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:
- Surgery to relieve pressure on your spinal cord
- Medications such as steroids reduce the swelling around your affected spinal cord region.
- Traction reduces the movement around the injury
There are experimental treatment options that the researchers are still exploring. This can include:
- Lowing your body temperature to slow down the damage to the spinal tissue and reduce the swelling
- Neuroprotective treatments to prevent damage after an initial injury
- Neuroregenerative treatments help the damaged spinal area to regenerate on its own
Surgery is done to remove fragments of bones, foreign objects, herniated disks, or fractured vertebrae that appear to be compressing the spine.
May also need surgery to stabilize the spine to prevent future pain or deformity and decompression of the nerve.
You will need some extra care in the weeks followed by the spinal cord injury. Examples of these include:
- Physical therapy: You will require physical therapy to regain the strength and manage the after-effects of the injury
- Speech therapy: If you are injured at the high points of your spinal cord you might need speech therapy. This will also help with communication and swallowing.
- Mental Wellbeing: SCI has been associated with a higher risk of developing depression. Thus, a good support system will help you recover faster.
Experience Cutting-Edge Solutions for Spinal Cord Injury Treatment in India!
Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury in India
Stem cell therapies are an advanced treatment option for spinal cord injury. The research on stem cell therapies and their applicabilities in different diseases is continuously going on in India and other developed countries.
Stem cells are the cells that have the potential to develop into different types of cells in the body. They serve as a repair system for the body.
Stem cell therapy is ideally a procedure that promotes the repair response of the injured tissue using stem cells. Stem cells are extracted from your body and then processed and multiplied in sophisticated stem cell labs and reinjected in the impacted part of the body. The new cells then start replacing the old and damaged ones and reversing the condition.
Stem cell therapy changes the inflammatory response towards the injured tissue area and increases the blood flow to the region which provides support to the spinal cord.
Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury
Stem cell therapy has ensured proven results as a treatment for spinal cord injury as it provided improved motor functions, improved nerve regeneration, reduced pain, improved bladder functioning, and reduced tissue scarring which ultimately improves the quality of life.
Stem cells have been used as advancing spinal cord injury therapies for:
- Cell Replacement: Stem cells replace the damaged spinal cord cells and neurons and promote regeneration.
- Neuroprotection: Stem cells secrete factors that aid in the survival of existing neurons.
- Modulating inflammation: Stem cells reduce the excessive immune responses of the body towards the injury.
- Angiogenesis: Stem cells improve the growth of new blood vessels.
- Combination Therapies: Stem cells can be coupled with biomaterials and growth factors to enhance their therapeutic efficacy.
What is the procedure of Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury in India?
The procedure for stem cell therapy for SCI involves the following steps:
- Extraction of stem cells from the bone marrow: Bone marrow is used to extract the stem cells by injection with local anesthesia.
- Stem cell laboratory processing: The stem cells are segregated from other tissues and further multiplied in the laboratory atmosphere.
- Injecting Stem cells into the body: The Stem cells are injected back into the Spinal cord.
The stem cells reach the organ that needs the repair and start converting themselves into cells of desired functionality. These new cells start the healing process of the organ.
There might be multiple cycles of stem cell therapies based on the severity of the case and other factors like comorbidities, age, and the patient’s current symptoms.
What are the expected outcomes of Stem Cell Therapy for Spine Injury in India?
The advanced stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury in India has dramatically changed the perception that individuals who suffer these injuries are destined for a life of bedridden exile. Stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury has shown the following improvements:
- Improved trunk control
- Standing balance
- Sitting balance
- Decrease in stiffness
- Sensation
- Bladder movements
- Improved blood pressure changes while standing upright
Overall improvements are observed in the patients after cell therapy for Spinal Cord Injury in India which can be divided as
- Stem cell therapy in acute thoracolumbar injury and paraplegia is with 91% success rate
- Stem cell therapy in cervical injury and quadriplegia is with 74% success rate
Stem cell therapy with the combination of other therapies gives faster results. Other therapies include
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Diet Counselling
- Aquatic Therapy
- Group Therapy
What are the potential risks associated with stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury?
Stem cell therapy can lead to a wide range of adverse effects such as:
- Nerve pain
- Abnormal feeling
- Painful muscle contractions
- Vomiting
- Urinary Tract infection
- Inappropriate migration, secondary injury, and infection
No serious adverse effects can be observed with stem cell therapy. Though the research suggests promising results of this therapy, the safety profiles for the treatment are yet not established.
What is the cost of Stem Cell Therapy in India for Spinal Cord Injury?
The cost of stem cell therapy for SCI depends upon several factors such as the type of stem cell treatment, the type of stem cells, duration of hospital stay, clinical evaluations, and other expenses of treatment and management.
Stem cell treatment costs are divided into sessions. Hence, the average cost of stem cell therapy cycle in India for spinal cord injury is around Rs 3,20,000 to Rs 5,20,000, approximately ($4,000 to $6,500). This is significantly less as compared to the Western countries where such a treatment costs anywhere between $22,000 to $30,000.
Further, the cost of stem cell transplant procedures can also vary. In India, stem cell transplants can range from Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 5.5 lakhs.
Cost Breakdown for Stem Cell Therapy in India:
| Medical Expenses | Parameters | Cost |
| Pre-treatment | Physical Examinations | Rs. 5,000 – Rs. 10,000 |
| Specific Tests | CT Scan, Ultrasound, etc. | Rs. 10,000 – Rs. 15,000 |
| Transplant | Type of surgery and number of sessions | Rs. 15 lakhs – Rs. 25 lakhs |
| Other expenses | Follow-up session cost Medication cost Post-surgery cost | Up to Rs. 50,000 |
What are the success rates of Stem Cell Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury?
