Joe Rogan has often hyped up the unconventional and novel methods of medical science in his podcast. He has seldom failed to express how impressed he was with the stem cell technology. Needless to say, the repair of injured tissue using stem cells is indeed the new way of treatment. Now, the method has developed enough to repair hard-to-treat tissue, like cartilage. 

Degeneration of cartilage tissue with age is one of the leading factors that cause immobility in the community. Be it osteoarthritis or tendon injuries, stem cell therapy has proven its efficacy. Rogan himself is a living example of that. This is why he advised Russell Crowe regarding his arthritis in episode #2191 of the Joe Rogan Experience. 

Regarding arthritis, Crowe was given the option of surgery to replace the cartilage a the head of the humerus with plastic-like material to facilitate smoother movement. However, the UFC color commentator stood against that idea. He said, “Don’t do that yet. This is why I don’t do that yet. Because there’s breakthroughs right now, where they’re regenerating cartilage… there’s new study that came out that’s showing that they’re able to regenerate cartilage tissue. And this is very, very promising. So, when they’re able to do this kind of stuff now, if you could just hang in there for just a year or so, I guarantee you they’re going to be implementing this stuff on people.” 

The JRE producer pulled up a couple of research articles that showed that the scientists were working on deploying insulin-like growth factor 1 to stimulate cartilage repair in osteoarthritis treatment. The second research, from Australia, showed a similar concept being studied in a sheep model. 

Rogan continued, “What stem cells have been really effective at is soft tissue injuries, tendon repair, things along those lines, and a lot of neurological disorders that people have, especially IV versions… We’re real close to being able to regenerate all kinds of stuff. So, just got to kind of hang in there. But, I guarantee you what the stem cells can do is help heal what can heal in that area. Reduce inflammation, give you more range of motion, and give you a much more pain-free experience.“

This therapy can even treat Mike Tyson‘s sciatica. The phenomenal former heavyweight boxing champion has been suffering from the crippling disorder for quite a while now. This rendered him unable to walk and put him in a wheelchair. The minimally invasive treatment can reduce nerve irritation and disc degeneration.

But the JRE host didn’t say all that without proof. He himself is a subject of stem cell therapy’s success.

Joe Rogan is an example of stem cell therapy’s success

As the conversation proceeded, the 56-year-old podcaster revealed some unknown insights into his rotator cuff injury. Repairing a tear in the rotator cuff is not something that can be done easily. But his life turned around when his doctor, Dr Roddy McGee, suggested giving stem cells a try. Rogan said, “And he was doing them for the UFC, and you know, this was, they could do some pretty potent stuff. This is before some of the new regulations have come into place. They’re constantly trying to regulate this stuff because it’s very effective.”

It was nothing short of a miracle. Rogan went in for the therapy and got stem cells injected at the site of the injury. He assured Crowe that he was pretty consistent with the rehab process. He began training his shoulders with crossover bands and stopped whenever he had a sense of pain. Following 6 months of rehabilitation, Rogan’s MRI scan showed no signs of the tear. Quoting the doctor, Rogan said, “He [Dr. McGee] goes like, ‘I’ve never seen this all my years of being an orthopedic surgeon, I’ve never seen a tear in a rotator cuff completely disappear.’”

This is indeed one of the novel techniques that will bring out a revolution in the world of medical science, don’t you think? With even neurological disorders having a chance of getting better, stem cell therapy is going to be a crucial part of an athlete’s journey in the near future. 

What are your thoughts on Rogan’s advice for Crowe? Do you think stem cell therapy can bring a change in the world of mixed martial arts? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.