P A T I E N T  E X P E R I E N C E – A T A X I A

NAME:  Brian Knoblauch  
   
COUNTRY: Canada

AGE: 48

DIAGNOSIS: Spinocerebellar Ataxia 2 in 1986

REASON FOR COMING FOR TREATMENT: Brian had Ataxia for twenty years and it got to a point where it was affecting his life. After his cousin Tim and his daughter came for treatmen, he decided he wanted to come to improve some of his symptoms.

TREATMENT: Umbilical Cord Stem Cell and Nerve Growth Factor Injections with Rehabilitation Therapy

START OF TREATMENT: April 22, 2006

BEFORE THE TREATMENT:  Brian’s balance was off. He was unsteady on uneven ground, and his gait was not stable. In the morning when he woke up he would stumble around for the first ten to fifteen minutes. He had cramps in his calves and fingers quite often. He felt unsteady with his left hand when carrying coffee or liquids. He always felt very tired after working for just three hours. He had severe anxiety and was taking Paxil for it with mood swings, stress, profuse sweating and over heating. His speech was slightly slurred and he would feel unsteady after drinking. He had myopia. These symptoms were generally mild unless he was under stress which would exacerbate the situation. His skin was itchy all the time and he would scratch until it bled sometimes.

Videos （4/24/06）: Before 1, Before 2, Before 3, Before 4
 

AFTER THE TREATMENT:

Videos （5/26/06）: After 1, After 2, After 3, After 4, After 5, After 6, After 7, After 8

His balance was much better. He could walk more steadily. The cramps all over his body were gone. He could carry a cup of water without spilling even while going upstairs. His speech was better. On most days when he woke up, he no longer stumbled around and could get on with his day right away. His coordination was better all around and his left arm no longer shook. Also his skin no longer itched. He also lost his anxiety and stopped taking Paxil after two years of taking it.

Update (8/4/06): It is approximately two months since I have been back home. In the mornings, the ataxia is acting up a bit, but this is probably due to the inconsistency of sleeping for now. My walking exercise is getting easier and also the balancing exercise on the rocking platform is better. I can now do them both while holding a cup of coffee. My legs are getting stronger and my over all cognitive ability has improved greatly. The shaking in my left hand is almost completely gone. I have had people notice that my speech has noticeably improved since I came back as well. They don't have to ask me two or three times to repeat what I am trying to say.

China Stem Cell News Note: Up until two years ago, Brian was not able to sleep at night because of his anxiety. The doctor prescribed Paxil and he was able to sleep again. Ten days into the treatment, Brian could no longer sleep so by his own discretion, without consulting the doctors in Nanshan Sixth People’s Hospital, he stopped taking Paxil. By the end of his treatment he could sleep more and he felt no anxiety. It is very difficult to understand why this happened and the doctors at Nanshan Hospital view it as a secondary reaction.  This is similar to patients in the U.S. who have both leukemia and multiple sclerosis and are treated with stem cells for their leukemia, but find that their multiple sclerosis symptoms are also alleviated.