An investigational, non-surgical option some adults explore for chronic neck pain linked to disc wear or arthritis in the neck, or before deciding on neck surgery. Research in the neck is at an early stage. 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 neck pain linked to disc wear or arthritis in the neck, or who want to understand options before neck 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:
Long-standing neck pain linked to wear of the discs between the vertebrae in the neck, when physical therapy, medication, or other conservative care have not helped enough. Research specific to the neck is very limited; most disc research has been done in the lower back.
Arthritis in the small facet joints at the back of the neck, part of the age-related wear sometimes called cervical spondylosis, which can cause stiffness and aching. There are few studies in this area, so expectations should be modest.
Neck pain that has not settled with time and rehabilitation after a strain or whiplash-type injury. Research in this group is very limited, and not every case is a good fit.
Adults who have been told neck 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 pressure on the spinal cord, instability or a fracture, nerve compression that needs surgery, an active infection, a suspected tumor, or certain uncontrolled medical conditions. Worsening weakness or clumsiness in the hands, trouble walking or with balance, or loss of bladder or bowel control needs prompt medical 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. Because the neck is close to the spinal cord, nerves, and major blood vessels, any injection there needs careful technique, so we suggest asking your physician how it 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. Whether injected cells repair worn discs or joints in the neck has not been shown.
What studies measure. There are very few clinical studies of stem cells in the neck, and most of them are small and uncontrolled. Some patients report less pain, while others notice little change. 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 neck.
| Option | What it involves | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise & physical therapy | Posture, strengthening, and mobility work, often guided by a physical therapist. | Commonly recommended as a first step for chronic neck pain. It takes time and consistency. |
| Medication & steroid injections | Anti-inflammatory medication, or a steroid injection near the painful nerve or joint. | 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 in the neck. | 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. Very little published research in the neck so far. |
| Neck surgery | Procedures such as removing a disc and fusing the vertebrae (ACDF), or artificial disc replacement. | An established option for specific problems such as nerve or spinal cord compression, 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 neck? 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 neck pain is investigational and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use. Research in the neck is at an earlier stage than in the lower back or the knee, so it is worth being clear about how little is known.
A 2019 systematic review in Global Spine Journal searched for studies of cell therapy to repair spinal discs and found no studies focusing on the neck that met its criteria. It rated the overall evidence for the lower back as very low quality.
A 2024 review in JOR Spine of cell and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for disc-related back and neck pain, which combined neck and lower-back studies, reported generally good safety profiles, but found that most of the trials had a high risk of bias and that very few were randomised controlled trials.
Most of the controlled research on stem cells for the spine has been done in the lower back, where recent reviews describe modest and mixed results (see our back pain guide). Whether those findings apply to the neck is not known.
What that means in practice: there is not enough research to say whether stem cell therapy helps neck pain, and no honest account of it 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 necks the right answer will be surgery or conservative care instead.
Sources: Cell therapy for treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration: a systematic review, Global Spine Journal, 2019. A comprehensive review of cell transplantation and platelet-rich plasma therapy for the treatment of disc degeneration-related back and neck pain, JOR Spine, 2024.
All medical treatments involve potential risks and limitations. Side effects after an injection in the neck can include temporary soreness or a flare of neck pain. Because the neck is close to the spinal cord, nerves, and blood vessels, injections there carry a small risk of serious complications, including infection, bleeding, and nerve injury.
Recovery. Because it is an injection, most patients travel home the day after treatment. Your physician will give you instructions on activity, posture, 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 the neck and the back counts as two areas, which 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 neck surgery. For pressure on the spinal cord or nerves, 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. There are very few clinical studies of stem cells in the neck, and they mainly report changes in pain rather than repair.
The small number of studies so far have generally reported good safety, but research in the neck is limited. Because the neck is close to the spinal cord, nerves, and blood vessels, any injection there carries a small risk of serious complications, including infection and nerve injury. Your physician reviews the risks that apply to you.
No. Stem cell and exosome therapies for neck 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 neck pain, disc wear, or arthritis in the neck, 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 →