Stroke

The term “stroke” refers to an interruption in blood flow to a part of the brain. When this is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel that supplies blood to part of the brain it is called an “ischemic stroke.” When blood flow is compromised due to a rupture in a blood vessel this is termed a “hemorrhagic stroke.” In either instance brain damage is done when the flow of blood and oxygen is compromised or lost for more than a short interval of time. As such, getting medical intervention to restore normal circulation is crucial.

Medicine recognizes two major types of stroke called “ischemic stroke” and “hemorrhagic stroke.”

Ischemic stroke takes place when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked by a blood clot. This happens in some in stances due to clogged arteries (atherosclerosis) which leads to clot formation. These clots also sometimes form in the heart or other parts of the body.

There are specific drugs and health conditions can make your blood more likely to clot. In people under age 40 clots sometimes happen as a result of physiologic events that occur after a tear in the lining of the carotid artery happens (Carotid dissection)

On the other hand, hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in part of the brain becomes weak and bursts. This happens for a variety of reasons including the impact of uncontrolled hypertension on blood vessels in the brain that have a built-in weakness or defect.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is but one risk factor for strokes. Others include genetics (family history of stroke), heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and atrial fibrillation. Smoking and use of birth control pills by women can make blood clot formation more likely.

Stroke Symptoms

The symptoms of a stroke depend on which part of the brain is damaged. In many instances symptoms appear suddenly and without warning and are worse during onset.

Among the symptoms associate with stroke are:

A sudden severe headache that takes place while lying flat and gets worse with changing positions or bending over or even coughing (If asleep the sufferer may be awakened by the headache.)

Trouble speaking (slurred or garbled speech) or understanding others who are speaking
Dizziness or abnormal sensation of movement such as vertigo (Loss of balance or coordination). Clumsiness too. Trouble walking.
Weakness in one side of the body such as face, arm, or leg
Numbness or tingling on one side of the body
Confusion or loss of memory
Change in alertness
Changes in hearing or taste
Decreased or double vision, total loss of vision or other vision issues
Difficulty swallowing, writing or reading
Bladder or bowel control problems
Sudden changes in personality, mood, or emotional
Problems with touch perception, i.e., the ability to feel pain, pressure, different temperatures, or other things

Emergency Intervention

A stroke is a genuine medical emergency and immediate treatment is needed to save life & limb and reduce disability.

In instance in which the stroke is caused by a blood clot, a clot-busting drug may be given to dissolve it. Other forms of intervention are contingent on the cause of the stroke:

Blood thinners such as heparin, aspiring or Plavix® may be used to treat strokes due to blood clots.
In cases of hemorrhagic stroke, surgery is often required to remove blood from around the brain and to repair damaged blood vessels.

Going beyond conventional to the extraordinary

Dr. David Steenblock has treated over 2000 stroke patients using daily hyperbaric oxygen and other modalities. He has seen incredible turnarounds in acute stroke and notable improvements in people 10 years or more after a stroke. In addition and perhaps most exciting of all is the fact Dr. Steenblock and his medical team has now incorporated the use of various types of stem cells in combination with the successful stroke treatments he has pioneered since 1991. Dr. Steenblock has, in fact, pioneered a method of flooding the stroke patient with millions of their own stem cells daily over a one, two or three week period of time. The utility of such large numbers is the outgrowth of something Dr. Steenblock observed which can be summarized thusly: When it comes to the SUCCESSFUL use of stem cells it is vital to use the greatest number of healthiest stem cells obtainable for as long as possible while simultaneously doing everything possible to get the cells into the areas of previous damage.

For patients who are able to get to Dr. Steenblock within two weeks of their stroke, he has found that two bone marrow treatments can produce a dramatic improvement when combined with the daily use of hyperbaric oxygen, external counterpulsation, pulsed electromagnetic therapy to the back of the head (which increases blood flow to the upper parts of the brain), brain growth factors, nutritional iv’s, and periodic acceleration therapy. These work in tandem to help move stem cells into the damaged parts of the brain and bolster the growth and activity of the stem cells in the damaged tissues so repair can start immediately. Dr. Steenblock recommends that both acute & chronic stroke patients spend a minimum of TWO TO THREE weeks and preferably six weeks doing therapy in order to increase their odds of obtaining maximum results.

Dr. Steenblock notes that “This combination of synergistic therapies is remarkably good when used soon after a stroke since the blood brain barrier is still damaged and open which makes it easy for stem cells to migrate into damaged areas of the brain while at the same time hyperbaric oxygen is helping remove the swelling which also bolsters the ability of stem cells to get into the brain.”

As you might expect the brain begins to heal the disrupted blood-brain-barrier two to three weeks after a stroke which creates a barrier that stem cells have to negotiate in order to reach damaged tissues. Dr. Steenblock and others have found that the younger and more vigorous the stem cells are, the greater the penetration and the better the clinical outcome. Unfortunately most people who have a stroke are older individuals whose stem cells need some “rejuvenation” in order to be able to penetrate the re-established blood-brain-barrier.

Dr. Steenblock has found that in persons over age forty (40) bone marrow stem cells are “lazy” and not very good at moving through the re-established blood-brain-barrier compared to the stem cells of a younger person. These old, lazy or devitalized bone marrow stem cells can be removed from the bone marrow by moving them out into the blood stream using a stem cell mobilizing agent called “Neupogen” (Filgrastim.) Dr. Steenblock has established that the use of Neupogen for at least five consecutive days will mobilize the lazy stem cells into the blood stream leaving behind stem cells that have not previously been as active. By getting rid of the stem cells that sit atop the relatively “underutilized” bone marrow stem cells they (the “new” stem cells) begin to multiply very rapidly – so much so that in two weeks time the bone marrow is filled to the brim with up to ten (10) times more healthy and vigorous stem cells than was true before. This, of course, helps better insure optimal results!

