Celva

What to do after stem cell therapy: the aftercare guide

Take no NSAIDs for at least the first two weeks. For the first 7 to 10 days: no alcohol, no workouts, no sauna, and no ice bath. After a knee, hip, ankle or foot injection, stay off the joint with very limited activity for the first 7 to 10 days. After a shoulder or hand injection, walking and light daily use are fine. Then start physical therapy, avoid loading the joint outside it for 4 to 6 weeks, and hold running and impact sport until weeks 8 to 12. Hydrate, and use acetaminophen within the labeled daily limit if you need pain relief. Your discharge sheet gives the exact window for your case.

How to recover after MSC therapy, across every condition we treat. The universal first 72 hours, then the specifics for joint, systemic IV, and neurologic care, including the cases where protocols stack.

When to call us

Medically reviewed by the physician team at Hospital Angeles · October 2026

Physician-led regenerative medicineHospital Angeles · Tijuana, MX · Licensed in Mexico

Two layers to every recovery

Whatever brought you to Celva, a worn knee, a systemic IV program, or a neurologic condition, recovery has two layers. The first is universal: the same biological response follows a broadly predictable curve for everyone. The second is specific to your track, with its own rules, protected window, and timeline.

Read the universal parts first (the first 72 hours and the rules), then turn to the section for your track. If your case combines protocols (bilateral, multi-region, or an IV add-on), the combined-protocols part tells you what stacks.

"Your written discharge instructions are specific to you and always take precedence over this guide. Where the two ever differ, follow the discharge sheet and call your coordinator."

The one rule above all others

Find your track

Medical disclaimer This guide is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. All aftercare decisions are made by licensed physicians at Hospital Angeles, Tijuana. Individual recovery varies by indication, baseline severity, and biology.

The first 72 hours after stem cell therapy, hour by hour

Applies to all tracks

The shape of recovery

Response is neither linear nor immediate. The first weeks often feel quiet even while sleep and energy are already shifting. That early stretch is part of how the cells work, not a sign that they aren't.

  1. Wk 1

    The early days

    For IV, sleep often improves first, then energy. For an injection, the site is usually sore before it's better. A smaller group feels a brief flu-like reaction in the first 24 to 72 hours. All of it is physiology settling.

  2. Wk 2 – Mo 2

    The quiet stretch

    Sleep and energy keep improving. In a treated joint the first 4 weeks are typically quiet, and a first change tends to show between weeks 4 and 12. The hardest phase psychologically. The work is happening at tissue level.

  3. Mo 2 – 4

    Change you can point to

    For many patients, the change is now one they can point to. Pain eases, function and sleep improve. Subtle, then unmistakable. After an IV, the response peaks around 12 to 16 weeks.

  4. Mo 4 – 9 +

    Gains keep building

    The trajectory settles at a new level, and improvement can keep building through the first year.

What not to do after stem cell treatment

The cells work by signaling, and a handful of common habits quietly blunt it. These rules apply no matter what we treated.

Rule 1. The single most important one

No NSAIDs for at least the first two weeks. Ibuprofen, naproxen, and the rest blunt exactly the inflammatory signaling the cells rely on. Use acetaminophen for pain. If a cardiologist or another doctor prescribed you a daily aspirin, a blood thinner, or a steroid, do not stop it on your own: the medical team tells you what to do with it. Your discharge sheet gives the exact window for your case; when in doubt, call before you take anything.

Load and movement

Protect first, load late

  • Protect the joint first. After a knee, hip, ankle or foot injection, stay off the joint with very limited activity for the first 7 to 10 days. After a shoulder or hand injection, walking and light daily use are fine.
  • No workouts for 7 to 10 days. No gym, running, or weights. Easy walking is fine unless a knee, hip, ankle or foot was treated.
  • Outside physical therapy, avoid loading a treated joint for 4 to 6 weeks. Running and impact sport wait until weeks 8 to 12 (see your region).
  • Let pain be the governor. If a movement hurts the joint, it is too soon. Back off and try again in a few days.

Hydration, heat, and habits

The first 7 to 10 days

  • Hydrate hard for the first 7 to 10 days. It measurably eases the early fatigue.
  • No alcohol for 7 to 10 days. Longer is better. Give the cells a clean environment to work in.
  • No sauna and no ice bath for 7 to 10 days. That covers hot tubs, steam rooms, and cold plunges too.
  • Smoking dampens the response. If you smoke, this is a good window to ease off.

For pain and swelling, in order of preference

  1. 1st

    Acetaminophen (Tylenol). The preferred analgesic. It does not interfere with cell signaling. Stay within the labeled daily limit.