In India the success rate of stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury is high.
Amongst all, 80% of spinal cord injury patients who undergo stem cell therapy show significant improvements including better control over the movements and reduced swelling over the injury.
Patient Success Stories
Alex Fernandes is s 24-year-old young boy who met a devastating spinal cord injury while going to his office from his bike when a heavy vehicle hit him on a highway in 2019 leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Such a serious spinal cord injury would have been considered a permanent disability previously with no scope for recovery.
In this emergency, he was rushed to the nearest medical facility where he received first aid, and the pre-treatment assessment was initiated.
As soon as his family was made aware of Alex’s condition, his family rushed to the hospital where they observed no significant improvement in Alex’s condition due to the poor recovery rate of the treatment provided with no affordable treatments to date.
Trying for another ray of hope, his family consulted the Medicoexperts team for expert opinion on treatment options for spinal cord injury in India in a cost-effective environment.
On this problem statement, Alex was suggested for stem cell therapy by one of the nearest and most skilled neurosurgeons for faster recovery and better response to the therapy.
After the successful stem cell therapy from one of the recognized hospitals in India, Alex regained his sensation and got control of his mobility and actions at the earliest with the minimal cost of treatment.
Takeaway
Key Points for Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury in India:
- Stem cell therapy has become a promising therapy for spinal cord injury that has offered new hope for patients looking for cost-effective treatment options.
- In the treatment of spinal cord injury through stem cells, much progress and development have been shown regarding the improvement of the patients in terms of bladder control, bowel function circulatory systems, sensory functions, and reduction of inflammation.
- India is quickly becoming the destination to get treated because the cost of stem cell therapy concerning spinal cord injury is much lower here than in Western countries.
- This therapy in India has shown high success rates, with many patients experiencing significant improvements in their condition.
- Stem cell therapy is considered 100% safer for the treatment of spinal cord injury.
- Rehabilitation programs are essential to promote functional recovery after the injury.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q1. Can stem cells cure spinal cord injury?
Stem cells are providing promising results in treating spinal cord injuries.
The efficacy of stem cells is 48.9% of patients with spinal cord injuries
Q2. Am I a candidate for stem cell therapy?
An ideal candidate for stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury is typically a person who has the following characteristics:
- Some patients in the group of 30 to 70 have also tended to show good results.
- Incomplete Spinal cord injuries have shown higher success rates. Injuries at or near the cervical area can be treated with stem cell therapy.
- Injury that has occurred in the duration of 6 months to 2 years.
- Patients with no secondary conditions or health issues.
Q3. What is the recovery timeline after stem cell treatment?
The average recovery timeline after the stem cell treatment can vary depending on the procedure and severity of the injury:
- The optimal timing for stem cell treatment is within 2 to 4 weeks after the spinal cord injury.
- Initial response to the treatment can be observed within a few weeks to a few months.
- The peak recovery period is observed between 3 to 12 months from the treatment.
- Long-term recovery can take up to several years.
Q4. Can a person walk again after spinal cord injury?
Yes, a person can walk again after a spinal cord injury. For a faster recovery, a person must be consulted for long-term therapy.
Q5. What will be the average cost of stem cell therapy in India for spinal cord injury?
The average cost of stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury in India can range from Rs. 3.2 lakhs ($4,000) to Rs. 6.0 lakhs ($7,500).
Q6. Where can I get stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury?
You can find the best place for stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury in India with the help of expert opinion from MedicoExperts bringing the most experienced doctors to your service with excellent hospital facilities.
MedicoExperts is a Global virtual hospital which is established to offer quality healthcare services at affordable pricing without compromising the success rates of the treatment.
MedicoExperts is having a network of highly experienced super specialist doctors and well equipped hospitals across the globe and offering second opinion through online video consultation and surgical interventions through its empanelled super specialist doctors at its network hospitals in 17 countries from 3 continents.
By the virtue of its approach and model, MedicoExperts is successfully achieve to deliver
- Latest and most advanced treatments with success rates of international benchmarks.
- Multiple cost options depending upon the hospital facilities, with the same doctor.
- Treatment option in multiple cities/state/countries.
- Trust and peace of mind.
Most suitable for patients who are looking for:-
- Planned Surgeries and treatment from most experienced doctors and at multiple cost options as per hospital facilities with best possible outcomes.
- Second Opinion from expert doctors.
- Complex cases involving multi specialities
- International patients looking for treatment from Indian doctors
Recommended Articles For You
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2678281/
- https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/spinalinjury/conditioninfo/treatments
- https://www.stemcellcareindia.com/6-important-roles-of-stem-cells-in-treating-spinal-cord-injury/#:~:text=Many%20studies%20have%20demonstrated%20the,scarring%20after%20stem%20cell%20treatment
- https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/18/14349
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9442938/#:~:text=The%20meta%2Danalysis%20showed%20that,%25%2C%2079.8%25%5D%2C%20respectively
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Medically Reviewed By MedicoExperts Editorial & Clinically Review Board On 16 June 2024
Author Bio:
Dr. Khushbu Jain is a dedicated professional with a passion for advancing healthcare through cutting-edge treatments. She has a special interest in researching regenerative medicine and advanced treatment for diseases that are difficult to treat with conventional treatment options. Her deep understanding of these progressive treatments allows her to offer patients personalized and effective solutions for a variety of health concerns.
