Stem cell therapy in Portland: your own cells, put to work on worn-out joints
Stem cell and biocellular therapies use concentrated cells from your own body — typically adipose (fat) tissue — to support the repair of arthritic joints, damaged tendons, and chronic orthopedic injuries, without surgery.
Explore stem cell therapy at NW Regen Read the stem cell therapy libraryThe basics
What is stem cell therapy?
Your body maintains a supply of mesenchymal stem cells — repair-oriented cells found in fat and bone marrow that can support healing in cartilage, tendon, and ligament. Biocellular therapy harvests a small amount of your own adipose tissue, concentrates the cellular fraction, and injects it precisely into an injured joint or tendon under ultrasound guidance.
It's an option people look into when surgery feels like too big a step. This site links to NW Regen's own writing in full rather than summarising it. Read it at the source, and talk to a qualified provider such as the team at stem cell therapy in Portland at NW Regen.
Applications
Where biocellular therapy is used
Knee osteoarthritis
The most-studied orthopedic application — supporting cartilage health and reducing pain in arthritic knees.
Shoulders & rotator cuff
Partial tears and chronic tendinopathy that haven't responded to rest and physical therapy.
Hips
Early arthritis and labral wear, especially in active adults who want to stay off the surgery path.
Multi-joint pain
Because cells are harvested once, several joints can often be treated in a single session.
Tendons & ligaments
Chronic tendon injuries — elbow, Achilles, patellar — where the healing response has stalled.
Chronic pain
As part of a broader regenerative plan alongside PRP, prolotherapy, and physical therapy.
The process
How a treatment day works
Evaluation & imaging
A provider examines the joint, reviews imaging, and confirms you're a reasonable candidate before anything is scheduled.
Harvest
A small amount of adipose tissue is collected under local anesthetic — a minor office procedure, not an operation.
Concentration
The tissue is processed to concentrate the cellular fraction. Careful processing and cell counting matter — it's a fair question to ask any clinic.
Guided injection
The concentrate is injected into the target joint or tendon under live ultrasound so placement is exact.
Recovery & rehab
Most people return to light activity quickly, with a structured ramp-up over the following weeks — often paired with physical therapy.
Honest answers
Frequently asked questions
Is stem cell therapy FDA-approved?
No orthopedic stem cell treatment is FDA-approved, and reputable clinics are upfront about that. Same-day autologous procedures (your own cells, minimally manipulated) are performed under FDA guidelines for human cellular tissue. Be wary of any clinic promising guaranteed results.
Does it actually work?
That is a question for the clinic and the sources, not for this site. What NW Regen says adipose-derived therapy involves sets out their own account, and the stem cell therapy article library links to their writing in full.
How is this different from PRP?
PRP concentrates platelets and growth factors from your blood; biocellular therapy concentrates cells from tissue. They're often used together — the "Injection Therapy 101" article in the library breaks down the differences.
What are the risks and side effects?
Post-treatment discomfort is usual for most people and settles after several days, along with pain or swelling around the injection site. Because the fat harvest involves a small liposuction, the chance of infection or bruising is slightly higher than for the injection on its own, and proper post-care reduces that significantly. Like any medical procedure, these injections carry risk: infection, bleeding and allergic reactions, and in rare cases a complication relating to the anaesthesia used during the procedure. Because the tissue is your own, the risk of rejection or adverse reaction is minimal. Most unwanted effects are mild and short-lived, but all of it is worth discussing with a provider before deciding.
Who offers this in Portland?
Stem cell therapy Portland at NW Regen performs adipose-derived biocellular therapy with ultrasound guidance and published cell-counting standards.
From the library
January 14, 2022
Why Cell Counting Matters
Read the excerpt →
August 31, 2026
What Are Orthobiologics? A Plain-English Guide
Read the excerpt →
November 27, 2024
Injection Therapy 101: What’s the Difference between MFAT, PRP, and Prolotherapy?
Read the excerpt →
March 30, 2021
How Effective are PRP and Adipose Therapies?
Read the excerpt →Wondering if your joints are a candidate?
Get an honest evaluation from a Portland clinic that performs adipose-derived biocellular therapy — and will tell you if a simpler treatment is the better fit.
Explore stem cell therapy at NW Regen