Non-Profit Offers Free Stem Cell Therapy to Veterans
/By A. Rahman Ford, PNN Columnist
No group is more worthy of the revolutionary benefits of stem cell therapy than America’s military veterans. While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) thinks “the field is in its infancy and much more research is needed” before stem cells are offered as treatment, brave practitioners are stepping forward to help veterans NOW.
Dr. Joseph Kanan and his staff at the Tullahoma Chiropractic Center are providing free stem cell therapy for veterans who suffer from chronic pain. Kanan – in partnership with Veterans in Pain – recently performed his first pro bono procedure on a veteran named Ryan, who has severe hip pain. Stem cell injections into Ryan’s hip, which are not covered by insurance, normally would have cost $6,500. Ryan got them for free.
“I think veterans do a lot for our country and there are very few doctors that are performing medical procedures like this,” Kanan told The Tullahoma News. “We were very glad to be able to do this for him.”
Kanan says his Tennessee clinic performs stem cell therapy for veterans twice a month and has had good results so far. One patient was able to avoid a knee replacement and reported consistent improvement one year after the procedure. Patients can expect to experience 10 percent improvement every month for 10 months.
Veterans in Pain is a non-profit that connects military veterans with civilian physicians who provide free regenerative medicine treatments for chronic pain. VIP has provided $250,000 worth of services since 2019.
(Update: Veterans in Pain no longer directly links individual veterans with stem cell providers. The organization’s focus has shifted to advocacy — specifically changes in legislation to make stem cell therapy more accessible to veterans.)
VIP founder and president Micaela Bensko is herself a stem cell therapy recipient. She spent years in a wheelchair after an accident in her driveway left her with severe spine damage that led to arachnoiditis, a chronic inflammation of spinal nerves. A friend suggested stem cell therapy, which inspired Bensko to establish VIP as a resource for veterans.
Veterans in Pain connects each veteran with a volunteer physician in their area. If one cannot be located, the cost of transportation and accommodations are covered for treatments, as they were for Ryan. Veterans associated with VIP visit schools, organizations and corporations sharing their story of recovery. Most of VIP’s funding is provided by small individual donations, grants and grassroots fundraising.
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly two-thirds of veterans report having chronic pain, with about 9% having severe pain. Chronic pain among veterans is closely associated with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, poor sleep and substance abuse disorders. Many veterans suffer from more than one condition.
Because of red tape and a shortage of pain management specialists at the VA, many veterans suffering from chronic pain are left devoid of proper diagnosis and treatment, causing many to self-medicate or search for answers on their own. Chronic pain can lead to substance abuse, a common and growing trend among veterans. A 2017 study found that 30% of military suicides were preceded by alcohol or drug abuse.
The dire plight of military veterans suffering from chronic pain is yet another compelling reason for the FDA to loosen its regulation of stem cell therapy. Our heroes are counting on it.
A. Rahman Ford, PhD, is a lawyer and research professional. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and the Howard University School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Howard Law Journal. Rahman lives with chronic inflammation in his digestive tract and is unable to eat solid food. He has received stem cell treatment in China.
