27 Nov Chronic Migraines Could be Treated with Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy is being considered as a treatment for a wide variety of conditions. Chronic migraines can be especially challenging to treat because the causes can widely vary. Stem cells are now being researched as a treatment method for chronic migraines that have stopped responding to traditional treatment methods.
What are Chronic Migraines?
Migraines are an excruciating, often debilitating form of headache. People who experience migraines often require prescription medication or medical treatment to cope with their symptoms. A simple over-the-counter headache pill is rarely effective for treating migraines. Migraines can be episodic or chronic. A typical episodic migraine (EM) can linger for hours. Then, several weeks or even months may pass between migraine episodes. Chronic migraines (CM), on the other hand, last longer and occur more frequently. Symptoms of chronic migraines occur at least 15 days each month and for at least three consecutive months. A chronic migraine must also involve at least two migraine characteristics for a minimum of eight days in a month. Migraines are not understood well by doctors and researchers. Possible causes have been identified, but definitive answers have not yet been discovered. Some theories as to what causes migraines include central nervous system disorders, chemical imbalances, genetic factors, and vascular irregularities. Migraine triggers are different from migraine causes. People who are susceptible to migraines may find that certain situations, behaviors, or environments set off a new migraine episode. These factors are called triggers. Triggers are different for each person. They may affect the same person differently each time they’re exposed to them, too. For people with chronic migraines, avoiding common migraine triggers may help reduce the likelihood of a flare-up of symptoms.
What is Stem Cell Therapy?
Stem cells are a new method of regenerative medicine treatments that can implant healthy stem cells into an injury and heal them. Stem cells are a type of cell that can develop into many other types of cells. Stem cells can also renew themselves by dividing, even after they have been inactive for a long time. The human body requires many different types of cells to function, but it does not produce each cell type fully formed and ready to use. Instead, it produces stem cells that have a wide range of possible functions. However, stem cells need to become a specific cell type to be useful. When a stem cell divides, the new cells may either become another stem cell or a particular cell, such as a blood cell, a brain cell, or a muscle cell. Scientists call a stem cell an undifferentiated cell because it can become any cell. In contrast, a blood cell is a ‘differentiated’ cell because it is already a specific kind of cell and performing a function.
How Can Stem Cell Therapy Treat Chronic Migraines?
Current research has determined that stem cell therapy could be a potential treatment for patients with chronic migraines. They have been successful in treating other neurological disorders that cause pain in the nervous system. The method of delivery and what form of stem cells are still being perfect, but the initial results have shown some success.