(THIS WAS AN INFORMATIVE SPEECH I DID FOR MY COM220 CLASS ON THE STAGES OF SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH. IT ACTED AS AN INTRODUCTION TO MY PERSUASIVE SPEECH ON THE BENEFITS OF STEM CELL RESEARCH)
There are about a quarter of a million people in the United States living with spinal cord injuries. In addition, between 7,600 and 10,000 new injuries occur each year. Nearly half of these new injuries will occur in young people between the ages of 16 and 30. As a person in this category, I have become very interested in the research to find a cure for spinal cord injuries and hope to share some of the information I found with you today. In order for you to fully understand the details I will be sharing with you, I'd like to begin with a
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As you can see from this graph, 66% of sports injuries occur in the form of diving accidents, while I am part of the 3.8% of snow skiing accidents.
Now that I have shared a brief overview of the spinal cord and some statistics about spinal cord injuries, we will look at the past research that has led to the treatments most commonly used today. In 1990, a steroid called dexamethasone was discovered in human trials to preserve some motor and sensory function if administered at high doses within 8 hours of injury. Surgery used to remove fluid, tissue, or bone fragments, or to stabilize fractured vertebrae by fusing bones or inserting hardware has also proven to be one of the most thorough measures to prevent further harm. I received both of these treatments after my accident, and they are the same that have been used for the past decade. Until recently, doctors had no way of limiting such disabilities, aside from stabilizing the cord to prevent added destruction, treating infections, and prescribing rehabilitative therapy to maximize any remaining capabilities.
Within the past few years, however, scientists have made many new advancements. The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved 2 electronic systems that regulate muscles by sending electrical signals through implanted wires, called functional electrical stimulation (FES). Some proteins have been found to promote nerve growth and restore limb function and sensation when administered directly
* Following a SCI, the first priority is often to help the patient develop as much possible strength in the
Injuries to the spinal cord may be caused indirectly, as by a blow to the head or a fall; by traffic accidents, sports injuries, or violence. The consequences depend on the amount of damage the cord sustains and where the damage occurs. Although spinal injuries are only a small fraction of all injuries; accidents cause an estimated 10,000 spinal cord injuries each year. Each year, more than two million Americans suffer a
Millions of people die every year from diseases and accidents; the nightly news is filled with reports about the devastating effects of cancer, horrific accidents, and disasters that leave people disfigured or paralyzed. Embryonic stem cell research is a part of biomedical science and has the potential to ease the suffering of sick people by curing diseases and defects, creating organs and tissue for patients needing transplants or skin grafts, regenerating axons in spinal cord injuries, and creating new treatments, drugs, and immunizations. However, America’s government does not support this research to an extent that would make a difference in medicine; only a few stem cell lines are authorized, and federal funding is minimal. The
A Spinal cord injury is a harm to one or all parts of the spinal cord. A spinal cord injury can affect many aspects of a person’s life such as making him weak and unable to perform daily activities. There are two factors that matter when it comes to spinal cord injury: the part of the spinal cord that is affected and the seriousness of the injury. Moreover, the seriousness of a spinal cord disease is distinguished by two terns: complete and incomplete. A spinal cord injury is complete, when it’s hard or become impossible to move the lowest part of the injured spinal cord. On the other hand, a spinal cord injury is incomplete, when it still possible to move the lowest part of your spinal cord even after an injury. Furthermore,
Stem cells are being used more and more to help patients recover from severe injuries that in the past left them with sensory deficits and open to other medical problems. Stem Cell Moore helps patients who suffer from painful joint and back pain regain movement and enjoy a pain-free life. Doctors performing these procedures are a part of a network of over 400 physicians worldwide supply plasma
Approximately 11,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) occur in the United States each year, contributing to the over 200,000 individuals currently living with SCI. SCI results in tremendous changes in an individual’s life, causing impairments to the musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, integumentary, gastrointestinal, genitourinary and sensory systems. Mobility and self-care become limited as well as participation in social and everyday activities when SCI causes paralysis of the muscles below the injury1. An individual who was once independent may now have to depend on others for help in their daily routine. The rehabilitation process plays a major role in helping those with SCI become as independent as possible, and physical therapists
Spinal cord injuries are traumatic to people and do not just affect their physical body, but their mind and spirit. Using stem cells to help improve some of the physical functioning that the human body has after the initial spinal cord injury will also help improve their mental and emotional wellbeing. The discipline of psychology will look at the mental progress that patients make when undergoing stem cell therapy. By improving the mental health of a person who has undergone a spinal cord injury it will also have a cascade of effects because a person’s mental health impacts many different things in their body. This will allow me to relate the topic back using other disciplines outside of psychology, but disciplines that psychology can affect.
