Stem Cell Therapy
by Samantha Schell
As a jiujiteira and combat sport athlete, it comes as no great secret that we put our bodies through an incredible amount of strain in order to keep up with the demands of training and competition. From little, nagging pains in our fingers, toes, and lower extremities, to cuts, bruises, abrasions, and muscle strains. Then you start getting into the more permanent injuries of bone breaks, torn ligaments, herniated discs, and deep fractures. All the supplements in the world can’t mend every injury we have going on.
I take all of the recommended anti-inflammatory supplements and vitamins, including magnesium, collagen, ginger, and turmeric. I’ve read about and experimented with all of the peptides (BPC-157 and TB-500), and there have been countless articles in medically-backed journals authenticating their usefulness. I also eat a fairly healthy diet full of lots of protein and natural sources without all the artificial additives or inflammatory triggers. All of this to say I still suffer greatly with severe osteoarthritis and ligament damage in my knee.
I was getting desperate for answers, or any way to find even an ounce of relief. Competing consistently in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a big part of who I am, and I was not ready to give that up, despite the limitations my body tried to put on me. With each training session, and with each and every tournament, I could feel the rapidly deteriorating knee begin to affect not just my Jiu-Jitsu life, but my everyday life as well. I began my arduous search for different answers.
I had seen multiple surgeons, orthopedic doctors, and arthritis specialists, and each appointment was as equally disappointing as the last. Apparently, my knee had sustained so much damage over the years and after 6 prior surgeries, and everything had become so detrimental and severe, that my only possible option is a full and total knee replacement. Unfortunately, no surgeon in my area would entertain this option for several years due to my younger age. I had tried cortisone, PRP, and hyaluronic acid injections with no luck. I began seeking out other options.
Back in April of 2023, my husband and I reached out to various stem cell companies. Anyone familiar with the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast has heard him mention multiple times about one facility located in Mexico. There’s also a pretty popular one amongst top level UFC fighters located in Colombia. Both places will run you about $20,000 which isn’t super feasible for the majority of the population. So, we began to heavily research and explore other avenues.
We read articles upon articles, set up several consultation phone calls with their on-staff medical professionals at various facilities, and I even perused a multitude of Reddit threads in regard to stem cell therapy. Finally, we felt ready to commit once we had multiple calls and consultations with New Hope Regeneration, run by Kevin Lucas.
You may have seen them at the Las Vegas Convention Center or the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida for either Master’s Worlds or Pans respectively. New Hope Regeneration wasn’t trying to offer us a plethora of other, equally expensive treatments which is why many locations are costing upwards of multiple thousands of dollars. It was simply as they promised, stem cell therapy for a fraction of the price of other companies ready to nickel and dime you until they have sucked you dry of every cent.
“Competing consistently in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a big part of who I am, and I was not ready to give that up, despite the limitations my body tried to put on me.”
Samantha Schell
Two cc’s (the recommended dosage), cost $6500, and over 300,000 people have been helped by New Hope so far. The stem cells are donated from the umbilical cords of healthy mothers and babies, a fact that was very important to my husband and myself. There is a lot of misinformation regarding stem cell therapy and treatment, and once we felt satisfied that all of our concerns were addressed, we felt ready to take the plunge.
Both of us received our stem cells that month, both administered intravenously. That entire first week post-procedure, I remember my body craving sleep, and found myself asleep for much longer than before. I went from having to sleep with a polar-ice machine attached to my leg every night, (those who have had major knee reconstructive surgery know exactly what I’m referencing), to being able to sleep soundly through the night, without once waking up from debilitating pain.
In fact, I found the stem cells to work so well, that both my husband and I opted for a second round of treatment just the other week, approximately 9 months after the first. This time I was getting 1.5 cc’s directly into that painful knee joint and 0.5 cc’s intravenously again. The whole procedure was fairly quick and painless, and I recorded the procedure to upload on my social media so those considering stem cell therapy could familiarize themselves with the process.
It has only been a couple weeks since everything, so I am excited to see the effects. I was told I would start to really notice a significant difference around the 4-week mark. With this round going directly into my problem area, I can’t wait to see how much better I feel going into the 2024 competition season. My husband, who has had major back surgery with an L5S1 fusion to rectify a fracture from his military days, went from hobbling around to taking home golds on the IBJJF circuit. With both of us being black belts, this is no easy feat, and it’s important to have our bodies feeling as good as possible in order to continue.
With his back and my knee, I know there is a strong chance where one day we will have to hang up the competition gis. For now, I am satisfied and happy to find a way to prolong that inevitable day, and that I am able to feel like I once was before all of those surgeries. If you’re as active on the mats as we are, and are struggling with coming to terms with your aging body, it doesn’t hurt to reach out. It ain’t over till it’s over, and luckily for us, stem cells may have just bought us several more years to continue.
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