Stem Cell Treatment For Cerebral Palsy: Coping With Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis

CP or Cerebral Palsy is the name given to movement disorders. These disorders start to affect a child within first 2 or 3 years of his or her life. Symptoms of the disease include stiff and weak muscles, poor coordination and tremors. Apart from these, there are also problems associated with vision, sensation, speaking and swallowing.

CP can be caused by brain injury, gene defects, and birth-related abnormalities such as pre-term birth, infections, and other causes. Among various options for treatment, stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy is preferred due to its success rate.

Diagnosis

A physical examination can help diagnose the symptoms of cerebral palsy. Assessment of general body movements that measure spontaneous movements provides for early detection of CP. Sometimes Neuroimaging measures like MRI or CT scan are used to establish a clear cause of CP. The Neuro-imaging measures can also detect the other treatable conditions, for instance, Subdural Hematomas and Porencephaly among others. Other conditions such as intellectual disability and epilepsy can be found out using Neuro-imaging.

Reaching Out For Therapy, Care and Support

Parents need to ensure that they maintain good physical, mental and spiritual strength and fitness. Their better moods and health aspects help them and the child to face the situation with more ease and confidence.

CP can be treated now with a number of therapies and different ways.

These include:

Seizure Medication:

If the child suffers from CP related seizures, the medications can bring in fast and effective control.

Spasticity Medication:

The stiff and tight muscles of the CP affected child can also be improved through surgical processes and medications. Baclofen and Valium are some of the drugs used for controlling spasticity.

Surgery:

Surgery is used for treating spasticity, for correcting eye movements and for seizure control.

Physical Therapy:

Physical therapy prevents contractures and maintains the joint movements. Physical therapy also improves balance, stance, and gait.

Occupational Therapy:

The aim of occupational therapy is to impart necessary skills to the children affected by CP so that they can be more independent in carrying out their daily life functions. Children learn the writing, eating and work skills, among other skills when they undergo occupational therapy.

Speech Therapy:

The speech therapists use different kinds of measures and techniques so that the child can have higher quality of speech production, and can learn the verbal articulation techniques.

Stem Cell Therapy:

Stem cell treatment for Cerebral Palsy is the newest method of treating CP. Stem cell therapy comes closest to treating the disease fully, as it addresses the root cause of CP. Stem cells are found in all mammals. They are self renewal types of cells, and differentiate to form the specialized cells like neural cells. Stem cells are derived from bone marrow and other body sources for transplantation and treatment purposes. These are then processed in the lab and transplanted into the body of the CP patient. The cells then migrate to the affected areas of the brain subsequently and initiate damage control and repair processes. They establish new neuronal brain maps so that the CP affected child can learn new things. Stem cells also enhance oxygen flow to the injury affected areas of the brain and help reduce the rate of cell death.

Stem cell therapy for autism in India, and for other neurological disorders like CP and Dementia among others, is being provided at a premier healthcare institution, the NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute (located in Mumbai, Maharashtra).

The author is an expert in the field of stem cell research & therapy. The writer has a flair for writing and she keeps on writing various articles and blogs related to industry.