A Smarter Approach to Migraine and Headache Relief

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Disclaimer:
The information provided by R3 Stem Cell is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual results may vary and are not guaranteed. The FDA considers stem cell therapy experimental at this point.

Any claims made on this website refer to procedures performed OUTSIDE of the USA. R3 Stem Cell has clinics in Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, India, Pakistan.

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Consumer Guide to Stem Cell Treatment for Migraines and Chronic Headaches

Every day, R3 Stem Cell receives inquiries worldwide from individuals asking if stem cell therapy can help with Migraines and Chronic Headaches Spoiler alert: It can help a lot! In this guide, we’ll go through the basics of how stem cells work, the latest research, and what to expect with a regenerative procedure.

A Significant Global Issue

Migraine is a common, episodic neurological disorder. It manifests as episodes of recurrent severe headaches, typically unilateral and throbbing, which may be associated with nausea, vomiting, photophobia or phonophobia. Approximately one-third of patients with migraine also experience ‘aura’ – transient neurological symptoms which are most frequently visual, but may involve speech and/or other senses.

 

Both migraine with and without aura are three times more common in females than in males. Tension-type headache (TTH) differs slightly in that it is defined clinically as a mild or moderate bilateral headache with a pressing or tightening quality. These headaches can last from 30 minutes to 7 days and are associated with phonophobia and photophobia.

 

Both migraine and TTH are significant public health problems, impacting greatly on both individuals and society. Migraine is currently treated both acutely and prophylactically utilizing: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), triptans, antiepileptics, beta-blockers, and Ca2+ channel blockers. Unfortunately, due to the heterogeneity of these headache syndromes–particularly migraine–the current treatments vary greatly in their effectiveness.

 

While it is generally agreed that migraine is a heterogeneous neurological disorder, the detail of why they occur are as yet unconfirmed with inheritance thought to be as high as 50%. A migraine attack can take place over hours to days and include four overlapping phases: pre- monitory, aura, headache and postdrome, with the mechanisms leading to an attack largely unknown.

Stem Cell Therapy for Migraines and Chronic Headaches

As you will see from the study results below, stem cell therapy for migraines and chronic headaches has been very successful. Considering that traditional therapies often fail, regenerative therapies are an excellent option for patients who desire an improved quality of life.

 

A 2012 study in Headache evaluated 24 patients suffering from cervicogenic headaches and occipital neuralgia. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy was administered with various injections in the neck including facets, medial branch regions and occipital nerve area.

 

In 19 cases (79.2%), a good clinical response was recorded. At 6- month follow-up analysis, recurrence of occipital pain was recorded in 7 cases (29.2%); there is a significant reduction in disability and pain scores, and also a significant reduction of need for pharmacologic treatment and a fast return to previous work capacities.

 

The technique was minimally invasive, and no complications were recorded; indeed, the procedure was safe and effective.

 

A 2017 study from the New York Headache Center included 3 patients with refractory chronic migraines receiving between 2.5 and 8.6 mesenchymal stem cells obtained from adipose tissue. Between 8 and 10 mL of SVF were injected into the temporalis, occipitalis, neck, and trapezius muscles.

One male and 8 female patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 48 years, the mean duration of headaches was 16 years, and the mean number of prophylactic drugs tried was 10. an average baseline score of 122 on the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) who had not improved after receiving botulinum toxin injections and at least 3 prophylactic medications.

 

Three months after the procedure the MIDAS score dropped in 7 out of 9 patients. The PGIC scale was reported as 1 very much improved, 1 much improved, 4 minimally improved, 2 no change, and 1 minimally worse. One of the patients reporting minimal improvement had a dramatic improvement within the first month and until she lowered the dose of her topiramate.

 

These case reports of patients afflicted with refractory chronic migraines suggest that some such patients may improve with stem cell therapy. Stem cells may relieve migraines through their proven anti-inflammatory properties because neurogenic inflammation is one of the major aspects of migraine pathogenesis.

 

In one case study from 2014, Australian researchers used stem cell therapy for the treatment of migraine and tension headaches. A total of 4 women between the ages 36 and 44 years who had long histories of migraine headaches and who met the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria for Chronic Migraine or Tension-type Headaches were included. All 4 women experienced substantial improvement in their headache frequency and were able to substantially reduce their use of pain medication for 18 months after the stem cell injections.

Why Doesn’t R3 Stem Cell Use A Person’s Own Stem Cells for Treatment?

R3 used to perform autologous therapies, where a patient’s own bone marrow or adipose stem cells were used. However, a lot of stem cells in one’s body are as old as that person is, and hence not very active. Their ability to successfully increase sufficient blood flow and allow for tissue regeneration is inferior to umbilical cord stem cells, which are young, potent and extremely active.

 

Specifically, the therapeutic potential of autologous bone marrow or adipose stem cells in the treatment of older patients is impaired by a number of age-related factors such as oxidative stress, telomere length, DNA damage, disease, and longterm use of some medications.

 

This is in stark contrast to the youthful genotype and phenotype of neonatal tissue-derived stem cells, such as from the umbilical cord. They are better at facilitating repair and regeneration of tissue damage, creating new blood flow with superior anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory efficacy compared to mature stem cells from one’s adipose or bone marrow.

 

As a result of the inferiority of autologous stem cells due to the reasons above and better results being seen with umbilical cord stem cells, R3 only uses the donor stem cells today.

How do the Stem Cells and Exosomes Work for Migraines and Chronic Headaches?

Stem cells and exosomes act in the body through several mechanisms. They do NOT become part of a patient’s DNA, which means they do not engraft into the person’s existing cells. The predominant method of action is thought to be through paracrine mechanisms, which means “cell to cell” interaction.

