As London prepares to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, it becomes the first city to ever stage the Olympics for the third time. The number “three” is also significant in the number of prominent Team USA Olympic athletes that will compete this summer in London after recovering from Stem Cell Therapy. Kobe Bryant, David Payne, and Dara Torres will all take part in the Games this summer, not only to win medals, but to also show their perseverance and recovery after injury.

From the water, to the track, to the court, the influence of Stem Cell Therapy to aid the recovery of elite athletes is revolutionary. Stem Cell Therapy is a procedure in which new cells are introduced directly into an injurious area or joint, promoting healing and growth; it is a medical procedure that improves the health of, in this case, American athletes because of the need for adequate biological building materials in injured areas for the healing process to begin. The multitude of administered cells allows the body to proceed with the healing process at an accelerated rate.

Kobe Bryant, arguably one of the best players in the NBA, if not the world, will be competing with the USA Men’s Basketball team this summer in London with the hopes of capturing back-to-back Olympic golds, which they won in the 2008 Games. Bryant received his Stem Cell treatments on his injurious right knee in Germany in the summer of 2011, after a tough 2010 NBA season, where his pain was overwhelming because his knee was bone-on-bone. The surgery was minimally invasive and did not restrict movement of his joints, permitting Bryant to rehabilitate his knee immediately. The benefits of the procedure were seen in his scoring statistics and minutes played during this current 2012 NBA season. Averaging 30.0 points per game, Bryant almost matched his statistics from his 2007 MVP season (32.0 ppg). Most of the credit is due to the healing power of Stem Cell therapy in Bryant’s knee, so much so that ESPN states, Bryant’s knee is key for the Lakers’ success. Hopefully Kobe will be the key to success of Team USA Basketball this summer.

David Payne is an American hurdler who will also compete in the 2012 Summer Games. In 2008, Payne captured a silver medal in the 110 m hurdles during the Beijing Olympics. While training for Olympic trials in 2011, Payne suffered a minor shin injury and resorted to intense physical therapy to help alleviate the pain. Since these injuries can typically take months to heal, Payne decided to take further action and receive Stem Cell treatments to promote healing in the shin area. He reaped the benefits of the therapy and earned top five finishes in all 2011 meets. He has returned to Olympic form and will run for the Gold this summer in London.

Dara Torres, a 12-time American Olympic medalist, will be the oldest ever Olympic swimmer this summer at the age of 44. After capturing three silver medals in the 2008 Olympic games, Torres underwent Stem Cell therapy to repair and regenerate damaged cartilage in her knee. After a sixteen-month long recovery and training for Olympic qualifiers, Torres only needs to finish in the top two in a meet in June in order to make it to London. Without the Stem Cell treatment, however, Torres would have never had the chance to make a sixth U.S. Olympic team.

While watching the Olympics this summer, remember that Stem Cell Therapy played a significant role in the performance of these American athletes vying for the gold. All three of these athletes are able to extend their miraculous careers thanks to modern medicine.  Stem cell therapy is a major milestone towards helping athletes recover from injuries; in the case of Olympians allowing them to represent their countries in times that seemed impossible.

Copyright © 2012 Alex Martin MD & Francesca Coxe, Los Angeles. Edited by Devin Stone

References:

1. The Associated Press. “After Taking 16 Months Off, Torres Is Back in the Pool With an Eye on London.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Mar. 2012. Web. 24 May 2012. .

2. Barling, Mannie. “Stem Cell and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatments.” Bleacher Report. Multiple Sports, 19 Sept. 2011. Web. 24 May 2012. .

3. Cyphers, Luke. “Torres Continues Quest for Sixth Olympic Berth.” ESPNW. 03 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2012. .

4. “Olympic Silver Medalist David Payne Has Joined Elite Athletes Tiger Woods, Hines Ward and Takaishi Saito in Using Cell Therapy.” Olympic Silver Medalist David Payne Has Joined Elite Athletes Tiger Woods, Hines Ward and Takaishi Saito in Using Cell Therapy. PRWeb, 09 June 2011. Web. 24 May 2012. .