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Intra-Muscular (IM) Treatment

Up-to-date information on protocols, safety, and regulations to help you deliver advanced patient care.

Intra-Muscular Stem Cell Therapies: A Guide for Medical Professionals

Intra-muscular (IM) stem cell or exosome therapy can offer targeted benefits for a wide range of conditions by delivering biologic materials directly into muscle tissue. This technique is designed to leverage the regenerative, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and other biologics to repair damaged tissue, reduce inflammation, and enhance functional recovery. As a minimally invasive procedure, IM stem cell treatments provide an effective alternative or complement to traditional therapies.

Indications for Use

Common conditions treated with intra-muscular stem cell therapy:

1. Chronic Muscle Injuries

  • Tendonitis or Tendinopathy
  • Muscle Strains or Tears

2. Neuromuscular Disorders

  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Peripheral Neuropathy

3. Inflammatory Myopathies
4. Localized Pain Syndrome
5.Recovery and Performance Enhancement

  • Post-surgical muscle regeneration
  • Enhancing muscle recovery in athletes.

Common areas for intra-muscular injections

Knee

  • Rectus femoris IM injection
  • Lower quadricep femoris IM injection

Shoulder

  • Deltoid IM injection

Ankle

  • Tibialis Tibialis anterior IM injection
  • Peroneus longus IM injection
  • Achilles tendon IM injection

Elbow

  • Flexor carpi IM injection
  • Upper Brachioradialis IM injection

Hip

  • Upper Gluteus maximus IM injection

Lower Back

  • Upper Gluteus maximus IM injection
  • Lumbodorsal fascia IM injection

Neck

  • Trapezius IM injection
  • Sternocleidomastoid IM injection

Procedure Overview

1. Patient Evaluation

  • Conduct a comprehensive clinical assessment of the patient, including a detailed medical history and physical examination.
  • For chronic injuries or structural muscle damage, it is recommended to use imagine techniques (MRI or ultrasound) to localize the injury or area of treatment.

2. Administration Preparation

  • Clinicians often prefer utilizing IM injections because numbing agents (lidocaine, benzocaine, tetracaine, topical creams) are not usually required. Depending on the sensitivity of the muscle area, a topical numbing agent may be used. But any numbing agents should be used sparingly as they may affect the microenvironment of the biologic.
  • It is recommended that IM injections are administered in 2-3 injection sessions spread out between 3-6 months.
  • Typical intra-muscular injections amounts are 2-4 cc’s for intra-articular stem cell injections. Often saline dilution will be used as well which assists with ease of injection and efficacy.

3. Administration

  • Inject the prepared stem cell therapy product directly into the muscle.

4. Post-Procedure care

  • Of course, immediately following the procedure, monitor the patient for immediate reactions, such as discomfort or swelling at the injection site.
  • Provide instructions for follow-up care including avoiding strenuous activities for 24-48 hours, avoiding alcohol, and choosing physical therapy or rehabilitation as necessary to optimize treatment outcomes.
  • Schedule a follow-up appointment per your internal procedures.
Sources

– Shirbaghaee, Z., Hassani, M., Heidari Keshel, S. et al. Emerging roles of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in patients with critical limb ischemia. Stem Cell Res Ther 13, 462 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-022-03148-9