PRINCESS MICHAEL: STEM CELL THERAPY FOR PAIN

Stem cell therapy, from £7,500, private clinics.

PRINCESS Michael of Kent spoke last year about her visit to a clinic in the Bahamas for stem cell treatment for stiffness and pain in her shoulder. A similar treatment available in the UK involves having fat extracted from your tummy, which is processed to separate out stem cells, which are then injected into other areas in the body to ‘speed up tissue regeneration’, and ‘reduce inflammation’. EXPERT VERDICT: Ali Mobasheri, a professor of musculoskeletal physiology at Surrey University, says: ‘Stem cells injected into a painful joint may be able to reduce inflammation and pain, but there is very limited evidence to suggest that they are able to regenerate the original tissues following simple injection into the body.

‘More research needs to be done to determine whether stem cells can be combined [with other materials] to facilitate tissue regeneration.

‘They can also have side-effects such as swelling and pain, which — while temporary — would seem ironic and counter-productive.

‘There are also no official clinical guidelines or clinically significant research to say that it works long term.

‘While younger and more athletic patients may benefit because they bounce back more easily from injury in general, many people will be completely unresponsive to such treatments because of the extent of damage and degradation and inflammation in their tissues.’