AAPI Athletes: Doug Baldwin hopes stem cell therapy will help his aching knees

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin doesn't shy away from his heritage. He ran onto the field carrying the Philippines' flag.

ASAM NEWS

SEATTLE SEAHAWK'S receiver Doug Baldwin is the latest NFL player to treat his aches and pains with a new, unproven treatment.

The all-pro former Super Bowl champ flew over to England before the season started to partake in stem-cell therapy.The treatment was a “pre-emptive, preventative treatment to maintain healthy knees” according to The News Tribune.

Baldwin, 29, a Filipino/American, had been looking into the therapy for about two years, stating that he did his research before finding the right company. He made sure to disclose that he was not suffering from any particular ailment or injury, but instead was seeking out the best options for keeping him in shape.

Although stem-cell therapy is still a new trend for football players, most have already taken on other forms of therapy to help treat themselves. In the past two weeks, there have been seven Seahawks teammates who have missed a few practices and games because they were seeking regenokine treatment. Those seven are K.J. Wright, D.J. Alexander, Tyler Lockett, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Luke Joeckel, and Michael Wilhoite.

Regenokine treatment, originated in Germany, is the process of one’s blood being “heated and spun in a centrifuge to enhance its anti-inflammatory properties” and then re-injected to “treat aching joints and/or aid in recovery from surgery”.

Both regenokine and stem-cell therapy are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The regenokine treatment has unproven results and the FDA, reportedly, has issues with the re-heating of blood. Stem-cell only has one form approved by the FDA, which is the use of “human umbilical cord blood forming stem cells for certain diseases.”
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