Spinocerebellar Ataxia happens when parts of the nervous system that are responsible for controlling movement are destroyed. Ataxia causes the brain cells to degenerate, and with that there is a possibility that the spine would be affected.
In the recent years, the medical field was able to figure out several treatments for Spinocerebellar Ataxia.
However, since there are no direct conclusions that will interpret what is the main cause of the problem, the treatments for Spinocerebellar ataxia is mostly focused on treating the symptoms rather than the disorder itself.
Suffers from this disorder usually experience poor balance and coordination and would often have a hard time walking.
As the problem progresses, the person affected would already have a hard time performing daily tasks, these tasks could include making a cup of coffee on their own or just simply brushing their teeth.
Rehabilitation therapy: this type of therapy aims in helping the sufferer reduces the decline of their ability to do certain things for themselves. It will focus on helping the person re-train the mind to learn walking and performing certain actions that they are having trouble with.
The rehabilitation therapy process will include helping the patient improve their posture and balance; it will also include improving postural stabilization as well as joint stabilization while also developing the upper extremity function.
The goal of the therapy is to help the person regain independence, to help them perform daily life like the way they used to do it.
Cell Treatment: research on stem cells is already another kind of treatment. It is now available in St. Michael’s Hospital in Shanghai, China.
There are some patients who have already experienced a breakthrough using this treatment; the process will involve transplanting the cell using lumbar puncture.
China is considered to have the best cell research in the world, but many cell biotherapy procedures have yet to be approved in their own country, which is why most of the cell therapies being performed are still in the experimental stage.
Cell therapy treatment is also used to cure multiple system atrophy, cerebral atrophy, spinal cord injury, stroke as well as patients who are suffering from motor neuron disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Patients who are not able to pick up items can now do so after the treatment. Some are even able to cure their double vision because of the treatment using stem cells.
This treatment can remove the excessive shaking of the hands of the sufferer, while it may not expand their lives, it can improve their quality of life.
The cells would be cultured for 5-7 days, patients who want to receive cell biotherapy need to schedule an appointment. The cells would be collected and protected against contamination for a safe transplantation therapy. After clinical testing, the cells would then be injected into the patient within 10 hours after the culture in vitro.
The cells are often derived from cord blood, or an autologous bone marrow or embryo.