By Alexander Germanis
Caveat emptor has long been a warning for consumers. Latin for “let the buyer beware,” caveat emptor simply means the buyer is assuming the risk and responsibility for the state of whatever goods they plan on purchasing. In essence, it absolves the seller from any responsibility.
When it comes to one’s physical health, caveat emptor is not a principle by which one should be living. According to Millennium Pain Institute’s founder, Dr. Ramsin Benyamin, due to the increased interest in regenerative medicine for pain relief, that warning definitely needs to be issued.
As described in the last part of this series, regenerative medicine involves looking for elements already naturally produced by the human body that can be reapplied to aid the body in healing itself. Such elements are called biologicals. Two biologicals already being investigated and utilized in certain cases are stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
As exciting as that sounds, Dr. Benyamin, who was recently certified in regenerative medicine with the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians, issues a caveat regarding regenerative medicine. “I think we have to be careful,” he says. “There is a lot of information on the web and in the papers and magazines, so patients have to be very careful when approaching a new concept like regenerative medicine. You have to give your due diligence and do your own research to find out if these studies are proven. Are they FDA approved or are they still under investigation? When it’s under investigation, you’re taking a chance.”
Medicine, unfortunately, can be treated like anything else when it comes to marketing; certain options, even those not proven effective, can be peddled toward an unsuspecting public. “People get charged thousands of dollars for injecting something that costs 400 dollars to buy,” Dr. Benyamin says. “Then they add an intriguing label to it — something like ‘laser’ or ‘stem cells.’ Some people think there’s some magic associated with these two words.”
While some of these new treatments in regenerative medicine have promising futures, the doctor still advises caution. “In my opinion, the only ways these treatments should be made available is through a research protocol,” he says.
Put simply, it is still too early to be applying some regenerative medicine as verified and effective treatments. “Regarding the injection of biologicals, whether they are from the patient or artificially processed or prepared — that includes stem cells and PRP’s — the level of evidence is not that great yet,” Dr. Benyamin admits. “But there is a lot of research going on. We have a study where we are injecting PRP’s in the vertebral disc as a way of trying to see if it will regenerate. But again, it’s a study.”
Dr. Benyamin and others are also currently engaged in an international study of stem cells. “There are more than 30 locations internationally injecting stem cells into the disc for disc pain. “We’re also doing a PRP study. That’s also limited — less than 10 locations nationwide. Suffice it to say, for the first time, our American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians has organized a regenerative medicine course.”
Dr. Benyamin believes, although it is wise to apply the caveat emptor warning, especially when it comes to one’s wellbeing, the future of regenerative medicine is still looking good. “There is more evidence being generated and more interest,” he assures. “For simple arthritic conditions, tendonitis and bursitis, we are closer to seeing a good level of evidence that regenerative medicine can work in the near future.”
It is indeed a future to look forward to — a future where medicine will be helping patients’ bodies help heal themselves.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Millennium Pain Center at 309-662-4321, www.millenniumpaincenter.com. The office is located at 1015 S. Mercer Ave. in Bloomington. The practice provides the most advanced and comprehensive pain management for a wide variety of conditions. Drs. Benyamin and Vallejo have been selected among 70 of the Best Pain Physicians in America.