Colin Jackson health: ‘I’m in constant pain’ Athlete to undergo stem cell therapy to help

Stem cell therapy – beyond the headlines – Timothy Henry at TEDxGrandForks

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Colin Ray Jackson, CBE, 54, is a Welsh former sprinter and hurdling Olympic silver medal champion. Colin’s world record for his 60 metres hurdles stood for an incredible 27 years. As with most athletes of his calibre, Colin suffers with ongoing injuries from his sports days and will be undergoing a treatment to reduce the pain which Mike Tyson recently underwent too.

Speaking to the Mirror, the BBC athletics commentator admitted: “I’m in constant pain but you learn to live with it.

“On a good day, the pain level is three out of 10 but on a bad day it’s a 10.

“I’ve got a body of a man in his mid-30s but the knees of a man in his mid-80s.

“I’ve had seven operations on my knees already including four on the right knee and three on the left.”

Deciding to opt for an unusual type of treatment in the hopes to help ease his pain, Colin will undergo a procedure costing £25,000.

The treatment involves one million stem cells injected into each knee with more cells being delivered via an IV drip.

Colin’s career left him with damage to his kneecaps, cartilage, ligaments and tendons.

He also suffers from a degenerative condition that can make it difficult to get out of bed.

“I knew my knees were going to be a problem, but I hadn’t started to feel it until I got into my 50s,” said Colin.

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In recent years, stem cell therapy has been hailed as a miracle cure for many conditions, from wrinkles to spinal repair.

A stem cell is an immature, basic cell that has not yet developed to become, say, a skin cell or a muscle cell or a nerve cell.

There are different types of stem cells that the body can use for different purposes.

There is evidence that stem cell treatments work by triggering damaged tissues in the body to repair themselves, often referred to as “regenerative” therapy.

In animal studies, stem cell treatments have shown promise for various diseases, including heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy.

A study undertaken by Dr Timothy McGuine found that 34 percent of athletes involved in the one-year study were more likely to report a history of knee and hip injuries.

Additionally, he found that specialised athletes, such as those competing in the Olympic games, were twice as likely to sustain a gradual onset or repetitive use injuries than athletes who did not specialise.

Dr McGuine also found that these athletes who find themselves competing year-round, stressing the same muscles and movements, and predisposed to the symptoms of burnout are at higher risk of long-term injuries.

Many doctors and athletes use stem cell therapy to treat sports injuries, such as Achilles’ tendinopathy or damaged knee ligaments, said Sports Health.

The site continued: “While increasing in popularity, stem cell therapy is not considered standard practice by sports medicine doctors and not covered by most insurance companies.

“The process of collecting stem cells is often called harvesting. Physicians usually harvest stem cells from the patient’s fat, blood, or bone marrow.

“Many physicians who use stem cell therapy hypothesize that, when placed into a certain environment, stem cells can transform to meet a certain need.”

Other sports stars who underwent stem cell therapy for long-term injuries included Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal and most recently Mike Tyson.
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