How Much Does Stem Cell Therapy Cost?
Stem cells are the body’s main cells in charge of repairing damaged tissue and reducing inflammation. These cells can also divide and replenish the cells that have been damaged by injury, disease or from wear and tear. According to RealClearLife.com, these cells should be considered the “body’s universal building blocks.”
How much does stem cell therapy cost?
American clinics, on average, charge close to $10,000 per treatment, but some clinics have reduced their costs to as little as $7,000, according to Ipscell.com. While it may seem cheaper to go outside of the United States, this isn’t always the cheapest route, either. In fact, it can cost as much as $20,000 to more than $100,000 in foreign countries. The costs, in the end, will depend on the type of stem cell procedure, the doctor’s reputation, the local cost of living and where you go. To budget, plan on spending $4,000 to $15,000 per treatment.
Because stem cell therapy is considered experimental and isn’t FDA approved, no health insurance companies won’t cover the procedure.
At the Mayo Clinic, one patient reported paying $4,650, a price which included an additional injection.
The Health Link Medical Center offers a diagram on its website, explaining the costs of stem cell therapy. Depending on the condition severity, the costs can be as little as $1,700 for a super concentrated platelet-rich plasma procedure to as much as $11,300 for a complete marrow-derived stem cell procedure.
In this NBC News article, they reported the average session can cost $6,000 to $20,000 per session.
The Smart Choice Stem Cell Institute claims a stem cell procedure for the knee starts $5,000.
| Area Targeted | Injection Cost (either fat or bone marrow) |
|---|---|
| Cellulite | $3,000 to $6,000 |
| Cosmetic Enhancements | $6,000 to $10000 |
| ED | $8,000 to $15,000 |
| Hip | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Knee | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Shoulder | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Spine | $6,000 to $10,000 |
Stem cell therapy overview
Stem cell therapy refers to a non-invasive procedure where stem cells are harvested from either your own body or a donor’s body and then injected into the damaged portion of your body to help it heal. Damaged body parts commonly include the elbow, back, hip, knee or wrist. Unlike the past, when embryonic stem cells of yore were used, today, only adult stem cells are used.
These stem cells can be taken from different parts of the body, including the bone marrow or from the fat by using adipose stem cells. Compared to bone marrow, your fat has hundreds, if not thousands, more stem cells from your body.
Before a doctor even considers the therapy, he or she will want to see a recent x-ray and/or MRI and your medical records to see if you’re a candidate.
The entire procedure will take about an hour to complete.
As for recovery, successful patients claim they feel much better within a couple of days, especially if combined with surgery. Patients feel sore for a few days after.
What are the extra costs?
All offices will have its own billing policies. You may be charged for additional follow-up appointments, braces, diagnostic testing, additional injections and/or an initial consultation. An initial consultation, for example, can cost up to $250. A CT scan or MRI, if necessary, can be another few hundred dollars to budget for.
If additional injections were needed during your appointment, the costs could drastically go down to as little as $1,500 to $4,000 each.
After the procedure, a painkiller may be prescribed to help you cope with the pain.
Tips to know
Many cities across the United States offer a stem cell treatment center. To find one, a search “stem cell therapy” and your city name on Google. For example, Regenexx has close to 30 facilities in the United States.
When choosing a facility, always be sure to visit their website and talk with your primary doctor to explore your options. As with any big purchase, pay close attention to the reputation and reviews online.
In Europe, doctors are allowed to multiply stem cells, referred to as “expanding,” before injecting them into you, which is something doctors are not allowed to do in the United States since the FDA forbids it. Even though this may change, the biggest advantage to expanding is the convenience because you’re able to receive the stem cells from another person.
Aside from helping an injury, it has been reported stem cell therapy can help regrow hair, Alzheimer’s disease, muscular dystrophy, ALS, COPD, blindness, Crohn’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
How can I save money?
Since no health insurance companies will cover the procedure, consider asking if the facility either has a financing option or offers discounts to those who pay in cash up front.
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Average Reported Cost: $6427.55
How much did you spend?
- knee and spine rt. 52 (suffern, New Jersey) paid $3500 and said:
Included both wrists and knees
Was it worth it? Yes
- Eliza (Marietta, Georgia) paid $6000 and said:
Cervical
Was it worth it? Yes
- Pabitra mondal paid $1500 and said: said:
Spinal injury in neck
Was it worth it? Yes
- Monica (New York, New York) paid $10000 and said:
Joint injection plus storage for future treatments if needed.
Was it worth it? Yes
- Sherry (Colorado Springs, Colorado) paid $8 and said:
both hips, well worth it
Was it worth it? Yes
- Gene Barnhart (Elyria, Ohio) paid $0 and said:
Stroke patient
Was it worth it? Yes
- Randall (Columbus, Ohio) paid $27000 and said:
$27,000 for back two hips and more
Was it worth it? Yes
- Jack Mansmann (Anderson, South Carolina) paid $4995 and said:
$4995 for one vial and $8495 for two vials.
Was it worth it? Yes
- Gary (Loxahatchee, Florida) paid $5000 and said:
$5000 for one shot shoulder treatment with Invitrx CBSC Suspension Cellular product from Human Unbilical Cord Blood
Was it worth it? Yes
- Life Source Treatment Center (Redlands, California) paid $5200 and said:
Left knee at Life Source Treatment Center.
Was it worth it? Yes
- Rocky (Round Rock, Texas) paid $7500 and said:
Williamson County Intigrational Medicine.
Ethical “umbillical cord” stem cells.
Two knees with early symtoms of arthritis.
Was having pain and swelling on left knee after walking. Pain felt like it was in the surrounding soft tissue and X-rays showed degeneration on the joints of both knees.
Dr. explaoned that soft tissue was respondong to the conditions of the joint.
FREE digital x-ray during consultation.
Price for both knees: $7500 if I decide within 48 hours.
Beyond 48 hours is $9500.
Explained reason was that it’s more troublesome and expensive to do post exam follow up, chasing people for a decision.
Makes sense.
Financing is available for up to two years at zero interest. Loose the discount if financing selected.
Had attended a free seminar at this location.
Dr. Says nobody can “guarantee” results, but all patients have been ‘satisgied” with whatever results they did receive.
The FDA web site discusses stem cell therapy.
WebMD indicates knees are most common and safest to treat.
Other areas of body may pose higjer risk.
Select provider after you do your own homework/research.
Was it worth it? Yes
