Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common physical disabilities affecting children. It causes a wide range of symptoms, including difficulty walking and loss of coordination. Recent research suggests that stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy might help to relieve these symptoms and improve the quality of life of children.
This article discussed the indications and contraindications for stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy, as well as the expected outcomes of the treatment.
What Is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disabilities affecting the physical and mental health of a child or adult. The disabilities are attributed to perinatal brain injuries. This means the condition develops as a result of a child’s brain being injured during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
Premature birth, inadequate nutrition during fetal development, uterine infection, lack of oxygen during childbirth, and genetic mutations are just a few of the complex inter-playing factors that contribute to CP.
When an injury occurs to the developing brain due to these factors during the critical perinatal period, the brain cells cannot grow and develop normally. As a result, neurons and other cells, including oligodendrocytes, fail to mature and die.
In addition, white matter tracts that connect different brain regions are also damaged. Damage also occurs to the corticospinal tract (CST), which controls movement by connecting specific brain regions to the spinal cord.
The motor deficits reported in patients with cerebral palsy are the result of the loss of these functional CST connections and the death of neurons, or oligodendrocytes.
Regardless of the cause, cerebral palsy cell damage eventually results in neuro-motor deficits, which frequently go hand in hand with other neurological symptoms like cognitive or visual impairments.
Get a free online consultation
Contact us to learn about the expected results of the treatment, its cost and duration.
Medical Advisor, Swiss Medica doctor
What Is Stem Cell Therapy and How Can It Help Cerebral Palsy Patients?
Stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy involves retrieving stem cells from the body of a donor and infusing them into the patient’s body. Following that, they migrate to damaged and inflamed areas of the body and begin producing growth factors and adhesion molecules, which regulate cell interactions at the molecular level.
Studies are in the very early stages of evaluating the safety and efficacy of therapy with stem cells for cerebral palsy. Fortunately, the latest research has provided evidence showing the positive outcomes of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in children and young adults with this condition.
Stem cell research on cerebral palsy has revealed that this treatment might help restore some brain function in these patients. Neural stem cell transplants are expected to work by activating neural stem cells. This could help repair and replace the damaged neurons, oligodendrocytes, and other brain cells.
Preliminary research also suggests that mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to release substances that support healing mechanisms in the brain.
These benefits of stem cell transplants for cerebral palsy are expected to relieve the symptoms of this condition and allow patients to perform their routine activities with greater ease.
Indications and Contraindications
Medical professionals use a variety of methods to treat cerebral palsy, and stem cell therapy is one of the most innovative and promising. It aims to replace non-functional or damaged brain cells with stem cells capable of activating the brain’s own stem cell pool and regenerative capacity.
Stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy is a type of regenerative medicine that promotes the healing of damaged cells while also preserving the function of healthy neurons and oligodendrocytes.
Although more research is needed to understand the role of stem cells in cerebral palsy, clinical trials suggest that stem cell therapy may be indicated for those with mild to moderate impairment of brain functions, with or without motor deficits. It is also indicated for restoring the functional efficiency of the brain to allow patients to carry out their routine task without much difficulty.
Cerebral Palsy Stem Cells Treatment Program in Swiss Medica Clinic
The cerebral palsy treatment with stem cells at Swiss Medica Clinic involves educating the patients and their families about the indications and contraindications of stem cell therapy to help them make informed decisions.
This program includes detailed tests and examinations of the patient’s health condition and history, retrieving stem cells from a donor’s body and infusing them into the patient’s body, and follow-up procedures. The primary goal of stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy is to restore brain function of cerebral palsy patients.
As a part of this program, patients can talk to our experts and discuss their concerns about the therapy. Patients can also discuss the improvement they can expect from the therapy and what they can do to get better results. Although, it’s important to remember that there’s no stem cell cure for cerebral palsy.
Stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy in a child is not applied at Swiss Medica clinic.
The Advantages of Our Treatment System
Stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy offers several advantages, some of which include:
- Cerebral palsy stem cell trials have revealed that stem cells have neuroprotective properties, which can help protect the neurons from further damage. This might help inhibit the progression of cerebral palsy.
- Stem cells exert anti-inflammatory effects, thus lowering neuronal damage associated with inflammation.
- The regenerative potential of stem cells can restore the structural integrity of the brain tissues, allowing the brain to function normally.
- This therapy is considered safe. It usually does not cause any serious side effects.
- The improvement in brain functions can improve the patient’s quality of life.
At Swiss Medica, our stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy offers numerous advantages that set us apart from other providers.
For patients, we offer a free, no-obligation online consultation with experienced doctors who can answer questions and provide personalized insights into the potential benefits.
Before commencing therapy, we conduct a thorough examination to ensure the best possible outcomes of a cerebral palsy treatment with stem cells. Following the procedure, we closely monitor patients to guarantee their safety and well-being.
What truly distinguishes Swiss Medica from other providers is our state-of-the-art clinic. Unlike many competitors who perform procedures in hotels or offices, our clinic is fully equipped with all necessary medical facilities and staffed by doctors and nurses working 24/7.
The Widest Variety of Stem Cells
At Swiss Medica, we offer the widest variety of stem cell products available on the market. Our extensive selection ensures that we can tailor the stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy to the unique needs of each patient.
Rigorous Quality Control
We also place a strong emphasis on quality control, meticulously checking each stem cell product several times before using it in a patient’s treatment. Our in-house laboratory allows us to closely monitor the composition and viability of the stem cells, ensuring that every dose meets the highest standards of safety and efficacy.
Precise Dosing
Furthermore, we carefully measure the exact amount of stem cells required for each individual case, leaving nothing to chance. This attention to detail allows us to deliver the optimal therapeutic dose, maximizing the potential for successful outcomes of the stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy.
Other Complementary Therapies Recommended to Cerebral Palsy Patients
Here are some complementary therapies recommended for patients with cerebral palsy.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy could be effective for improving muscle tone and mobility in patients who suffer from the loss of muscle coordination. It allows the joints, bones, and muscles to become properly aligned and improves the patient’s natural motor responses.
Music therapy
Music therapy may be used to improve symptoms related to cognitive functioning, motor skills, and speech. It may also improve muscle coordination, language processing, communication skills, auditory responses, and range of motion.
Aquatic therapy
Aquatic therapy can be beneficial for children with severe forms of CP or significant mobility limitations. It involves performing a series of exercises in the water, such as shallow-water tuck jumps, length swimming, stride jumps, and wall-and-sit kicking.
Children and adults with CP are usually able to perform these exercises more efficiently when immersed in water because water relieves pressure on muscles, joints, and bones, allowing for free movement.
Acupuncture
Back pain, neck pain, muscle weakness, and joint inflammation associated with cerebral palsy often respond well to acupuncture. It can help reduce pain and discomfort and improve muscle hypertonicity and neurological functioning.
Cost of Stem Cell Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
The cost of the therapy is determined by the number of sessions required to treat the condition, which is in turn determined by the severity of brain damage as well as the extent and duration of symptoms. The final stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy cost varies from €7,000 to €25,000.
Patients are always welcome to speak with our stem cell experts at the Swiss Medica Clinic to learn more about the cerebral palsy stem cell treatment cost and to ask questions about this condition.
Contact us
Contact us to learn about the expected results of the treatment, its cost and duration.
Medical Advisor, Swiss Medica doctor
MD, Pediatrician, Regenerative Medicine Specialist