A clinic that uses patients’ own stem cells to treat a variety of degenerative conditions has opened an office in Wilmington.

Austin Yeargan, a former orthopedic surgeon, established the Regenerative Medicine Clinic of Wilmington in February after running Wrightsville Beach Sports Medicine for a year. The new clinic occupies 1,064 square feet of space at 5725 Oleander Drive, Suite E4. The space previously housed Head to Toe Day Spa.

The location is a good one for the clinic, Nicole Turley, a patient advocate with the facility, said Friday. It is a central location and complementary health care providers, such as chiropractors, physical therapists and acupuncturists, are nearby, making referrals easy, she added.

Over the past several years, Yeargan has focused his clinical interest on regenerative medicine and the development of non-surgical interventions for a broad range of orthopedic problems, according to the clinic’s website. He has partnered with Austin, Texas-based Celling Biosciences to design better equipment to help the body heal itself.

The therapy consists basically of extracting stem cells and growth factors from the patient’s blood and injecting them into the affected joint. The stem cells will form into the appropriate cells and will attract other stems cells to the area, helping the healing process, according to Turley.

“Stem cells can establish themselves in the body as bone, connective tissue or even adipose tissue,” she said. “This non-surgical option can help regenerate bone, cartilage and connective tissue and can be prayers answered for those with joint, shoulder or hip pain.”

The therapy can help people avoid or postpone orthopedic surgery, treat post-surgical pain or strengthen the degenerated area prior to surgery, Turley added.