While there is no cure for cerebral palsy, treatment from umbilical cord blood stem cells can offer relief and hope to the patients and their family members.
Cerebral palsy affects about 500,000 children in the United States alone. Cerebral palsy is a disorder caused by brain tissue abnormalities or damage to the brain during pregnancy, delivery, or shortly after birth. Cerebral palsy may not be noticeable up to two years after birth. Muscle weakness, muscle spasticity, and uncontrolled movements are characteristic of cerebral palsy, (CP). Speech impairment and movement dysfunction are also common. Stem cell treatments have been observed in numerous studies to improve the symptoms of patients suffering from cerebral palsy.
Science remains skeptical that stem cells will ever completely cure cerebral palsy. Most current stem cell therapy research is focused on reducing or eliminating debilitating physical effects of CP. Some research is currently focused on finding ways to use stem cells to prevent brain damage before it even starts.
When a form of injury occurs in the perinatal brain, various neuro-motor deficiencies can occur in the child. These injuries could be caused by a multitude of factors, including premature birth, lack of oxygen, lack of nutritional support during fetal development, infections in the uterus and genetic aberrations. While there are numerous potential causes of CP, all cases experience similar, debilitative motor functions and visual impairments.
In cases of cerebral palsy, or a brain injury in a developing child, the resident brain cells are unable to promote proper development of and growth of the brain. The corticospinal tract (CST) that connects the spinal cord to the brain’s motor function center is usually damaged. Neurons die or fail to mature while the white matter tracts that connect various regions of the brain will often fail to mature.
Stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine can produce dramatic results within hours
Regenerative stem cell therapy attempts to replace and repair the damaged, non-functional areas of the brain affected by perinatal injury. Research has shown that stem cell treatments can help restore some brain function to patients by repairing neurons and oligodendrocytes.
In recent years, a number of major universities including Duke University have announced plans to carry out clinical studies on the use of umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells to treat cerebral palsy. Long before these announcements, Dr. David Steenblock has been advising and working with physicians in Mexico who were administering pure umbilical cord stem cell treatments to children with CP.
As a true pioneer of stem cell therapy, Dr. Steenblock’s work showed positive results. His work includes a study where five children with “cortical blindness” whose conditions resolved following cord blood stem cell treatments. In 2004-5, a formal study was conducted in Mexico which showed the safety and efficacy of this type of stem cell therapy. The results of this preliminary study suggested that umbilical cord stem cells could be a safe and promising treatment for children with CP. The research showed that human umbilical cord stem cells injected into the adipose tissue open up the blood-brain barrier, stimulating neurological repair.
Most parents when looking for treatment for their child with cerebral palsy are quickly discouraged because they do not want to travel to Mexico or China to receive stem cell treatment. Yet, there is an alternative for many who suffer from CP. In 2010, Dr. Steenblock began administering an FDA-compliant bone marrow stem cell treatment. Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) can be administered to patients using an intravenous (IV) drip.
This treatment has helped many, showing significant improvements in walking, moving arms and one patient named Emily, was able to move her toes for the first time ever. While treatment has shown to significantly improve various bodily and cognitive functions, more research and additional study is necessary.
With each case of cerebral palsy being essentially unique, understanding the causes, implications and treatments of this disability can be difficult. Stem cell treatments have been shown to be safe with no graft versus host symptoms reported. Furthermore, as research suggests, the stem cell treatments work best when accompanied with other forms of physical therapy.
With the most innovative technology in the health care field available today, Dr. Steenblock and the specialists at Personalized Regenerative Medicine are focused on creating the most effective programs for the body to heal itself. Located in San Clemente, California, our work speaks for itself. We believe the body comes equipped with everything it needs to promote self-healing and recovery from various ailments, including children who suffer from cerebral palsy.
Stem cell treatments for cerebral palsy are a relatively new form of therapy that is still very much in the research stage. Dr. David Steenblock has been researching stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine for decades. An osteopathic physician and stem cell expert, Dr. Steenblock has helped thousands of patients overcome various debilitating conditions. Find out more about our regenerative medical therapy today. Or call us to schedule an appointment:
(949) 367-8870
