how science has strengthened the longevity of sport. The treatment has advantages that can accelerate the recovery process for athletes. Alas, like any medical discovery, stem cell therapy is still being experimented with and will inevitably have roadblocks. This treatment plays its role, but it must not be viewed as a cure-all in sports medicine.
