An investigational, non-surgical option some adults explore for chronic low back pain linked to disc degeneration or facet joint arthritis, or before deciding on spine surgery. A physician decides whether it is appropriate after reviewing your history and imaging. Not FDA-approved; results vary.
An injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), with exosomes in the Restore and Renew packages. Your physician decides the approach after reviewing your imaging and history. It is not surgery.
Adults with chronic back pain linked to disc degeneration or facet joint arthritis, or who want to understand options before spine surgery.
Three packages from $3,744 to $12,444 USD, including hotel and ground transport.
Usually one night. You fly into San Diego; the clinic is in Tijuana.
Investigational and not FDA-approved. Offered at a COFEPRIS-licensed clinic in Mexico.
A physician, after reviewing your history and imaging. Not everyone qualifies.
Patients usually come to us after rest, exercise, physical therapy, medication, or injections have not helped as much as they hoped. Our physicians most often evaluate four situations:
Chronic low back pain linked to wear of the discs, the cushions between the vertebrae, that has not improved with conservative care. Most of the published research on stem cells for the back has been done in this group.
Arthritis in the small facet joints at the back of the spine, which can cause stiffness and aching. Research on stem cells specifically for the facet joints is limited, so expectations should be modest.
Some disc bulges or herniations that cause long-standing back pain. Research in this group is limited, and many trials excluded larger herniations. Sudden leg weakness, or numbness around the groin, needs urgent medical care, not an injection.
Adults who have been told spinal fusion or other back surgery may be in their future and want to understand non-surgical options first. Stem cell therapy may not change whether you eventually need surgery.
When it may not be appropriate. Our physicians may advise against treatment for spinal instability or a fracture, nerve compression that needs surgery, an active infection, a suspected tumor, or certain uncontrolled medical conditions. New leg weakness, numbness around the groin, or loss of bladder or bowel control needs emergency care. A medical evaluation is always required first.
It is an injection, not surgery. A physician gives an injection of a preparation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), usually during a single clinic visit. Your physician decides the approach after reviewing your imaging and history. Ask your physician to explain how the injection will be done. In the Restore and Renew packages, the preparation also includes exosomes, the tiny signaling particles that cells release.
What researchers think it does. MSCs are thought to act mainly by releasing signals that may help calm inflammation and support the body’s own repair processes. In studies of injections into the disc, MRI changes have been inconsistent, and rebuilding a worn disc in people has not been shown.
What studies measure. Clinical trials mostly measure back pain and everyday function, often over 6 to 24 months. Some patients report less pain, while others notice little change, and in several controlled trials patients who received a placebo injection also improved. Results vary and are not guaranteed.
Where the cells come from. Your physician will explain the source of the cells in your preparation and how they were screened and tested, and you can ask to see that documentation before treatment. For background, read what stem cells are and how exosomes are studied.
Stem cell therapy is one option among several. This is a general overview, not medical advice; your physician can explain which options fit your back.
| Option | What it involves | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise & physical therapy | Core strengthening, stretching, and staying active, often guided by a physical therapist. | Commonly recommended as a first step for chronic low back pain. It takes time and consistency. |
| Medication & steroid injections | Anti-inflammatory medication, or a steroid injection near the painful nerve or joint (such as an epidural or facet injection). | May ease pain for a period of time. How often injections can be repeated is a question for your doctor. |
| Radiofrequency ablation | A procedure that uses heat to quiet the small nerves that carry pain signals from the facet joints. | Used for some facet joint pain. The nerves can regrow, so it may need repeating. |
| Stem cell therapy (MSCs) | Mesenchymal stem cells, with or without exosomes, given as an injection in a single visit. Your physician decides the approach. | Investigational and not FDA-approved. Studied mainly in disc-related low back pain, with modest and mixed results. |
| Spine surgery | Procedures such as discectomy, decompression, or spinal fusion. | An established option for specific problems such as nerve compression or instability, with a longer recovery and rehabilitation period. |
Overview for education only. Results of every option vary from person to person.
Three published packages, priced as ranges in U.S. dollars. Every package includes premium hotel accommodation and airport and border transportation; you book your own flight to San Diego.
A focused starting protocol
25M–75M MSC$3,744–$5,544
Our recommended protocol
100M–125M MSC + exosomes$6,444–$7,544
Our most comprehensive protocol
150M–300M MSC + exosomes$8,444–$12,444
Final package confirmed after your consultation. Prices are in U.S. dollars. Your final price depends on your physician’s evaluation, including the cell dose and the number of areas treated. Results vary from person to person, and no specific outcome is guaranteed. Stem cell and exosome therapies are investigational and not FDA-approved. MSC means mesenchymal stem cells; M means million cells.
Compare U.S. and Mexico costs and what drives price
Not sure whether this applies to your back? Candidacy is determined by medical review of your history and imaging, not by a form. The consultation is complimentary.
See If You QualifyYou fly into San Diego and the clinic is in Tijuana, just across the border. Most patients stay one night.
Share your history and any recent X-ray or MRI. A physician reviews your case and, if you may be a candidate, you receive a personalized plan and price.
You book your own flight to San Diego. Bring a valid passport or passport card for the border crossing.
We pick you up and provide private transportation across the border to Tijuana.
Your physician confirms the plan in person and performs the injection at our COFEPRIS-licensed partner clinic.
Most patients stay one night in a premium hotel, included in every package.
We drive you back to San Diego for your flight home. Aftercare and follow-up continue after you return.
Exact inclusions and your schedule are confirmed during your consultation. For a step-by-step look at the visit, read what to expect.
