Stem Cell Therapy for MS Your Complete Guide

Some health conditions don’t yet have definite cures. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of them. While there is no known cure, several new treatments are emerging that show great potential in treating MS. Stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis can be life-changing. If you struggle with debilitating symptoms and everyday life is painful for you, regenerative medicine may be able to help. Here’s everything you need to know about using stem cell treatments to address MS symptoms. 

Multiple Sclerosis: Causes and Symptoms

Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease that researchers are still studying. Knowing the potential causes and common symptoms can help you monitor your condition and recognize when to seek treatment. 

How MS Develops and What Causes It

Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease. Your immune system starts attacking your nervous system, causing damage over time. Specifically, your immune system degrades the protective coating on your nerves. This coating is called the myelin sheath, and it’s essential for proper nerve function. 

The faulty immune response in patients with MS is triggered by certain environmental factors that turn on specific genes. In other words, you may be genetically predisposed to MS, and certain environments “switch on” the genes that activate the disease. 

Scientists don’t yet know exactly what causes this activation, but it may be related to lifestyle factors. Smokers and people with inflammatory diets are at higher risk for developing this condition. 

Common MS Symptoms 

You may experience a combination of common MS symptoms. Certain symptoms may flare up and then go away for a while. During flare-ups, you’re more likely to experience pain and discomfort. 

The most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis include:

• Numbness and tingling
• Vertigo
• Skin conditions
• Balance problems
• Difficulty with coordination
• Problems swallowing
• Trouble speaking
• Vision disturbances 
• Eye pain
• Seizures
• Hearing problems or loss
• Intense nerve pain

Since MS affects your nervous system, it makes sense for it to impair your balance, coordination, and senses. This disease may eventually affect your optic nerve, or the nerves involved in hearing and auditory processing. 

How MS Can Progress Without Treatment

You aren’t doomed to a life of pain and suffering if you’ve been diagnosed with MS. However, it can be a progressive neurodegenerative disease if left untreated. 

Some patients experience a steady progression in sensory and motor problems because of MS. Others will have periodic flare-ups that go away and come back randomly. You may notice that stress, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition trigger flare-ups for you. 

If left completely untreated, the protective coatings on your nerves will start to degrade, and the affected nerves will stop working properly. This is what leads to trouble swallowing, walking, speaking, seeing, and hearing. 

Innovative treatments like stem cell therapy may improve your prognosis with MS. Regenerative medicine may help repair some of the nerve damage caused by your immune responses, addressing the root cause of your symptoms. 

What Is Stem Cell Therapy for MS?

Stem cells are known for their ability to regenerate and repair tissues in the body. In lab environments, stem cells can be “programmed” to develop into the necessary cells needed for wound healing, tissue regeneration, and reducing inflammation. 

These restorative cells can also renew themselves, keeping injured and diseased areas supplied with plenty of stem cells to continue healing and repairing themselves. That’s why stem cell therapy is so potent — once the stem cell repair process starts, it can continue on its own. 

Multiple sclerosis leads to nerve and tissue damage over time, and stem cells may be able to reverse some of that damage. By modulating your immune responses, combating inflammation, and replacing damaged tissues, stem cells can significantly improve your MS symptoms. 

The Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis Patients

You have several options when it comes to MS treatments. There are medications and alternative therapies designed to combat MS symptoms and nerve damage. However, stem cell therapy offers unique advantages you should consider before selecting your treatment(s). 

Drug-Free Therapy

Stem cells are not pharmaceutical compounds. They are natural cells every human body produces and keeps around for wound healing and tissue repair. Since this therapy is drug-free, there are fewer risks involved — like medication side effects and allergies. 

Some patients choose to take MS medication in conjunction with stem cell therapy. Only you can decide what treatment routes are best for you. However, if you want to go drug-free, stem cell therapy is a potent option for you. 

Get Behind the Symptoms

Regenerative medicine does more than just mask your symptoms or cover up pain. It gets to the root causes of your MS challenges, including nerve damage and inflammation. By using stem cells to target areas of damage and discomfort, you may be able to improve your future with this disease. 

Innovative Treatments 

Regenerative medicine is at the forefront of medical science. Researchers are learning new information about MS and stem cells every year, and you can be a part of this experience. By choosing stem cell therapy, you get to benefit from the latest advancements in natural healing and recovery. 

Slower Disease Progression

Since MS can be progressive, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Stem cell therapy may prevent your symptoms from getting worse and debilitating you, as well as improve your future health outcomes with Multiple Sclerosis. Whether you suffer from periodic flare-ups or progressive degeneration, regenerative medicine can help. 

Navigating Your Future With MS

It can be devastating to receive a diagnosis like multiple sclerosis. However, it’s important not to lose hope. As medical science progresses forward, there are new and innovative treatments around every corner. 

Regenerative medicine gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the latest advancements in this area of science and research. You can use it in conjunction with other interventions as specified by your physician. 

No matter what treatments you choose to battle your MS symptoms, know that you’re never alone. Your condition does not define you.