Background: on October 14 2016, I underwent stem cell treatment to address osteoarthritis in my knees. Due to the many requests I received, I'm writing a diary of my experience - from initial procedure through rehab through (hopefully) my return to triathlon.
This is part 2. If you want to read part 1, go here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Diary_of_a_Stem_Cell_Knee_Patient_P6108967/
Part 2 - week 0 thru 6
Pleased to report that post-procedural pain was minimal. Virtually no pain from the knees, slightly more from the harvest sites on my hips but nothing the hydrocodone can't handle. The 7 hour flight home from Atlanta to San Jose was really not the issue I expected it to be.
Exercise-wise, I was under strict orders to take it easy in the first week - gentle activity only. Pretty much just sat on the couch for the first three days - just some gentle ROM (range of motion) work. Days 4-7, I moved to some easy closed-chain exercises - light squats, lunges. Pleased to say I had no problem with any of this, knees feel good.
Probably goes without saying that biking and certainly running are out at this stage, but also swimming - but that's more to do with avoiding infection of the wound site than any physical reason.
Drugs-wise, no NSAIDs for 4-6 weeks after the procedure (Tylenol is OK). but most interestingly, they've got me on a cocktail of daily supplements that are supposed to help stem cell growth and cell regeneration.
First of these is something called Stem Xcell:
http://enzymedica.com/...em-cell-regeneration
In addition, I'm taking L-Arginine and melatonin at bedtime.
Does any of this stuff actually help? No idea, it kinda feels like witch doctor stuff. But I'm already into this for $5000 so I may as well spend the other $200.
Diet-wise, this is also my cue to move to an anti-inflammatory diet. I've been experimenting with Paleo for a while, ever since I read the Joe Friel book:
https://www.amazon.com/...rmance/dp/160961917X
His theme is that fat-burning (vs carb burning) is the route to better health and better athletic performance. But it's also supposedly a great way to reduce joint inflammation. If you're unfamiliar with Paleo, it's a challenging diet and not for everyone - no grains, no dairy, no processed foods, no added sugar, lots of fresh meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables. But this seems like a good time to give it a go.
Entering week 2, I'm now allowed to swim and do progressively more intense weight training (still closed-chain). At the start of week 3, I resumed biking - gently at first but progressively harder. Pleased to report no particular pain - but really no improvement either. Everything feels just the same as pre-stem cell.
Next up is PRP injections (Platelet Replacement Plasma). The Emory post-stem cell recovery protocol calls for PRP after 4-6 weeks. The theory is that it stimulates healing of the soft tissue,
Good news is that there's no need to fly back to Emory in Atlanta for the PRP - it's a routine procedure and I found several providers within 20 miles of my home in the Bay Area. But just like the stem cell therapy, bad news is that PRP is not likely to be covered by your health insurance (benefits not proven yada yada) so my recommendation: shop around for the best deal. I got quoted a low of $357 per injection and a high of $850!
The procedure with PRP is pretty simple - they take a blood sample from your arm, whizz it around in the centrifuge for 10 minutes to separate out the platelets then inject them into your knees. Not especially painful and all done in less than an hour.
No post-procedure pain either (although I hear results vary).
Unfortunately I've now been told to sit on the couch for another week. I can resume biking in 7 days then - hallelujah! - start running a week after that.
So that's the diary up until the end of week 6. At this time, I really cannot report any noticeable reduction in pain from the knees but then again, I was told it would be two to three months.
So see you next time for part 3 of the diary - my hope is by that time I'll be running pain free (my goal is the annual New Year's Day 5 mile trail in Los Gatos).
As always feel free to let me know if you have questions.