Scleroderma is an autoimmune condition that affects between 75,000 and 100,000 Americans. There is no cure for scleroderma or any other autoimmune disease, but adipose fat stem cell therapy from Innovations Stem Cell can help relieve painful inflammation and other uncomfortable symptoms.

What Is Scleroderma?

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that affects the body’s connective tissue. Patients develop scleroderma because their immune system sees their connective tissue as a dangerous foreign invader and attacks it. Connective tissue includes the skin, cartilage, muscle, and fat.

Scleroderma Symptoms

Symptoms of scleroderma include the development of thickened skin on the face, trunk, and extremities that can lead to scarring, vascular problems, inflammation, pain, and organ dysfunction. Localized scleroderma causes symptoms in just one area whereas systemic scleroderma affects many body areas and systems.

Scleroderma Signs

The most common signs of scleroderma are thick, scaly patches that develop or long lines of thick skin down extremities. Rashes and skin ulcerations are also often present in people with scleroderma.

Other signs of scleroderma include:

• Headache
• Weight loss
• Joint pain
• Sensitivity to hot and cold
• Impaired ability to move the hands and fingers

Severe cases of scleroderma can cause the hardening of tissues in the lungs, heart, and kidneys and affect how these organs function. Consequences of scleroderma include high blood pressure, trouble breathing, and impaired kidney function.

Scleroderma Risk Factors

Scleroderma affects mainly women between the ages of 30 and 50. Twins have a higher rate of developing scleroderma, as do people who have a family member with an autoimmune disease, especially those with lupus. Frequently, individuals who develop scleroderma have one or more autoimmune conditions as well.

Some scleroderma researchers believe there may be environmental triggers that cause scleroderma to occur. Another cause that is thought to contribute to the condition is that certain viruses may cause the genes that lead to scleroderma to turn on the disease.

Can Stem Cell Therapy Help People With Scleroderma?

Yes. Stem cell therapy for scleroderma can help by reducing inflammation and painful symptoms. Stem cell therapy also helps to reset the immune system to prevent it from future attacks on the body’s connective tissue.

Contact Innovations Medical for Information

Innovations Medical is here for you if you’re suffering from scleroderma. Our skilled professionals help you decide which treatment is best for you – keeping you informed and confident in the following steps. We’ve been supporting our patients to look and feel their best since 2005, and even our most advanced procedures are often minimally invasive.

To find out if stem cell treatment is right for you and to learn how Innovations Medical can improve your life, call us at (214) 643-8665 or schedule an appointment.