    Preferred

  2. 2nd

    Brief ice, for comfort. Ten to fifteen minutes with an ice pack is fine for swelling. No ice bath for 7 to 10 days.

    As needed

  3. Avoid

    NSAIDs and systemic steroids. Both suppress the response. Do not restart a daily over-the-counter anti-inflammatory without clearing it with the medical team. A steroid your own doctor prescribed is different: never stop or restart it on your own. The medical team works out the plan with you.

    2 weeks +

Supplements Some anti-inflammatory supplements (for example high-dose fish oil or turmeric and curcumin) act on the same pathway as NSAIDs. Tell your physician about everything you take so they can advise you on what to pause and when.

Antibiotics and new prescriptions Some medicines work against the cells. For the first 7 to 10 days, call us before you start an antibiotic or any new prescription. If a doctor prescribes one for an infection, take it as directed and tell us the same day.

After the first 7 to 10 days, start physical therapy

The injection is one half of the plan. The cells send the repair signal; guided, graded loading is what the tissue around the joint responds to. We recommend physical therapy to every joint and spine patient, starting once the first 7 to 10 days have passed.

  1. Day 10 to week 3

    Range of motion

    Your first visits. Gentle, pain-free movement and light muscle activation around the joint. No resistance yet.

  2. Weeks 3 to 6

    Strengthening

    Resistance is added in small steps. Soreness the next day means hold at that level, not push past it.

  3. Weeks 6 to 8

    Full load

    Loaded work returns. Your therapist clears each step against how the joint answers the one before.

  4. Weeks 8 to 12

    Impact and sport

    Running, jumping, and impact sport come back last, and gradually.

Take this to your first visit

A physical therapist near home is fine. They need three things from you.

  • Your discharge sheet. It sets the limits for your joint, and it comes before this guide.
  • Your treatment date, and which joint was injected.
  • The rules still running: no NSAIDs for at least the first two weeks, and no sauna or ice bath in the first 7 to 10 days.

Your region sets the pace Tendons and the shoulder move through these stages more slowly. The spine is usually about a week of soreness, then normal activity. The windows for your joint are in the sections below, and your discharge sheet has the last word. IV only, with no joint treated: no physical therapy is needed.

After a stem cell injection: the joints that carry you

Lower-body joints take your weight with every step, so the first 7 to 10 days are about staying off the joint. Keep activity very limited, then build back through physical therapy. Impact, depth, and distance come last. These windows assume the universal rules are being followed, especially no NSAIDs.

Knee

Intra-articular OA · meniscus · post-injury
Protected
7 to 10 days off the joint, with very limited activity. No deep squats, kneeling, or unnecessary stairs.
Green-lit
After the first 7 to 10 days: flat walking, gentle pain-free bend and straighten, and stationary cycling without resistance.
Hold off
Deep squats, lunges, and downhill loading for 4 to 6 weeks. Running and jumping until weeks 8 to 12.
Back to normal
Strengthening around week 3; full load at 6 to 8 weeks; impact and sport from week 8 to 12.

Hip

Intra-articular OA · labrum · image-guided
Protected
7 to 10 days off the joint, with very limited activity. The hip is deep; give it the same respect as the knee even if it feels fine.
Green-lit
After the first 7 to 10 days: level walking, easy standing, gentle hip flexion to a pain-free range. Change position often.
Hold off
Prolonged sitting over 45 minutes and end-range stretching for 4 to 6 weeks. Running and impact until weeks 8 to 12.
Back to normal
Light work after the first 7 to 10 days; longer walks build through weeks 3 to 4; full load at 6 to 8 weeks for most.

Foot & ankle

Ankle OA · plantar fascia · Achilles
Protected
7 to 10 days off the foot, with very limited activity. Tendon cases protect longer.
Green-lit
After the first 7 to 10 days: short flat walks in cushioned, supportive footwear; gentle ankle circles within comfort.
Hold off
Barefoot walking and high heels for 4 to 6 weeks. Running and jumping until weeks 8 to 12, Achilles and plantar cases included.
Back to normal
Progressive loading is the goal for tendons. A slow, graded return guided by symptoms, not the calendar.

Read together The single biggest mistake in weight-bearing recovery is doing too much, too soon, on a joint that feels fine in week one before the quiet stretch has fully passed. Your written discharge instructions set the exact limits for your case.

Reach, grip, and the spine

These joints aren't carrying your weight, so the protected window is about leverage and reach: overhead load, hard gripping, twisting and lifting, rather than standing or walking.

