Am I a candidate for stem cell therapy?
Candidacy for stem cell therapy is determined by imaging findings, your treatment history, and a set of medical screening criteria — not by symptoms alone. In general, it’s considered for joint, tendon, or disc conditions confirmed on imaging where conservative treatments haven’t resolved the problem, in patients without certain disqualifying conditions such as active infection or untreated cancer. Stem cell therapy is not FDA-approved to cure, treat, or prevent any disease, and no specific outcome can be promised. Whether it’s an appropriate option for your specific situation is something your provider determines after a full evaluation.
Typically considered for evaluation
- Imaging-confirmed joint, tendon, or disc damage
- Conservative treatments — physical therapy, medication, other injections — have already been tried
- No active infection at or near the treatment site
- No untreated cancer, or cleared by an oncologist if there is a history
- Not pregnant or breastfeeding
- Understands that this therapy is not FDA-approved for this use and that no outcome is guaranteed
Not appropriate without further evaluation
- Active infection anywhere in the body, particularly near the treatment site
- Untreated or active cancer
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- A significant bleeding disorder or certain blood-thinning medications without medical clearance first
- Looking for a guaranteed result — no legitimate provider can promise a specific outcome
What the evaluation actually looks at
Your provider reviews your imaging, your treatment history, and your overall medical history before discussing whether stem cell therapy is an option to consider. This is a screening process, not a symptom checklist — two patients with similar complaints can have very different candidacy depending on what their imaging and history show.
What rules someone out
The disqualifying factors are medical safety issues, not judgments about whether you’d benefit — active infection, untreated cancer, pregnancy, and certain bleeding or clotting conditions are the main categories that need to be addressed or cleared before this is considered.
The regulatory status you should know before you ask
Stem cell therapy for orthopedic conditions is not FDA-approved, and its use in this context is considered investigational. A provider offering it should be transparent about that status and about the current state of research — be cautious of any clinic that isn’t upfront about this before your evaluation.
More about Stem Cell Therapy
Get an evaluation, not a guess
Book a consultation with our Folsom naturopathic team to review your imaging and history and get a straightforward answer on candidacy.
Bring recent lab work if you have it — we’ll review it with you.
Medical disclaimer: The information on this page is for general education and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Stem cell therapy for orthopedic conditions is not FDA-approved to cure, treat, or prevent any disease, and its use for these purposes is considered investigational. This page does not claim or imply any specific outcome, benefit, or timeline. Candidacy is determined only after an in-person medical evaluation and cannot be confirmed from this page.