Your case is reviewed by independent, licensed physicians in Tijuana who work with Gold Standard Regenerative.
Founder and Medical Director, Carabella Clinic, Tijuana
Mexican-licensed physician (Cédula Profesional on file) · Regenerative medicine
Dr. Chavira practices stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, with extensive consultation experience for patients exploring options for joint-related concerns.
Meet Dr. Chavira
Mexican Board Certified Plastic Surgeon · ASPS & ISAPS Member · Regenerative medicine
Dr. Caloca brings stem cell therapy experience alongside his surgical practice and a commitment to individualized care.
Meet Dr. CalocaWe partner with a COFEPRIS-licensed clinic in Tijuana. COFEPRIS is Mexico’s federal health regulator. Gold Standard Regenerative coordinates your consultation, travel, and care; all medical services are provided by independent licensed physicians. Learn more about COFEPRIS and regenerative medicine regulation.
Questions worth asking any spine stem cell clinic, including us:
Regenerative treatment for back pain is investigational. It is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use, and it is still being studied in clinical trials rather than settled in clinical practice. Most of the research has looked at injections into the discs of the lower back.
A 2026 meta-analysis in Asian Spine Journal pooled seven randomised controlled trials covering 594 patients with chronic low back pain from degenerative disc disease. It found no significant differences in adverse events or serious adverse events between patients who received stem cell injections into the disc and those who received a sham or placebo procedure.
A 2025 systematic review in Neurospine of ten published clinical studies reported no major adverse effects in those trials. It also noted that injecting into a disc carries procedural risks of its own, and that smaller studies of related disc injections have occasionally reported serious complications such as disc infection.
The 2026 meta-analysis found modest improvements in pain and disability scores compared with sham or placebo. The 2025 review also described modest improvements, but noted that controlled trials often did not show a clear difference between treated and control groups, and that patients who received placebo injections frequently improved too.
Both reviews call for larger, better-designed trials. The studies are small, differ in cell source, dose and technique, and only some were double-blind. Long-term data beyond two years are scarce, and MRI changes in the treated discs have been inconsistent.
What that means in practice: the safety signal in the published trials is reassuring, but effectiveness is not established, and no honest account of this research can promise a result. Whether it is appropriate for you is a decision for a physician who has reviewed your history and imaging, and for some backs the right answer will be surgery or conservative care instead.
Sources: Intradiscal mesenchymal stem cell therapy for degenerative disc disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials, Asian Spine Journal, 2026. Mesenchymal stromal cells for the treatment of discogenic low back pain: a systematic review of clinical studies, Neurospine, 2025.
All medical treatments involve potential risks and limitations. Side effects after a spinal injection can include temporary soreness or a flare of back pain. As with any injection into or near the spine, there is a small risk of infection, bleeding, or nerve irritation.
Recovery. Because it is an injection, most patients travel home the day after treatment. Your physician will give you instructions on activity, lifting, and pain relief for the weeks that follow.
Expectations. Any change in symptoms, if it happens, is usually assessed over months rather than days. Stem cell therapy is still an evolving area of medicine, and results are not guaranteed. You can review regulatory information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Our packages range from $3,744 to $12,444 in U.S. dollars: Foundation ($3,744 to $5,544), Restore, our recommended package ($6,444 to $7,544), and Renew ($8,444 to $12,444). Your final price depends on your physician’s evaluation, including the cell dose and the number of areas treated. Results vary. See full package details.
Every package includes the physician evaluation, the procedure at our COFEPRIS-licensed partner clinic in Tijuana, premium hotel accommodation, airport and border transportation, and aftercare and follow-up. You book your own flight to San Diego. Exact inclusions are confirmed during your consultation.
Most patients stay one night. You fly into San Diego, we drive you across the border to Tijuana, and after your treatment and a night in the hotel we drive you back to San Diego for your flight home. Your exact schedule is confirmed during your consultation.
Sometimes, if your physician recommends it. Treating more than one area, such as the lower back and the neck, usually falls under the Restore or Renew package. Your physician confirms the plan after reviewing your history and imaging.
It may not. Some patients explore stem cell therapy to see whether they can delay surgery, but it has not been shown to prevent or replace spine surgery. For nerve compression, instability, or other problems that need surgery, a spine surgeon’s opinion is often the right next step.
This has not been shown in people. Clinical studies mainly measure changes in pain and function, and MRI changes in treated discs have been inconsistent.
Published trials of stem cell injections into lower-back discs have not found significantly more side effects than sham or placebo procedures, and serious complications have been uncommon. Any injection into or near the spine carries some risk, including infection and nerve irritation. Your physician reviews the risks that apply to you.
No. Stem cell and exosome therapies for back pain are investigational and not FDA-approved. In Mexico, they are offered at clinics licensed by COFEPRIS, Mexico’s federal health regulator. Learn more about COFEPRIS regulation.
Most insurance plans do not cover regenerative cell therapies because they are considered investigational and are not FDA-approved. Whether HSA or FSA funds can be used depends on your plan; please confirm with your plan administrator.
Start with the free assessment. It is a few quick questions and takes about a minute, then a member of our team reaches out personally. A physician reviews your history and imaging before anything is recommended, and not everyone qualifies.
The same packages, physicians, and partner clinic apply to each area we treat. Each guide covers who it may suit, cost, the trip, and the research for that area.
If you are exploring options for chronic back pain, disc degeneration, or arthritis in the spine, the first step is finding out whether you qualify. It takes about a minute, and candidacy is always determined by a physician.
See If You Qualify →