Dr. Karl Jawhari D.C. on Stem Cell Treatment for Neuropathy

Dr. Karl Jawhari D.C. on Stem Cell Treatment for Neuropathy

It is believed that some 175 million people worldwide suffer from peripheral neuropathy (PN). This means around 8% of all people suffer from it. PN is a progressive and chronic condition that is caused by damage in the communication network of our nerve tissue. Essentially, according to Dr. Karl Jawhari, it means that the signals in the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain) no longer travel appropriately. It is perhaps best compared to static in a telephone or television signal: things work, but not as well as they should.

Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy

Regularly, people ask Dr. Karl Jawhari D.C. how they can recognize whether they have PN. There is no clear answer to this, however, as it all depends on which nerves are affected. In case of motor nerves, the impact will be most notable on voluntary muscle responses, such as those needed for talking, walking, and grabbing. In case of sensory nerves, the impact is more on sensations such as touch and pain. With autonomic nerves, it means organ function, which all function autonomously without us having to think about it, start to develop problems. And in many cases, people have PN that affects multiple types of nerves.

Treating the Pain Associated with Neuropathy

When people experience PN, treatment is available but it varies depending on the type of PN they have and its cause, if those can be detected. Sometimes, there is an underlying condition that causes PN, such as diabetes, in which case treatment focuses on that. Sometimes, however, more invasive treatment is required specifically for the neuropathy, including high dose steroids (glucocorticoids therapy), TPE (therapeutic plasma exchange), and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. People often ask Dr. Karl Jawhari D.C. whether treatment exists that is less invasive or at least comes with fewer side effects. One solution might be stem cell therapy.

Neuropathic Pain and Stem Cell Therapy

MSC+ (Mesenchymal Stem Cell) therapy is still in its infancy but it has shown to be highly effective for PN. It is a combination type of therapy in which red blood cells, leukocytes, stem cells, endothelial cells, CD31 and CD90 positive cells, and CD45 cells are used to help repair the damage to the tissue of the nerves themselves. This means that it actually addresses the root of the problem rather than simply masking the symptoms. Stem cell therapy has been shown to be very beneficial, with some research showing positive improvements just one to two weeks after the treatment. Additionally, it is known to be safe and the side effects are minor (they include minor weight gain and some drowsiness).

Of course, it is very important to ask Dr. Karl Jawhari D.C. about whether or not someone is a good candidate for stem cell therapy, how it works, and where the stem cells have been harvested from. Because it is a reasonably new form of treatment, more research does still need to be conducted into it before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. However, to date, things are looking very positive.