Celebrities, with their unbridled riches and vast social networks, are often at the heartline of emerging medical practices. Not only do they have the resources to pay for these radical treatments, but they also have the connections to be able to hear about them in the first place. One such treatment which has garnered a large following amongst celebrity social circles are stem cell therapies.
Though once a treatment reserved for the uber-rich, advancements in stem cell sciences have created markets that are easily economically viable for the average person. With that said, many often wonder if these treatments are worthwhile, if they do in fact help treat the issues they’re promoted for, or if it is all hearsay.
With so much attention placed on celebrities at all times, it’s easy to examine their cases and see how they unfold over time. Below, we’ve prepared a list of some prominent celebrities who’ve used stem cell treatments and examined how these treatments may have impacted their lives afterward. Continue on to learn more about these fairly new therapies and how they may be a giant step towards treating once untreatable conditions.
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1. Tarek El Moussa
As the host of HGTV’s Flip or Flop, Tarek El Moussa was no stranger to working with his back. Throughout the show’s taping, the popular remodeling host can be seen picking up heavy loads, cramming himself into tight spaces, and generally being on his feet. Thus, it came as no surprise when Moussa suffered yet another back injury, his second in only 5 years.
With a looming divorce and the show in production limbo, Moussa sought out quick, safe ways to alleviate the pain in his back in order to get back on track.
“I lost 50 pounds and was taking large amounts of pain meds to try and help the pain,” Moussa explained about his first foray into treatment. “Truthfully those meds really affected my mental and physical state and changed who I was.”
It wasn’t long before he learned about the healing powers of mesenchymal stem cells and sought out a clinic to treat him.
Moussa describes the very common practice of extracting fat and processing it into stem cells, “They lipo’d my fat out with a 12-inch needle. [Then] they spun it and separated the stem cells into a liquid. They [then] take the liquid and inject it through an IV.”
In an Instagram post only weeks later, Moussa goes on to say that “MIRACLES HAPPEN!!!!” and that after the treatment he felt ” 80 percent better from my treatment with almost NO pain at all!! Just left my second procedure and I will be 100 percent pain-free in 2 weeks.”
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
As Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s case demonstrates, blue-collar work isn’t the only way to suffer a serious injury to the soft tissues in our body. After rupturing his knee in a match earlier this year, Ronaldo was benched for the first few matchups in his league. These setbacks prompted him to attempt the same stem cell treatment others in the league have attempted.
Due to these treatments, Ronaldo’s manager felt he was fit to play, and the soccer star was back on the field after suffering the rupture only a month prior.
3. John Cleese
The BBC star has been a proponent of stem cell treatments for several years now, citing it as a reason he has been able to stay as active as he is in the British entertainment arena.
“I think stem cell therapy is the most extraordinary thing,” Cleese stated in an interview with MSNBC. “I’ve been doing that for some years and the astonishing thing is that you don’t hear much about it.”
Though it is unclear the extensiveness of the treatments Cleese has received, he has reported that these treatments help him appear younger and have helped fix the “aches and pains you experience as you get older.”
4. Charlie Sheen
Sheen has come to be recognized as a wild man in the entertainment world, though his various antics often come at a toll on his body. In one such case, the 49-year-old actor managed to injure his shoulder. With a history of rampant drug and substance abuse, the actor sought out alternative treatments for his predicament. In his search, he found Dr. Bal M. Rajagopalan, an orthopedic surgeon who practices in Beverly Hills and Dubai.
“In extra addition to immediate relief, There are long-term benefits are mind-blowing,” explained Sheen. The therapy not only helped him stay away from addictive pain killers but has helped him continue along with his career.
“Stem cell therapy is the most impactful invention since antibiotics,” D. Rajagopalan exclaimed. “I now have tools to regenerate bone cartilage and turn back time.”
5. Kim Kardashian
One of the more questionable stem cell therapies on this list, Kim Kardashian received a plant-based stem-cell facial in order to appear more youthful during her marriage to hip hop star Kanye West. Plant-based stem cells are as yet an unproven medicine for any condition, so these efforts may have been in vain.
6. Tiger Woods
Professional gold legend Tiger Woods received stem cell treatments in 2010 after critically injuring a joint during a matchup. The treatment took place alongside platelet-rich plasma injections, another popular form of regenerative therapy which helps boost the body’s natural healing responses.
Woods has been a longstanding patient of regenerative therapies due to their short recovery time and minimal side effects. After suffering through fairly serious injuries to his ACL, stem cell treatments helped Woods achieve PGA Player of the year and overtake hundreds of players to be ranked in the top 10 over 14 tournaments.
7. Rick Perry
The former Texas Governor had been a longstanding proponent of adult-based stem cell sciences before undergoing spinal fusion surgery that included the use of such cells in 2010.
Reports from the Texas tribune indicated that a close friend of Perry’s, Dr. Stanley Jones, performed the extraction procedure and helped cultivate the stem cells in his lab. Later, Jones himself injected the cells into the governor’s spine during his fusion surgery in order to help aid healing and speed up the body’s natural processes.
Post-surgery, Perry tweeted “Little procedure went as advertised. Blessed to be married to the world’s best nurse,” and has made a strong recovery according to several follow up tweets.
8. Evan Dunham
Yet another athlete on the list retired UFC fighter Evan Dunham is another big proponent of adult-based stem cell therapies, having undergone several over the course of his career.
“I spent 5 or 6 years in the UFC, fighting and training all the time before my shoulders got to the point where I really couldn’t work around it,” Dunham reported in an interview. “I [started] looking for other solutions besides surgery.”
When he came across regenerative therapies, Dunham says he was blown away. “I’ve got nothing but positive reviews when it comes to PRP and Stem Cells. [They] extended my career by about 4 or 5 years.”
While stem cell treatments are still regarded as experimental treatments in the US due to new FDA regulations, their popularity has risen across the globe. In the coming years, emerging technologies being developed and continued research hope to open the floodgates when it comes to stem cell therapy across the US. For now, there are several clinics operating who are happy to provide the treatments and the results according to the above celebrities speak for themselves.
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