Stem Cells: How Can They Help with Spinal Cord Injury?

The human spine is a complex structure — 33 stacked and interlocked bones surrounding an intricate system of nerves that controls everything from your posture to your reflexes. 

This bundle of nerves is the spinal cord, which has two very important jobs:

• Connecting the peripheral nervous system (all the nerves and ganglia that are not part of the brain or spinal cord) to the brain

• Being a command center for spinal reflexes

But because this organ is so important to the way we function, even the smallest Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) can have a catastrophic effect. However, the symptoms can be treated through a combination of therapies, including physical therapy and stem cell therapy. Here’s what you need to know when you consider stem cell therapy treatment of spinal cord injury. 

What are SCIs?

SCIs are damage caused to the spinal cord or to the nerves at the end of the spinal cord, usually through a physical stressor or traumatic event. They can be caused by a variety of incidents including:

• Motor vehicle accidents

• Falls

• Sports injuries

• Diseases such as cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, and inflammation of the spinal cord

It can be extremely painful, adversely affecting mobility. It is also characterized by one or more of the following:

• Extreme back pain or pressure in your neck, head, or back

• Weakness, lack of coordination, or paralysis in any part of the body

• Numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation in your hands, feet, or extremities

• Loss of bladder or bowel control

• Difficulty balancing or walking

SCIs can fall into one of two categories, complete and incomplete. 

Complete SCIs makeup about 50% of cases, and cause total loss of motor function. On the other hand, incomplete SCIs allow for partial movement. For example, a patient with incomplete SCI may be able to move one arm or leg and not the other. 

Both categories cause motor issues that may or may not be reversible, but with the right treatment, people who suffer from the condition can learn to mitigate the symptoms. That’s where stem cell therapy comes in.

What is stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy is a revolutionary way to treat a variety of conditions from autism to frozen shoulder. It involves the injection of stem cells into the affected area to replenish and rejuvenate the body at the cellular level. Stem cells are blank slates when they are created, which means that they have the potential to become whatever type of cell the body needs at the time — whether that’s a blood cell or a brain cell. 

Stem cell therapy harnesses this ability and directs it towards areas of the body that need to be healed and repaired. It uses adult autologous stem cells — cells taken from the patient’s bone marrow — and is a safe, non-surgical procedure, and a good clinic will run several tests to ensure this therapy is the right choice for the patient. In recent years, stem cell therapy in the treatment of spinal cord injuries has become a strong choice for many patients.

How can stem cell therapy help with SCI’s?

One of the major issues with SCI’s is the continuous effect of the damaged cells on your body. These damaged cells become inflamed and often release toxins that can further harm the nerve cells around it and slowly make the problems worse. SCI-affected cells tend to cause the most damage to myelin sheaths of surrounding neurons — the supporting cells that wrap and insulate neurons. As the myelin sheath degrades it can cause otherwise functional neurons to die. 

Stem cells can halt this degradation process. They can mitigate the damage caused by the SCI, both in the affected area and to the surrounding cells. Stem cells have regenerative properties that can bolster the surrounding cells and repair them before they’re irreversibly degraded. They can also replace injured cells, limit cell death, and stimulate the growth of existing cells — taking patients one step closer to living vibrant and fulfilling lives.

Spinal cord injuries can have a drastic effect on your life — but they are not insurmountable. In many cases patients will regain the ability to walk, and control over their muscles. The journey towards a better life with SCI begins with the right kind of treatment. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and therapeutic massages can all be part of your regenerative process— as well as newer procedures such as stem cell therapy. Be sure to speak to your doctor and explore the benefits of stem cell therapy in the treatment of spinal cord injury today.