Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Steenblock’s Office
Q. How does what Dr. Steenblock does differ from what other physicians do for cerebral palsy?
A. Dr. Steenblock utilizes many different and very carefully applied modalities to tackle neurologic cases including CP. Among these are hyperbaric oxygen therapy , IV nutrition, special therapeutic and (when appropriate) elimination diets, and stem cells (He makes referrals when appropriate to colleagues in Mexico who do infusions of pure umbilical cord stem cells, and harvests and uses CP patient’s own stem cell-rich bone marrow in older children and young adults.)
Q. What, if anything, sets him apart from other AltMed or CAM doctors treating CP?
A. In-a-word, a long track record of innovation when it comes to working out regimens that confer maximum benefits. Many of the “starts” of AltMed, though better known than Dr. Steenblock, have really contributed nothing original to the world of medicine. Dr. Steenblock has focused not on being a celebrity but instead coming up with novel spins on how to remediate & cure a whole host of diseases and medical conditions.
You will find some of his treatment approaches discussed on www.stemcellmd.org and www.strokedoctor.com
Q. What about all the seemingly negative stuff about Dr. Steenblock posted on Quackwatch and similar web sites?
A. If you have been reading these posts then it is time you stepped up and read “the other side of the story” (as the late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey was fond of saying.) These links will whisk you to material that will fill in the blanks and help set the record straight:
Special issue of Dr. Steenblock’s Newsletter that takes on the “dark press” about him and his work
Goliath v. David
Q. Can you give me some idea of how Dr. Steenblock would handle a child with CP who is a candidate for a treatment using her own stem cell-rich bone marrow?
A. In general, Dr. Steenblock prepares the child’s body to respond vigorously to injected stem cells. Think of the body like a field that being made ready to grow crops. Seeds (stem cells) will not flourish if the soil (bodily tissues) are a “wasteland”, i.e., littered with rocks and toxic compounds. As part of this process Dr. Steenblock, who trained as a pathologist early on in his medical career, oftentimes employs sophisticated tests to identify dietary, lifestyle and other factors that tend to contribute to or complicate Cerebral Palsy as well as promote or conversely hinder stem cell activity. He then introduces therapeutic measures to deal with these.
Example: In children who are underweight and not meeting their developmental milestones certain growth factors such as DHEA, IGF-1 and HGH are measured to be sure they are not deficient. Any deficiencies may be due to dysfunction in those parts of the brain that produce these factors caused by birth trauma or injury. If the child suffers from some type of growth hormone deficiency, these should be given for at least three months commencing after the stem cell rich tissues are administered.
In instances in which a child is basically healthy and has been since birth no special evaluations other than a current physical exam and routine blood tests need be done.
Q. What kind of results has been seen in children and young people who have some form of stem cell therapy?
A. CP is by far one of the most responsive medical conditions to stem cell therapy Dr. Steenblock and his medical team has ever seen. This is likely owed to the fact they do not harbor chronic infections, hormonal abnormalities or other things that interfere with stem cell proliferation and activity.
Dr. Steenblock’s namesake nonprofit research institute, Steenblock Research Institute, has tracked hundreds of children with CP and other neurologic problems treated with stem cells since 2003. The statistics gleamed from this indicates that upwards of 8 in 10 children enjoy clinically significant benefits (Most are seen during the first 6 months following treatment.)
In all this time no instance of immune rejection has ever occurred and no child ever got worse as a result of the treatment.
You can read a sampling of these CP cases in “Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy: The Gift of Healing from Healthy Newborns” which can be ordered through Amazon.com or from Dr. Steenblock’s office at 1-800-300-1063.
Q. Older children can have a treatment using their own stem cell-rich stem cells. How is this procedure done?
A. Children who weigh 70 lbs or greater can usually be treated successfully with their own stem cell rich bone marrow. Typically, Dr. Steenblock harvests health building bone marrow from either a patient’s tibia (thick shin bone) or the iliac crest (hip bone). To do this he first deadens the area using a local anesthetic and then inserts a thin-needle attached to a large syringe. He then draws the bone marrow up into the syringe. Most patients report that they are comfortable and relaxed during the collection process. The entire bone marrow harvesting and treatment process typically takes only a few hours.
The harvested stem cells are typically re-infused by intravenous drip. However, in some cases a “lumbar puncture” is done. How does this work? In general, a syringe containing the patient’s stem cells is attached to a thin needle that is carefully inserted into the spinal canal low in the lower back. Once in place a small amount of the fluid (Cerebral Spinal Fluid) is drawn up in a syringe and mixed with the stem cells and this is then injected back into the CSF. As CSF circulates in and around the brain it carries these new regenerative stem cells with it, typically taking between 6-7 hours to complete a single cycle.
Q. How much do stem cell based treatments typically run?
A. A simple bone marrow procedure for a child usually runs $6K USD since these children usually take more time and effort to treat than adults. If the administration of the cells is done by spinal (lumbar) tap the cost is about $12K USD and if done by intra-arterial catheter placement into the brain’s blood vessels, the cost runs in the neighborhood of $21K USD. In general Dr. Steenblock recommends umbilical cord stem cells (in Mexico) for younger children and bone marrow treatments for older ones. Of course a combination of both will often give better results than either one of these by themselves. The spinal and femoral artery catheter procedures are done in Mexico by a licensed surgeon and his team of specialists.
Q. Are mainstream doctor’s dead set against hyperbaric oxygen for use to help CP?
A. By no means. Most, however, are waiting for evidence to accrue from clinical studies before prescribing HBOT for those CP patients most likely to benefit from same. Dr. Steenblock, who has been doing hyperbaric medicine since 1989, has become very adept at identifying those children most likely to respond to HBO therapy. He has accumulated a great amount of case history data showing that hyperbaric oxygen in the right dose and for the right amount of time can produce clinically significant improvements in a great many children.
Q. Can you provide some patient response accounts?
A. Yes, indeed. Just go to http://www.stemcellmd.org/category/testimonials/cerebral-palsy-testimonials/
Q. Can I talk to Dr. Steenblock about my child’s case?
A. Certainly and at no cost or obligation. You read right, Dr. Steenblock is offering free phone consultations with no strings attached. To arrange for yours just call his office toll free at 1-800-300-1063.
If calling is a problem you can shoot Dr. Steenblock an e-memo using this on-line form Click Here