Shoulder

Rotator cuff · glenohumeral OA · biceps
Protected
7 to 10 days with the arm relaxed at your side. A sling is usually not needed; gentle motion is better.
Green-lit
Pendulum swings, elbow and wrist movement, pain-free reaching below shoulder height.
Hold off
Overhead reaching and lifting, heavy pushing or pulling, sleeping on the side for 4 to 6 weeks.
Back to normal
Guided range of motion from around week 2; strengthening from week 6; overhead load last, only once pain-free.

Hand & wrist

Thumb CMC · finger OA · tendinopathy
Protected
The hand is usable for light tasks within a day or two. Keep it light for 7 to 10 days. Splint only if instructed.
Green-lit
Typing, light daily tasks, gentle open and close of the fingers within comfort.
Hold off
Hard pinch and grip, jar-opening, heavy or repetitive gripping for 2 to 4 weeks.
Back to normal
Grip-strengthening from around week 4; ease back to full load as pain allows.

Spine, neck & back

Facet · disc · post-surgical
Protected
About a week of soreness is usual. No bed rest; gentle walking is the single best thing for the spine.
Green-lit
Frequent short walks, good posture, changing position often, pain-free gentle mobility.
Hold off
Heavy lifting, twisting under load, end-range bending, and prolonged sitting while the soreness lasts, usually about a week.
Back to normal
Normal activity once the soreness settles, usually after about a week. Physical therapy starts after the first 7 to 10 days.

Nerve note Nerve-driven pain is different. If your symptoms are radiating numbness, tingling, or weakness down an arm or leg rather than joint pain, flag it at follow-up. That pattern may need a different tool, and it changes what counts as a normal recovery. New weakness or numbness you did not have before is different: emergency care first, then us.

After a stem cell IV infusion

There is no procedure site to protect and no recovery room. IV recovery is entirely systemic. You walk out the same day, and the whole job of aftercare is to protect the signal and let the early days pass.

Longevity

Proactive maintenance · 45–70
Expect
Mild fatigue the same evening for some; sleep often improves first. Back to yourself by day 2. Nothing to immobilize.
Green-lit
Resume normal life immediately: work, travel, walking, light movement.
Hold off
Workouts, sauna, ice baths, and alcohol for 7 to 10 days; NSAIDs and anti-inflammatory supplements for at least two weeks.
Follow-up
Follow-up calls at 1 week, then at 1, 3 and 6 months, then once a year. Some patients report more energy in the first 2 weeks. Labs you get on your own can be passed to the medical team.

Recovery

Athlete · operator · high load
Expect
A heavier pull toward rest is common at high training load. Legs may feel flat for 2 to 3 days.
Green-lit
Walking, easy mobility, sleep. Hydrate aggressively; it eases the early fatigue measurably.
Hold off
All training, sauna, and ice baths for 7 to 10 days. Hard sessions, PR attempts, and contact for a week after that. Do not mask soreness with NSAIDs.
Return
Graded back to full volume across weeks 2 to 4. Let recovery markers, not the calendar, lead.

Post-event

After surgery · illness · long COVID
Expect
The gentlest curve. Fatigue can linger; watch for post-exertional malaise.
Green-lit
Pace and rest. Gentle daily activity kept inside a comfortable energy envelope.
Hold off
Pushing through fatigue, over-scheduling, and alcohol for 7 to 10 days. Do not chase a fast rebound.
Return
Slow and symptom-led. Coordinate any medication changes with your treating physician.

The systemic difference With no joint to guard, hydration is your single biggest lever in the first 7 to 10 days. If your IV was paired with a joint injection, follow your region's loading window too. See combined protocols for how the two stack.

Aftercare for neurologic and complex conditions

MS · dysautonomia · post-viral · post-stroke

Neurologic care is not a single procedure with a curve. It is an evaluation-first, systemic IV program followed through the first year and once a year after that. Response is slower, subtler, and never assumed.

What to expect at the follow-up calls

  1. Mo 3

    The 3-month call. After the calls at 1 week and 1 month, your patient coordinator or aftercare specialist reviews how you're doing; a physician joins when needed. Subtle change at most this early is expected, not a failure.

  2. Mo 6

    The 6-month review. An honest look at how you're doing against where you started, alongside any labs you have had done on your own. This review decides what happens next.

  3. Mo 12

    The year mark. The first of the yearly calls. Whether a further dose makes sense is decided at your follow-up reviews. It is never automatic.

Medications and your specialists

Keep your own doctors in the loop

  • Keep every neuro medication and disease-modifying therapy exactly as prescribed.
  • Change nothing without your treating specialist, not even on a good week.
  • We do not require your specialist's sign-off, and we give you your full records to share with them.
  • Dysautonomia: hold your hydration, salt, and compression routine; expect some transient fluctuation.

