How is stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury done?

It begins with a review of your MRI reports and rehabilitation records, continues with a phone or video consultation with the doctor, a written plan and an in-person evaluation, and centers on a slow intravenous (IV) infusion of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord, usually between 100 and 200 million cells. In selected cases, after the doctor reviews your medical reports, an additional intrathecal application (similar to an epidural, usually about 60 million cells) is added. You spend one night, sometimes two, at our facilities with nursing and medical monitoring, including support for transfers, bladder and bowel care and skin protection. Follow-up continues by phone and email, coordinated with your rehabilitation team. SCI plans typically cost $7,000 to $9,500 USD, and results vary between patients.

This guide walks through each step, with practical advice for patients and caregivers.

A typical itinerary

• Day 1: pickup in the San Diego airport area with wheelchair-accessible transportation, border crossing, laboratory tests and in-person evaluation, followed by the IV infusion and, when indicated, the intrathecal application; night at our facilities.
• Day 2: check-up with the doctor and, depending on your plan, discharge and return to San Diego or a second night of observation.
• Day 3 (when applicable): discharge and return.

Accessible rooms, pressure-relieving mattresses and help with transfers are arranged in advance, and a caregiver is welcome to stay nearby.

Step 1: Records review

You send:

• Recent MRI reports of the spine.
• Neurology or rehabilitation notes with your injury level, AIS grade and, if available, your latest ISNCSCI exam.
• Your bladder and bowel routine, including catheter type and schedule.
• Skin history, including any current or past pressure injuries.
• Medications, including those for spasticity, pain, blood pressure and bladder.
• Short videos of transfers, sitting balance or walking, which help the doctor understand your function and serve as a baseline.

Step 2: Consultation with the doctor

A complimentary phone or video consultation allows the doctor to review your injury, discuss your goals and explain what regenerative treatment can support. Goals are made specific, such as sensation, trunk control, hand function, spasticity or bladder awareness, so they can be measured later. The doctor also explains whether you may be a candidate for the intrathecal application.

Step 3: Written plan and preparation

You receive a written plan by email listing the number of cells and routes, the nights at our facilities, the consultation with your doctor and the stem cell specialist, accessible transportation and the total price, with the deposit that reserves your date.

Typical preparation instructions include:

• Treat any urinary infection or pressure injury before travel; active infections delay treatment.
• Continue your medications on schedule, including those for spasticity and blood pressure.
• Pause anti-inflammatory painkillers, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis for about seven days before treatment, and supplements such as omega 3, turmeric and ginger for about five days before, as the doctor indicates.
• Pack supplies for the full trip plus extra days: catheters, bowel care items, skin care products and your pressure-relieving cushion.
• Carry an autonomic dysreflexia card if your injury is at or above T6.

Step 4: Arrival and evaluation

On arrival, you have blood tests, including a urine test, and an in-person evaluation. The doctor examines your skin, blood pressure, breathing and neurological function, and confirms the plan. Treatment is postponed if there is a fever, an active infection or an open pressure injury.

Step 5: The application

The cells

Allogeneic MSCs from Wharton's jelly of donated umbilical cords, obtained after healthy, full-term births with the mother's informed consent and donor screening. They are prepared in a COFEPRIS-licensed laboratory under Good Manufacturing Practice standards, with quality and safety testing before release. Stem Cell Mexico uses only this cell type.

The IV infusion

1. A small catheter is placed in a vein in your arm.
2. Baseline vital signs are recorded.
3. The cells are infused slowly, usually over 30 to 60 minutes.
4. Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen and temperature are monitored during and after the infusion.

The intrathecal application (selected cases)

1. You are positioned on your side, supported by staff, with care to protect your skin and joints.
2. The skin of the lower back is cleaned and numbed with local anesthetic.
3. A thin needle is placed between two vertebrae into the fluid around the spinal cord, similar to an epidural or lumbar puncture. Imaging may be used to guide the needle when anatomy has changed after surgery.
4. The cells are injected slowly, and the needle is removed.
5. You lie flat for a period afterward, as the doctor indicates, to reduce the chance of headache.

The intrathecal route places cells in the spinal fluid, closer to the injured cord. Possible effects include temporary headache and back or muscle discomfort.

Step 6: Observation

You stay at our facilities with nursing and medical monitoring. The team:

• Monitors blood pressure, including signs of autonomic dysreflexia.
• Follows your bladder and bowel schedule.
• Repositions you regularly and checks your skin.
• Watches for temporary fever, headache or fatigue and monitors temperature closely.

Step 7: Discharge and recovery

Before discharge, the doctor gives you written instructions:

• Rest on the day of treatment and the following day.
• Drink fluids and lie down if you develop a headache after an intrathecal application; contact the team if it is severe.
• Continue your bladder, bowel and skin routines carefully during travel.
• Seek care for high or persistent fever, signs of urinary infection, a new pressure injury, severe headache or symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia that do not resolve.

No treatment is free of risk, and these instructions help detect problems early.

Step 8: Rehabilitation and follow-up

• Rehabilitation: many families plan a period of more intensive physical and occupational therapy in the months after treatment.
• Measurement: we recommend repeating the ISNCSCI exam, the SCIM independence measure and your specific functional tasks at three, six and twelve months with your therapists.
• Follow-up: our team stays in contact through calls and messages. Recovery is gradual, and each person responds differently: some notice changes in sensation, spasticity or energy within weeks, while others notice them over months. Based on your progress, the doctor may recommend a second application.

What the evidence supports

• CELLTOP trial: in a 2024 phase 1 trial from Mayo Clinic published in Nature Communications, adults with traumatic SCI received MSCs by intrathecal injection with no serious treatment-related adverse events, and several showed improvements in sensory and motor scores.
• Regulatory experience: Japan granted conditional, time-limited approval to an MSC product for SCI in 2018.
• Safety of umbilical cord MSCs: a 2026 meta-analysis in Stem Cells Translational Medicine found temporary fever as the most consistent side effect of IV umbilical-cord-derived MSCs.
• Standard care: the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS, NIH) and the World Health Organization describe rehabilitation, prevention of complications and assistive technology as the foundation of SCI care.

Tips for caregivers

• Keep a written schedule of medications, catheterization and repositioning.
• Pack supplies in hand luggage in case checked bags are delayed.
• Request airport wheelchair assistance and aisle chair support in advance.
• Plan rest stops during long drives.
• Allow a rest day after returning home.

Who may be a candidate

• Stable SCI, usually in the subacute or chronic phase, with recent records and imaging.
• Stable blood pressure, skin and bladder management.
• No active infection, open pressure injury or cancer within the past five years.
• Participation in rehabilitation before and after treatment.

Realistic goals

For many people with SCI, the most valuable changes are improvements that make daily life easier: better sitting balance and transfers, small gains in hand function, improved sensation that helps protect the skin, less spasticity or nerve pain, better bladder awareness and more energy during therapy. Setting two or three goals like these before treatment helps you and your therapists measure what changes.

Questions to ask during your evaluation

• Am I a candidate for the intrathecal application?
• How will my bladder, bowel and skin care be managed during the stay?
• How many nights will I stay?
• Which measures should my therapists record before and after treatment?

Bottom line

Stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury at Stem Cell Mexico follows a careful process: records review, consultation, written plan, evaluation, IV infusion of Wharton's jelly MSCs and, in selected cases, an intrathecal application, followed by monitored observation adapted to SCI care, rehabilitation and follow-up. Results vary between patients. A medical evaluation can help determine whether this type of regenerative treatment is appropriate for your injury, goals and medical history.