Alternative Herniated Disc Treatments In Litchfield Park, AZ

13575 West Indian School Road, Suite 700 Litchfield Park, AZ 85340

The discs in your spine are the shock absorbers between your vertebrae (spinal bones). They have a tough outer covering called the annulus fibrosus that encases a soft, gel-like substance called the nucleus pulposus. 

A disc herniation happens when the outer covering is ruptured and the gel escapes the disc. This causes the disc to put pressure on and irritate the spinal nerve roots or spinal cord, leading to pain around the area of the disc (localized pain) and causing pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness to radiate to the arms and legs (radicular pain).

Herniated discs are sometimes referred to as slipped or ruptured discs. However, they are not the same as a disc bulge or protrusion, where the gel-like material is still contained within the disc.

Medical illustration showing a normal or healthy spinal disc and a herniated spinal disc side by side.
Anatomy of a normal spinal disc vs. a herniated spinal disc side-by-side.

More conservative treatment options include acupuncture, physical therapy, prescription medications, and high-dose epidural steroid injections. While steroid injections can temporarily help the pain, they can cause severe side effects and reduce your body’s ability to heal.

If none of these work, the next course of treatment is usually back or neck surgery that cuts away a portion of the disc. However, this approach can leave the disc weaker and more likely to be injured again. The final option is often an extremely invasive spine surgery (spinal fusion) in which two vertebrae are permanently joined together with hardware.

Studies have shown that in the majority of cases herniated discs (also known as slipped or ruptured discs) the pain will go away on its own. The key is staying comfortable and being able to remain active while that happens.

However, a smaller percentage of people experience severe and longer-lasting pain. 

Our nonsurgical treatments for herniated disc problems can offer relief from lower back, buttock, and leg pain and numbness and tingling in the feet or legs. Downtime is a fraction of what it is with surgery and generally requires little or no opioid pain medications or time off of work.

Regenexx PL-Disc: Avoiding the harmful side effects of epidural steroids and back surgery

13575 West Indian School Road
Suite 700
Litchfield Park, AZ 85340

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Doctors

As the medical director and founder of Active Life Physical Medicine and Pain Center, Innovative Surgery Center, and Regena Spa, Dr. Lundquist has great enthusiasm toward regenerative medicines and a special interest in sports medicine and pain. She loves her work and feels blessed to be entrusted to help patients by alleviating painful ailments.

Her desire is to uncover methods that are more healing and less of a “band aid,” which has led her to become a leader in regenerative medicine technologies. She feels strongly about the importance of seeking methods to help alleviate pain on every level – holistically.

Originally a massage therapist and, later, an osteopath, she has a strong foundation to alleviate patient’s pain. She is a “hands on” physician who implements osteopathic techniques when appropriate with other tools.

She is dual board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation along with pain management, as well as a diplomat with the American Board of Pain Medicine.

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Dr. Bonilla is a double board certified physician (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Interventional Pain Management) with over 20 years of experience treating musculoskeletal conditions and spine injuries in the state of Arizona. Dr. Bonilla prides himself on using the most important tools in Physical Medicine, listening carefully to his patient, and using his hands to perform a careful physical exam. He thoroughly educates his patients on their conditions and treatment options and is a very caring and personable physician, always ensuring his patients are as comfortable as possible.

Dr. Bonilla’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science Engineering from Alfred University in New York. He initially worked as a production engineer for DuPont Electronic Materials Inc. for four years. Although he enjoyed his work as an engineer, his passion was always in medicine. As an avid and passionate skateboarder, Dr. Bonilla witnessed and suffered many injuries in his younger years. He witnessed first hand how devastating injuries could be on an active person and he decided to switch careers and study medicine to be able to help people who suffer life changing injuries. Being born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. Bonilla attended and graduated from University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. He then moved to Pittsburgh, PA to complete his internship at UPMC-Mercy Hospital, followed by his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Bonilla has been performing Regenerative Medicine for more than 18 years. He is trained and highly experienced in the use of ultrasound and fluoroscopy guided injections. He is also trained in the use of PRP and bone marrow concentrate, which contains your own stem cells, to promote the body’s natural ability to heal. Dr. Bonilla works part time at the Phoenix VA Hospital and enjoys helping Veterans with their musculoskeletal issues. He is married and has one son, currently serving as an US Army Honor Guard. He also has 3 step children and 2 grandchildren. As a passionate Mountain Biker for the last 20 years, Dr. Bonilla understands first hand how an injury can affect an individual’s lifestyle. He also enjoys traveling and exploring the outdoors.

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Areas Treated

Cervical Spine (Not Upper Cervical or CCI)*, Elbow, Foot & Ankle, Hand & Wrist, Hip, Knee, Lumbar Spine, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine

*This provider is NOT authorized by Regenexx to treat the C0-C1 or C1-C2 levels of the neck or CCI (craniocervical instability).

Below are MRI images of the outcome of a patient who had a Regenexx PL-Disc procedure to treat a subligamentous disc herniation. After the procedure, their pain dropped quickly, and they returned to their normal activities within weeks.

Scroll the arrow to the right to see the MRI of the disc before the Regenexx PL-Disc procedure — the white/lighter area indicates damage. Scroll to the left to see the MRI of the disc after. The images are two years apart from the original treatment date.

Herniated disc before and after MRI images 1

Herniated disc before and after MRI images 2

Older man working on laptop, smiling, looking at screen, drinking tea.

Join Chris Centeno, MD, founder of Regenexx, to learn how Regenexx procedures can help treat your herniated disc without surgery and lead to a faster recovery.

During this free webinar you’ll learn:

  • How procedures using bone marrow concentrate (BMC) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) compare to surgery and other spine pain treatment options
  • Procedure expectations
  • Answers to the most common questions about regenerative medicine treatments
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