In addition to the use of Neupogen, an older method of opening up the blood-brain-barrier to allow the stem cells into the damaged stroke tissue is also employed. This is the intravenous use of the FDA approved drug mannitol at least one hour prior to giving stem cell-rich bone marrow. Mannitol is a simple sugar that opens the blood-brain-barrier and keeps it open for a few hours afterwards. Following administration of mannitol, Dr. Steenblock takes bone marrow from the patient’s hip or leg bone using a local anesthetic (and if needed other pain medications so little to no pain is felt) and then immediately and directly infuses this into the blood stream (which then carries the stem cells through the opened blood-brain-barrier into the damaged brain tissues.) During such a treatment 100 to 1000 million stem cells are injected into the blood stream. Ideally, this treatment is repeated once or twice each week for two weeks during which time Neupogen is also given daily to move more of these fresh, “newer” stem cells into the patient’s circulation on a continuous basis. Neupogen helps the newer stem cells that are being put into the circulation multiply and grow to a degree that is not seen when it (Neupogen) is not used. The general or basic program thus consists of:

1) A pretreatment phase for chronic stroke sufferers. These patients must have their own doctor give 5 daily injections of Neupogen that end two weeks before they come to Dr. Steenblock’s Clinic.

2) Once a patient is in residence for treatment at Dr. Steenblock’s Clinic: He or she gets two bone marrow treatments each week of their one or two week program.

3) Brain derived growth factors, human growth hormone, and stem cell activating agents are given daily five days a week for the two week period to “ACTIVATE” the stem cells, i.e., makes them much more aggressive in terms of getting them to migrate into the brain to fix damaged tissues. These agents also stimulate the growth and multiplication of the stem cells both in the blood and the brain.

4) In addition the patient receives daily hyperbaric oxygen, external counterpulsation, intravenous therapies and functional electric stimulation. Periodic acceleration therapy (PAT) may be used instead of external counterpulsation (ECP) if the patient cannot tolerate or undergo ECP. This treatment is much like riding a horse as ECP and PAT stimulate the production of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and adenosine, both of which enhance the growth and vigor of circulating stem cells, and promotes their migration into damaged brain tissues. These therapeutic agents also stimulate the formation of new blood vessels in the stroke damaged brain. These newly forming capillaries bring more blood to these tissues which helps restore normal functioning in the damaged brain. Results are expected to be noticeable during the two weeks of treatment though most results take anywhere from three to six months to be manifest.

Support for using HBOT to treat stroke

Dr. Steenblock’s Clinic Study – Stroke Patient Responses (50 patients treated with HBOT, Physical Therapy & Biofeedback)

CLICK TO ACCESS STUDY SUMMARY

Support for using stem cells for acute & chronic stroke

Bone Marrow Stromal Stem Cells May Aid in Stroke Recovery (Science Daily December 1, 2010)

A research study from the Farber Institute for Neurosciences and the Department of Neuroscience at Thomas Jefferson University determines bone marrow stromal stem cells may aid in stroke recovery. The results can be found in Cell Transplantation — The Regenerative Medicine Journal.

The study examining the effects of a systematic administration of either rat (allogenic) or human (xenogenic) bone marrow stem cells (MSC) administered to laboratory rats one day after their simulated strokes found “significant recovery” of motor behavior on the first day. Early administration was found to be more effective than administration seven days after the simulated strokes.

Human umbilical cord stem cells can reduce infarct size and improve function in a rat model for stroke.

Advantages of human cord blood cells in CNS injuries and disorders

Greater long term improvement with intravenous delivery to the femoral vein

Cord blood cells improve recovery in rat models for stroke

Mesenchymal cells may be beneficial to stroke recovery

Umbilical Cord Stem Cells and Stroke Treatment (Steenblock Research Institute)

ASA: Fat Stem Cells Repair Stroke Damage in Rats

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells markedly attenuate brain infarct size and improve neurological function in rats

Comparison of mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue and bone marrow for ischemic stroke therapy. Ikegame Y, Yamashita K, Hayashi S, Mizuno H, Tawada M, You F, Yamada K, Tanaka Y, Egashira Y, Nakashima S, Yoshimura S, Iwama T. Cytotherapy. 2011 Jul;13(6):675-85. Epub 2011 Jan 13.

Functional recovery after hematic administration of allogenic mesenchymal stem cells in acute ischemic stroke in rats. Gutiérrez-Fernández M, Rodríguez-Frutos B, Alvarez-Grech J, Vallejo-Cremades MT, Expósito-Alcaide M, Merino J, Roda JM, Díez-Tejedor E. Neuroscience. 2011 Feb 23;175:394-405. Epub 2010 Dec 7.

FDA APPROVED CLINICAL STUDIES:

Intravenous Stem Cells after Ischemic Stroke (ISIS) – Clinical study recruiting

Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cells in Middle Cerebral Artery Acute Stroke Treatment – Clinical study recruiting

EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS – HYPERBARIC OXYGEN FOR STROKE, BONE MARROW STEM CELLS, UMBILICAL CORD STEM CELLS, ETC.

http://www.strokedoctor.com/clinic-videos

PATIENT VIDEOS (Dr. Steenblock’s Clinic):

Joe Beschen tells his story of coming back for a major stroke thanks to Dr. Steenblock and HBOT, etc.

PATIENT TESTIMONIALS

http://www.stemcellmd.org/?cat=114