Friends, family, co-workers, almost everyone knows someone who has served in the military. Those who have served in active duty know that danger can occur around any corner — including open fire, bombs, and other threats. It’s no wonder that many of our military veterans return from duty with lasting battle wounds.
Some of the most common conditions received from battle are traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Brain injuries can impact how your loved ones think, process information, and act. And, traumatic brain injuries are often considered lifelong conditions. But, stem cell therapy is providing a solution. Is it safe, and how does it help military veterans?
What is TBI?
When a sudden force injures the brain — either from improvised explosive devices or collisions — the trauma can cause noticeable side effects. This can occur with concussions and other forms of blows, bumps, or jolts to the head. Depending on the severity of the TBI, the person can experience:
- A change in consciousness
- Disorientation
- Confusion
- Unconsciousness or a coma
- Memory loss
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Side effects of TBI are typically separated into two categories: mild and moderate/severe. Mild brain injuries typically include concussions and are difficult to identify. The most common symptoms of mild TBI include:
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Fatigue
- A bad taste in the mouth
- A sudden change in sleeping habits
- Behavior or mood changes
- Having trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking
- Loss of consciousness lasting a few seconds to minutes
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Nausea or vomiting
In addition to these previous symptoms, moderate to severe TBI can include worsening side effects. In some cases, neuro damage may occur. Moderate to severe TBI symptoms often include:
- Headaches that get worse or won’t go away
- Repeat vomiting or nausea
- Slurred speech
- Convulsions or seizures
- An inability to wake up from sleep
- Enlargement of the pupil (dark center) of one or both eyes
- Numbness or tingling of the arms or legs
- Loss of coordination
- Increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation
- Loss of consciousness lasting a few minutes to hours
How Can Stem Cell Therapy Treat TBI?
Stem cell therapy takes the stem cells from your fat and gives them IV for TBI. Often a medication called Mannitol is also given to increase the stem cell’s ability to enter the brain. The stem cells go to work replicating healthy cells and replacing damaged cells within the brain. In cases where the brain is experiencing inflammation, the stem cells also communicate with the muscles to stop inflammation — therefore reducing pain and further helping to restore brain function. Stem cells can also replace damaged nerves, as is seen with neurological damage.
How Stem Cell Therapy Works
How else can stem cell therapy help military veterans?
TBI and other brain injuries are only a portion of the conditions that military veterans deal with post-duty. Other common injuries include:
- Neurological damage
- Knee degeneration and other conditions
- Wrist degeneration and other conditions
- Ankle degeneration and other conditions
- Stress injuries
- PTSD
Similar to TBI, the stem cells from your own fat can replace damaged muscles and cells by replicating healthy ones. And, since stem cells can replicate multiple different types of cells, that means that they can heal the site of injury in a natural and complete way with little to no risk.
Contact Innovations Medical for Stem Cell Therapy
If you served in the military and have pain in your knees, back, or neuro damage such as TBI and are looking for relief, Innovations Medical is here for you. Our skilled professionals help you decide which stem cell therapy treatment is best for you – keeping you informed and confident in the next steps. We’ve been helping our patients look and feel their best since 2005, and even our most advanced procedures are often minimally invasive.
To find out if stem cell therapy is right for you, and to learn how Innovations Medical can improve your life, call us at (214) 643-8665 or schedule an appointment.