Baseball superstar Max Scherzer whose back injury has prevented him from since he last played on July 25 is the latest in a of to embrace unproven stem cell injections in an attempt to accelerate their recovery.
But many doctors and ethicists worry that pro athletes who have played a are into thinking that the costly, controversial shots are an accepted, approved treatment.
It sends a signal to all the fans out there that stem cells have more value than they really do, said Dr. James Rickert, president of the Society for Patient Centered Orthopedics, which advocates for high-quality care. Its extremely good PR for the people selling this kind of thing. But theres no question that this is an .
Stem cells and related therapies, such as platelet injections, have been used for the past decade by top athletes: golfer , tennis pro , hockey legend , basketball player and NFL quarterback . Stem cells are offered at roughly 1,000 clinics nationwide, as well as at some of the countrys most respected hospitals.
Depending on the treatment, the cost can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Insurance does not cover the treatments in most cases, so patients pay out of pocket.
Yet for all the hype, theres no proof it works, said , a professor in the department of cell biology and human anatomy at the University of California at Davis.
Referring to Scherzer, Knoepfler said, Theres really not much evidence that its going to help him, other than as a psychological boost or as a placebo effect.
Scherzer, 35, said he received a Friday for a mild strain in his upper back and shoulder. According to a news story on the Major League Baseball website, Scherzer also previously had a stem cell injection to treat .
If the diagnosis of Scherzers is correct, it should completely heal itself with 10 days of rest, Rickert said, so Scherzer would probably feel ready to play by Monday even without the stem cells. But Rickert said he worries about other athletes who are tempted to return to the field too soon.
The risk from the stem cell procedure is that it could give someone a false sense of confidence, and they could go back to play too early and reinjure themselves, he said.
A spokeswoman for the Washington Nationals declined to provide information about Scherzers treatment, such as the type of stem cells used or the name of the clinician who administered them.
Clinics that offer stem cell treatments prepare injections by withdrawing a persons fat or bone marrow, then processing the cells and injecting them back into aching joints, tendons or muscles.
Another popular treatment involves concentrating platelets the cells that help blood clot. Many people confuse platelet injections with stem cell injections, perhaps because the shots are promoted as treatments for similar conditions, said Dr. Kelly Scollon-Grieve, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Premier Orthopaedics in Havertown, Pa.
It sends a signal to all the fans out there that stem cells have more value than they really do. Its extremely good PR for the people selling this kind of thing. But theres no question that this is an unproven treatment.
When it comes to pain, injections can act as powerful placebos, partly because suffering patients put so much faith in treatment, said Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon and former consultant for the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a more than 80% of patients with knee arthritis perceived a noticeable improvement in pain after receiving a placebo of simple saline shots.
Team doctors often treat athletes with a variety of therapies, in the hope of getting them quickly back on the field, said Arthur Caplan, director of the division of medical ethics at New York University School of Medicine. Athletes may assume that stem cells are responsible for their recovery, when the real credit should go to other remedies, such as ice, heat, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone shots, massage, physical therapy or simple rest.
These are the richest, most highly paid athletes around, Caplan said. (Scherzer and the Nats agreed to a $210 million, seven-year contract in 2015.) So anything you can think of, theyre getting. But I for how to treat injuries.
While athletes often talk about their stem cell treatments, Caplan said he wonders, Would the inflammation or problem have just gone away on its own?
Sports fans shouldnt expect to have the same reaction to stem cells or any medical intervention as a professional athlete, DiNubile said.
In general, athletes recover far more rapidly than other people, just because theyre so young and fit, DiNubile said. The genes and training that propelled them to the major leagues may also aid in their recovery. They have access to the best care, night and day, DiNubile said.
Whenever a top athlete is treated with stem cells, word spreads quickly on social media. Fans often end up doing the stem cell industrys marketing for them: A 2015 analysis found that 72% of tweets about Gordie Howes stem cell treatments were positive. Of 2,783 tweets studied, only one mentioned that Howes treatment, delivered in Mexico after Howes stroke, was unproved and not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Howe died in 2016.
The Mexican stem cell clinic provided Howes treatment at no charge. Clinics use such donations as a form of marketing, because they generate priceless publicity, said Leigh Turner, an associate professor at the University of Minnesotas Center for Bioethics who has published articles describing the size and dynamics of the stem cell market.
Clinics provide free stem cell treatments or offer procedures at a discounted rate, and in return they can generate YouTube testimonials, press releases and positive media coverage, Turner said. Its also a good way to build relationships with wealthy individuals and get them to refer friends and family members for stem cell procedures.
Stem cell clinics often feature athletes and other celebrities on and in
In a Los Angeles Times writer Michael Hiltzik noted that stem cell treatment has failed three baseball players with the Los Angeles Angels. Players Shohei Ohtani, Andrew Heaney and Garrett Richards, who is no longer with the Angels, tried stem cells in the past three years in an effort to avoid surgery. All ended up needing surgery anyway.
As DiNubile said, the is clearly ahead of the science, no question.
