Advanced Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury in India
Spinal Cord Injury is one of the most common causes of long-term disability and this could also temporarily or permanently lead to loss of sensation, mobility issues, or difficulty in bowel movements.
Stem cell therapy in India provides a one-stop cost-effective solution for faster recovery and better therapeutic outcomes.
Key Takeaways: Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury in India
- What are the causes, symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments available for spinal cord injuries in India?
- Stem cell therapy is a new treatment option for SCI patients which involves using stem cells to regenerate damaged nerve tissue thereby enabling the recovery of movement, sensation, and other functions.
- Procedures used when administering stem cell therapy on patients suffering from spinal cord injuries – their success rates and costs involved.
- India is a popular destination for affordable stem cell therapy for SCI.
- What are the different types of conventional treatments that are used to treat spinal cord injury?
What is Spinal Cord Injury?
The term Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) means any damage to the spinal cord that can be caused accidentally by major or minor falls or non-accidentally caused because of tumors, birth defects, or any other health conditions.
The after-effects of a spinal cord injury depend on the severity of the injury caused and the location of the spine that has been affected.
SCI can lead to complete or incomplete loss of bodily functions from the point below the injury level. It can make simple daily activities like walking or using a toilet difficult.
If you possess a spinal cord injury near the neck which may typically cause paralysis throughout a larger part of the body than that of one in the lower back area
If the SCI is not managed appropriately on time, it can lead to other defects in the body functions causing an early death.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SPINAL CORD INJURY (SCI)?
The spinal cord is divided into cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral & coccyx.
Every section of the spinal cord protects different groups of nerves that control the various parts of the body’s functionality.
Spinal cord injury severity depends upon which section of the spine is injured.
Spinal cord injuries are of two types:
Complete:
Spinal cord complete injury causes total paralysis (loss of function) below the injury. There is no sensation and no movement below the injury level, affecting both sides of the body.
It may cause paralysis of all four limbs (Neck down, including the trunk, legs, and arms) or the lower half of the body (paraplegia – paralysis of the legs and lower body).
Incomplete (Partial):
After an incomplete injury, some function remains on either side of the body. The person with incomplete spinal cord injury may be able to feel body parts but not move or may have function more than other parts of the body.
Now that you know exactly what a Spinal cord Injury is, let’s understand the probable reasons for causing SCI.
What are the Causes of Spinal Cord Injury?
The reason for causing a spinal cord injury can be divided into parts. These are:
Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury:
A traumatic spinal cord injury occurs from a sudden, traumatic blow to your spine that fractures, dislocates, crushes, or compresses one or more of your vertebrae. This includes:
- Motor vehicle accidents.
- Falls.
- Gunshot wounds.
- Knife wound that cuts your spinal cord.
- Sports injuries.
Non-Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury:
Any major trauma does not cause a nontraumatic spinal cord injury. Some of the causes of Non-traumatic spine injuries are:
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Inflammation
- Infections
- Disk degeneration of the spine
Knowing only about the causes of SCI is not enough. Let us know what could be the risk-associated factors for causing SCI.
What are the risk factors for spinal cord injury?
The risk factors for causing SCI can be:
How common is a Spinal Cord Injury?
Injuries to the spinal cord are rare but one of the most common reasons for causing long-term disability. Worldwide, between 250,000 and 500,000 occur annually.
Approximately 78% of individuals born with a new SCI are designated as male. Most cases of SCI reported were of middle-aged men.
Trauma-associated spinal cord Injuries were the most reported cases worldwide.
Let us now see what are the common symptoms observed in Spinal cord Injury cases.
What are the symptoms of a spinal cord injury?
One can see the following symptoms in the case of a SCI:
- Loss of movement and muscle weakness
- Loss of sensation, such as the ability to feel heat, cold, and touch
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms
- Changes in sexual functionality, sensitivity, and fertility
- Pain caused by damaged spinal cord nerve fibers
- Difficulty breathing, coughing, or clearing secretions from your lungs
- Unusual lumps along the spine
- Difficulty breathing
Additionally, one can look for the following symptoms in case of an emergency.
Emergency Symptoms:
The following emergency symptoms must be checked carefully and managed to avoid unforeseeable circumstances.
- Extreme back pain or pressure in the neck, head, or back.
- Weakness, incoordination, or loss of control in any part of the body.
- Numbness, tingling, or loss of feeling in the hands, fingers, feet, or toes.
- Loss of bladder or bowel control.
- Trouble with balance and walking.
- Trouble breathing after injury.
- A twisted neck or back.
When to see a Doctor?
If you have an injury on your neck or head, you might need immediate medical attention. This is essential because:
- If you have a spinal cord injury that goes unnoticed, it can make conditions worse.
- Numbness or paralysis can happen quickly or gradually.
- The time between the trauma and the treatment can be critical.
Let’s understand the series of tests involved in diagnosing a spinal cord injury
How are spinal cord injuries diagnosed?
A doctor first makes sure if the spinal cord injury has affected your breathing or heart rate in an emergency. Then they check the movement and nerve functioning:
- Motor function: The doctor will check your ability to move parts of your body.
- Sensory function: The doctor will check your ability to feel touch.
To find out the damaging impact, the physician will perform specific imaging tests:
- CT scan: CT Scan is performed to check any broken bones, blood clots, or blood vessel damage.
- MRI: MRI is performed to check the spinal cord or soft tissues.
- X-ray: X-ray is performed to check broken bones or dislocations.
Now that you have understood the diagnosis part, let’s move ahead with common conventional therapies for spinal cord injury.
What are the conventional treatment options for spinal cord injury in India?
Spinal cord injury, which is a primary medical condition that requires on-the-spot medical care to curtail its long-term repercussions and also to get the best results from the subsequent therapy, conventional treatment, such as surgical and rehabilitation, are the usual options available. This kind of approach addresses the physical, mental, and social aspects of the SCI patient.
If you suspect that someone has a back or neck injury:
- Stabilize the movement of the injured person
- Call the local medical emergency for help
- Hold the head and neck of the injured person to prevent them from moving until the emergency medical assistance arrives
- Provide basic first aid, such as stopping the bleeding, and making the person comfortable
In Emergency cases, the doctor focuses on:
- Maintaining your ability to breathe
- Preventing shock
- Restrict your neck movement to prevent further spinal cord damage
- Avoiding possible complications, respiratory or cardiovascular difficulty, and formation of deep vein blood clots in the extremities
The goal of the doctor in this case will be to immobilize the spine and prevent any further spinal cord damage.
A trauma-related spinal cord injury is specifically treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting based on the severity of the injury.
Treating methods involve: