Confirm the facet joint before treating it
Stem cell therapy for spinal arthritis and facet pain in Istanbul, Turkey
Our Istanbul spine team uses diagnostic blocks and imaging to confirm facet-mediated pain, then matches you to the right conventional or biologic option.
Condition-specific editorial anatomy. Explanatory labels remain in accessible text.
Clinical map
Start with the diagnosis, stage, and treatment context
We focus specifically on suspected facet-joint pain, using diagnostic blocks and imaging correlation before any biologic option is considered.
Established care comes first
- Rehabilitation: Education, graded activity, and trunk or neck strength work are built around your whole clinical pattern.
- Diagnostic block pathway: When facet pain is strongly suspected, we use technically sound medial branch blocks with clear relief criteria.
- Radiofrequency comparison: For selected patients, we compare a biologic injection honestly with guideline-based medial branch radiofrequency treatment.
- 01
Lumbar facet pattern
Axial low-back pain that worsens with extension or rotation is checked against disc, sacroiliac, and myofascial sources first.
- 02
Cervical facet pattern
Neck pain and referred head or shoulder pain are separated from radiculopathy, myelopathy, and headache before we treat.
- 03
Inflammatory spine disease
Axial spondyloarthritis is a distinct systemic diagnosis, and we screen for it rather than assuming degenerative facet disease.
Direct answer
What the current evidence says
Degenerative facet changes on imaging are common and don't by themselves prove that's your pain source — so we confirm the diagnosis with a structured pathway, including medial branch blocks where appropriate, before recommending any injection. If a local, image-guided biologic injection fits your case, we tell you exactly what evidence supports it; we don't offer IV or intrathecal therapy for facet pain, and we don't promise cartilage restoration. Request your free medical evaluation and we'll walk you through what's realistic for your spine.
Evidence position
What is known, what is investigational, and what is not demonstrated
Confirm the source, then match the treatment
History, exam, and imaging alone can't reliably confirm facet pain, so we build in a structured diagnostic pathway.
We treat facet injections with the care they deserve
Controlled medial branch blocks help us select the right patients and the right next step, whether that's radiofrequency treatment or another option.
A block isn't a regenerative result
A local facet-cell rationale doesn't support IV infusion, intrathecal injection, or disc regeneration — we keep those boundaries clear.
Product and route
A mechanism is not a clinical outcome
- 01
We treat facet injections with the care they deserve
Image guidance and attention to vessels, nerves, and anticoagulation are standard on every facet procedure we perform.
BoundaryEvidence applies only to the studied product, population, dose, route, comparator, and endpoint.
- 02
A block isn't a regenerative result
Temporary anesthetic relief tells us your diagnosis is on track — it doesn't mean a later cell product will repair cartilage, and we won't claim it does.
BoundaryEvidence applies only to the studied product, population, dose, route, comparator, and endpoint.
Evidence ledger
Read the actual study, including the result that did not change
Each row keeps product identity, route, endpoint, and limitation together so one trial cannot become a generic treatment claim.
01 Lumbar facet joint intervention guidelines
Open source- Product
- Diagnostic medial branch blocks and conventional interventions
- Route
- Fluoroscopy or CT-guided local procedures
- Design
- Evidence-based interventional pain guideline
- Finding
- The evidence supports a controlled diagnostic pathway and selected conventional interventions rather than imaging diagnosis alone.
- Limitation
- The guideline does not establish a cell product for facet-joint cartilage repair or durable pain relief.
02 Consensus practice guideline for lumbar facet pain
Open source- Product
- Medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation
- Route
- Image-guided local procedures
- Design
- Multispecialty international consensus guideline
- Finding
- Patient selection and technique are central because clinical and imaging findings alone have limited specificity.
- Limitation
- These findings do not prove cell-injection efficacy.
Outcomes before travel
Decide what meaningful change would look like
A baseline and a time point matter more than an isolated testimonial. These measures should be chosen before any intervention.
- 01
Relief measured during diagnostic-block activities
- 02
Oswestry or Neck Disability Index
- 03
Walking, sitting, sleep, driving, and work tolerance
- 04
Analgesic use and need for further procedures
- 05
Neurologic status and recovery
Specialist review
What a complete Istanbul review needs
Our Istanbul spine team uses diagnostic blocks and imaging to confirm facet-mediated pain, then matches you to the right conventional or biologic option.
Records and baseline
- Axial versus radicular symptoms and neurologic exam
- Cervical or lumbar imaging with clinical correlation
- Hip, sacroiliac, disc, and inflammatory differential
- Prior rehabilitation, medicines, blocks, and surgery
- The joint level, product, and guidance method matched to your case
Safety and planning checks
- Progressive weakness, myelopathy, fever, or suspected infection gets urgent conventional assessment first.
- Bring your block reports with percent relief, duration, and technique so we can plan the right next step.
- Your Istanbul plan explains clearly why a biologic facet injection is being recommended over continued rehabilitation or an established interventional pathway.
Transparent planning
Build the medical plan before the package
A quote should follow record review, product disclosure, route rationale, and a written follow-up plan. This page does not invent a universal price.
- Progressive weakness, myelopathy, fever, or suspected infection gets urgent conventional assessment first.
- Bring your block reports with percent relief, duration, and technique so we can plan the right next step.
- Your Istanbul plan explains clearly why a biologic facet injection is being recommended over continued rehabilitation or an established interventional pathway.
Questions the plan must answer
- 01
We treat facet injections with the care they deserve: Image guidance and attention to vessels, nerves, and anticoagulation are standard on every facet procedure we perform.
- 02
A block isn't a regenerative result: Temporary anesthetic relief tells us your diagnosis is on track — it doesn't mean a later cell product will repair cartilage, and we won't claim it does.
Primary reading
Guidelines, trials, and regulatory context
FAQ
Questions patients ask before an Istanbul review
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