The first days after an IV

Same systemic care as the first 72 hours

  • Hydrate well and rest. A pull toward rest in the first 24 to 72 hours is common.
  • The universal rules still apply: no NSAIDs, easy movement, and no alcohol, sauna, or ice bath for 7 to 10 days.
  • Track symptoms in a simple daily line. Patterns over weeks matter more than any single day.

The line that matters most

MSC therapy here is an adjunct, not a replacement. Do not stop your disease-modifying therapy or neuro medications. The cells work alongside your existing care, never instead of it.

When your case is more than one thing

Many patients are treated on both sides, in more than one place, or with a systemic IV the same day. The rules don't change. They stack.

  1. Bilateral, both sides treated.

    Both joints are in their protected window at once, so you have no good side to lean on. Plan for slower mobility, more help at home, and a deeper fatigue dip in week one.

  2. Multi-region, for example knee plus shoulder.

    Follow the most conservative window that applies to any joint treated. Stage your return; bring back one region at a time rather than testing everything at once.

  3. Combined IV and joint injection.

    The local rules for your joint still apply, and the IV adds a stronger systemic response. Expect more fatigue and a flu-like feeling for 24 to 72 hours. Hydrate harder than a joint-only patient.

  4. Autoimmune or inflammatory overlay.

    If you have an autoimmune condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, adjust immunomodulators only as your physician directs and watch for flare patterns. Report changes promptly; these cases are followed more closely.

  5. Previously operated joints.

    Hardware, scar tissue, and altered anatomy mean a more conservative window and a slower, gentler return.

What stacks up

More treated, more response

  • Bigger fatigue dip. More cells and more sites means a stronger week-one systemic response.
  • Slower mobility. Two protected joints take longer to move around than one.
  • More at-home support for the first 7 to 10 days is worth arranging in advance.

What does not change

The rules still hold

  • No NSAIDs, still the rule, across every site treated.
  • No pushing through joint pain; pain is still the governor on each joint.
  • No second program elsewhere during the quiet stretch.

The simple heuristic

When more than one thing was treated, follow the strictest window of all of them, give yourself an extra day of rest, and bring activity back one joint at a time.

Follow-up, and when to call us

Follow-up, the same for every track

  • Joint

    Follow-up calls at 1 week, then at 1, 3 and 6 months, then once a year, reading pain, function, and what you can do again. Whether a second treatment makes sense is decided at these reviews.

    1 wk, 1, 3, 6 mo, yearly

  • IV

    The same calls: 1 week, then 1, 3 and 6 months, then once a year. The 6-month review decides what happens next. Labs you get on your own can be passed to the medical team.

    1 wk, 1, 3, 6 mo, yearly

  • Neuro

    The same calls: 1 week, then 1, 3 and 6 months, then once a year. A physician joins when needed. A second dose is decided at review, never automatic.

    1 wk, 1, 3, 6 mo, yearly

You're not on your own

Your patient coordinator or aftercare specialist makes every follow-up call, by phone or video, and a physician joins when needed. Between calls, they're the people to reach.

What is normal, and what isn't

Call your patient coordinator or your aftercare specialist if any of these appear. They're not part of the curve.

  • A fever that lasts

    A slight fever the evening after treatment is common, especially after an IV. If a fever lasts more than 24 hours, call.

  • Chest pain or breathlessness

    Any chest pain or new shortness of breath, especially in the first 72 hours. Emergency care first, then us. A calf that turns swollen and painful is a call the same day.

  • Hot, spreading redness

    Redness or warmth at an injection or IV site after the first 24 hours, or any discharge. Tell us right away.

  • A hot or worsening joint

    A treated joint that is red or hot after the first 24 hours, or swelling and pain that keep climbing. Tell us right away. Some swelling is common, because the tissue around the joint is treated too, and the 7 to 10 days of rest are what settle it.

  • Worsening past week 4

    Real, escalating decline into month two, not the quiet stretch. Rare, but worth a call.

  • New neurological signs

    New numbness, weakness, vision change, or confusion: emergency care first, then us. After a spine injection, numbness or tingling you already had may shift or move to one side. That is common, and it can wait for your follow-up call.

How to reach us For anything urgent, call local emergency services first, then notify Celva once you are stable. For everything else, call your patient coordinator or your aftercare specialist.

The recovery is yours to protect

Follow the universal rules, respect your track's window, and let the curve do its work. The patients who get the best result are almost always the ones who knew the shape of recovery before it started.

Back to Experience

Celva · Hospital Angeles, Tijuana · Physician-led regenerative medicine

This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation. Your written discharge instructions take precedence. Individual results may vary. These therapies are not FDA-approved. All treatment is performed in Mexico by licensed physicians at Hospital Angeles, Tijuana, regulated by COFEPRIS. © 2026 Celva.