As the tail end of the baby boomer generation nears retirement age, many boomers are beginning to experience the common signs of aging, such as the inflammation and pain of arthritis. But unlike in generations past, many arthritis sufferers aren't just relying on traditional over-the-counter pain medications to manage their symptoms. They are turning to newer, lesser-known procedures like stem cell therapy.

Dr. Naota Hashimoto is a stem cell practitioner in La Quinta, California. He says his patients have found great relief using stem cell therapy to treat arthritis and joint pain.

"Stem cell therapy is still a relatively new field of medicine, but it's also become quite well established in recent years," says Hashimoto.

Still, despite its validity, according to Hashimoto, many patients are surprised to learn that they can find relief using their own adipose (fat) tissue to treat arthritis -- and some are surprised to learn that stem cell therapy even exists.

"Many patients who come to me have been using traditional medicine to treat arthritis and not having much luck," he says.

"They'll get a prescription pain medication or a cortisone shot, but those treatments are only temporary fixes, and before they know it, they need something stronger, or another shot."

Hashimoto says stem cell therapy works differently than prescriptions, because unlike pills, creams and steroid shots, stem cells can literally heal the body.

"Traditional arthritis treatments help you mask or manage the pain or temporarily. With stem cells, we can actually repair some of that damage and permanently eliminate the pain," he says.

Hashimoto says stem cell therapy also has no side effects.

"Because we're using your own body tissue, there's nothing foreign being introduced to the body. You aren't worrying about drug interactions or nausea or allergic reactions," he says.

"You are moving one part of your body to another part of the body, so it's totally natural and biodegradable."

In addition to treating arthritis, Hashimoto says there are many other common ailments that can be successfully treated with stem cells: everything from hair loss to skin conditions to migraines, with many more treatments being tested around the world.

"There are currently animal trials using stem cells to treat diseases like Parkinson's disease and ALS, diseases that currently have no cure and no standard treatment that works for everyone," he says.

"Many of these programs are still in their infancy, but I think we're going to see some huge advances in what stem cells can treat in the next decade. It's a very exciting time to be in this field, for both a doctors and patients."