Before we determine how stem cells can treat various diseases including spinal cord injuries, let us first
All I had to do to find it was search spinal cord injury support resource in Rochester NY and it was one of the first links shown. You could also find this resource by going directly onto the University of Rochester Medical Center website. The Clinic provides care for individuals of any age that have experienced a spinal cord injury. This is an option for patients and their families to seek out medical treatment and follow-up care that they need. The mission of the clinic is to help individuals to function as independently as possible, improve quality of life and help with transitioning back into the community. Strong offers a variety of different resources within the clinic that help along all stages in the disease process of spinal cord injury. Some examples in the scope of services include the Neuro ICU and Acute Trauma and Medical Care and rehabilitation management for both inpatient and outpatient services. They offer support in education, case management, transition planning, primary and secondary prevention, follow-up services, management medications, a spinal cord injury male fertility program, community advocacy and education, and an annual spinal cord injury health fair. The Spinal Cord Injury Clinic is held at different times throughout each month at Strong Memorial Hospital at University of Rochester
There are an entire host of conditions and situations in which individuals may suffer a fragmented neck or back that will cause a serious spinal injury. From sports injuries to car and motorbike crashes, slips, trips and attacks, calamities at work, medical neglect, even infections of the spinal nerve cells, cysts and tumors that press on the spinal cord and impair it. The hardship of having suffered a serious spinal injury doesn't have to be the end of the road for an active individual. As the door on a former life closes, so one to a new one opens. With the right sort of support and supervision, many sufferers can in fact recuperate enough flexibility to permit them to lead active and satisfying lives, and for many individuals it essentially
Two small-scale clinical trials are discussed in the video. Included is a story about a woman with peripheral artery disease, and a man with a meniscus tear. The woman with the Peripheral artery disease was experiencing some pain and couldn’t walk very far, if at all. This disease causes the main artery of the foot to become blocked so the tissue and nerves start to die. They told her that they would have to take her leg off right below the knee. Instead, they decided to use adult stem cells to try to open vessels towards the foot and increase the blood flow. She is now able to walk, jog, bicycle, and do countless other activities in her daily life that she wouldn’t have been able to do without this stem cell therapy.
Another important point consists in the type of cells that should be used in the pathology; for example, if the purpose is to assess the efficacy of stem cells treatment in a mouse model of spinal cord injury would be wise to use mouse stem cells in order to avoid an immuno suppression treatment. In this case the translation in clinical trial will need the verification of the characteristics of the human cells, and, in many cases, their use in preclinical studies before reach phase 1 of clinical trial.
The limited space within the vertebrae actually plays an important roll in spinal cord injury. Once the initial injury occurs the body, as with every other part of the body, tries to protect the injured area with swelling. But the swelling occurs within the small confines of the spinal column and causes further damage to the surrounding tissue. It has only recently been discovered how much of an impact this secondary damage has. One of the areas of crucial ongoing research is on what kind of window of opportunity medicine has in treating these types of injuries and still attaining the best recovery.
may be used to repair an impaired spinal cord, restoring movement and quality of life to those suffering from paralysis. (Rosenfeld et al, 2004) The prospects for regenerative spinal cord repair is one of the many positive outcomes of ES cell research if exploration is allowed to continue.
Researchers must overcome many hurdles, including moral and ethical issues before the clinical application of cell therapy in neurological disease patients, are implemented. Therefore, continued research is needed in stem cell research in both basic and preclinical settings. This can be accomplished through education as well as positive research outcomes. Supporting the hope for the continued development of stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.