Stem Cells can also release a huge variety of molecules into the extracellular environment. These molecules, which include extracellular vesicles, lipids, free nucleic acids, and soluble proteins, exert crucial roles in repairing damaged tissue.

 

Along with offering MSCs for treatment of Migraines and Chronic Headaches, R3 Stem Cell includes stem cell exosomes, which are a type of extracellular vesicle participating in extensive cell to cell communication for new blood flow creation.

Where do the stem cells and exosomes come from?

R3 Stem Cell’s regenerative biologics originate from umbilical cord tissue that has been donated after a scheduled c-section. No baby (or mother) is harmed during the C-section procedure. The umbilical cord tissue is normally discarded, but if the mother passes screening tests then the umbilical cord is immediately sent to the lab. The screening tests are extremely rigorous, and mandated by the USA FDA.

 

The lab carefully processes the umbilical cord to generate large amounts of stem cells and exosomes that are of the highest quality possible. The lab team consists of multiple PhD’s working in ISO Certified, cGMP compliant clean rooms to ensure quality assurance that exceeds USA FDA standards. The proprietary production process combines the highest potency, safety and affordability for providers to confidently offer exosome procedures.

 

Millions of dollars have been invested into the pharmaceutical grade production of the biologics including first rate clean rooms, bioreactors, nano-particle tracking analyzers, cytometers, PCR, tangential flow machines and real time environmental monitoring. The quality assurance testing complies with screening and testing stan¬dards consistent with the American Association of Tissue Banks, cGMP standards, FDA regulations and the highest level of any regulatory agency globally.

Stem Cell Derived Exosomes

R3 Stem Cell’s Centers of Excellence globally include umbilical cord stem cell derived exosomes with umbilical cord stem cells to provide enhanced results. Exosomes are lipid bound vesicles (acellular) produced by cells which contain a plethora of growth factors, cytokines, mRNA and other proteins.

 

They are exceptionally helpful in cell to cell communication, and very effective for reducing inflammation when they become ingested by their recipient cell. They act as shuttles to send nucleic acids and proteins to other cells, in this way, allowing cell-to-cell communication and transporting molecules among both close and distant cells. In general, these released proteins are important regulators of intracellular information.

 

Exosomes could be the mediators of many stem cell-associated therapeutic activities. We have seen them to be “faster acting” than stem cells, so R3 frequently uses them in conjunction to provide a “1-2 punch” for patient outcomes.

Is stem cell therapy safe?

After a decade of performing over 24,000 stem cell procedures worldwide, R3 knows that the regenerative procedures are safe. The quality control employed during the stem cell production is second to none, and the side effects R3 sees are usually mild to moderate and temporary.

 

They may include itching, dizziness, lightheadedness, low grade fever, chills, nausea. These are typically temporary. If a patient has an allergic reaction to the multivitamin or a preservative, all of R3’s Centers have the medications to resolve it quickly.

 

One of the questions we get asked a lot is, “Will the stem cells get rejected?” The answer is NO.

 

MSCs do not express major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens of the class II subtype and contain low levels of MHC molecules of the class I subtype. MSCs also lack the co-stimulatory molecules essential for immune detection, including CD40, CD80, and CD86.

 

Therefore, MSCs generally have low immunogenicity and can avoid immune rejection by the recipient, which serves as the foundation for their successful application without needing to match the donor to the recipient. Scientists call this being “immunologically privileged”.

 

Another question often asked is “Is there a chance of a tumor forming?” Current research has concluded that the answer is NO. The mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes used during treatment have never been shown to have tumor forming potentials. In fact, they have been shown to be anti-tumor forming.

Protocol

For the past decade, R3 has been successfully treating Migraines and Chronic Headaches with stem cell and exosome procedures. The regenerative biologics are applied directly into the neck and surrounding tissues with direct injections, and also infused through an IV. Depending on each patient’s unique history, R3’s providers may also incorporate an intra-nasal or intrathecal application.

 

R3’s providers use one to two million stem cells per kilogram, to make sure that patients achieve the absolute best outcome possible. Between 50 and 100 billion exosomes are included with each procedure.

Outcomes

Similar to the research mentioned above, R3 Stem Cell’s outcomes for migraine and chronic headaches have been exceptional! The patient satisfaction rate is 85% year over year. Patients typically experience less headaches with less severity and a reduced need for medications. Keep in mind results cannot be guaranteed and will vary between individuals.

Affordability

Because stem cell therapy for migraines and chronic headaches is not a permanent cure, it’s important to make it affordable. Repeat therapies can help maintenance and/or achieve additional improvements for pain relief. So a lot of patients seek additional treatments at R3 Stem Cell every twelve to eighteen months.

 

R3 Stem Cell’s fees are less than half what comparable (and reputable) regenerative clinics charge. Be wary of clinics trying to pass off PRP as a stem cell therapy. If they mention only taking your blood for the treatment, it is NOT a stem cell treatment!

R3’s Experience

For the past decade, R3 Stem Cell’s Centers globally have performed over 24,000 regenerative procedures in six countries. Several hundred have been for SCI. Patient satisfaction across all conditions treated is 85%!

 

R3 combines safety, effectiveness and affordability for the therapies. Internationally, the Intellicell is used, which is culturing the most active mesenchymal stem cells to create the “smartest” stem cell in the world!

Disclaimer: This guide’s education does not constitute medical advice. The USA FDA considers stem cell therapy experimental. Any claims made in this Guide refer to procedures performed outside of the USA.

References

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*Outcomes will vary between individuals. No claims are being made with regenerative therapies. The FDA considers stem cell therapy experimental. See our THERAPY COMMITMENT HERE.
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The USA stem cell leader offers procedures in

7 Countries including: