Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury a form of acquired brain injury that occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain.

During the acute stage which occurs right after the injury, medical treatment is aimed at life-saving and damage minimizing measures such as judicious use of specific drugs and sometimes surgery. Once a TBI sufferer is stabilized, they enter the "chronic stage" which typically involves rehabilitation, occupational, language and/or speech therapies (if indicated) and physiotherapy.

There is a body of scientific evidence that indicates that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help offset brain damage during the acute stage, and gradually coax improvements in TBI sufferers in the chronic stage. Dr. Steenblock's Clinic located in southern California has a longstanding, comprehensive neuro-rehabilitation program including HBOT that has produced notable results.

In addition, there is the use of adult (non-embryonic) stem cells. During 2003-7 StemCell.MD tracked children with TBI treated in Mexico using pure cord blood derived stem cells and found that at least seven (7) of ten (10) experienced clinically significant improvements in various areas of bodily function. StemCell.MD has also documented impressive clinical improvements in TBI patients treated using their own bone marrow at its clinic here in the U.S. (Southern California). Not surprisingly, researchers at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School found the potential of using a TBI patient's own bone marrow derived stem cells to ameliorate their condition compelling enough to warrant doing a formal clinical study; they are working on this with Memorial Hermann Children's hospital (also in Houston).