Disc Tear Management Without Surgery In Carlsbad, CA

Spinal discs act as shock absorbers between the vertebrae (spinal bones) in your neck and back. They have a tough outer covering called the annulus fibrosus and a softer, gel-like center called the nucleus pulposus.  The annulus can tear from wear and tear or trauma and can cause mild to severe pain, depending on the location. And although many are asymptomatic, they are more likely to be painful if you’re under age 50.

Annular tears can be overlooked as a cause of pain and are often lumped in with degenerative disc disease (DDD). The only reliable way to find out if a tear is causing your back pain is via discogram. During a discogram, pressure is injected into the disc. The doctor uses this pressure to see if the disc is painful.

In many cases, given enough time and rest, torn discs will heal on their own. However, the area will be more prone to repeat injury and degenerative disc disease (DDD). 

If the pain and other symptoms don’t lessen over time, physicians often recommend a high-dose epidural steroid injection that can temporarily help the pain. But this can also lead to severe side effects and reduce your body’s natural ability to heal itself. 

If the steroid injection doesn’t work, the next common orthopedic option is spinal fusion, a procedure in which two vertebrae are screwed together, or fused. Spinal fusions have been shown to be no more effective than placebo surgeries (also known as sham surgeries), while complications occur in 25% of fusion patients and often lead to further issues, including adjacent segment disease (ASD).

That’s why we’ve developed a different approach.

5806 Van Allen Way
Suite 101
Carlsbad, CA 92008

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Doctors

Dr. Derrington has been providing care to patients throughout California and beyond as a physician licensed to provide Regenexx injectates since 2016. As a doctor of osteopathic medicine, he understands the connection between structure and function and devises holistic treatment plans to help the body heal itself without surgical intervention.

He completed residency training at Thomas Jefferson University and fellowship with Marko Bodor, MD. Dr. Derrington continued his regenerative medicine training with the Interventional Orthobiologic Foundation and continues to help educate fellow physicians as an instructor for IOF.

He has published papers and textbook chapters on Interventional Orthobiologic treatments, spine procedures, tendon disorders, and ultrasound-guided injection techniques.

And he stays active via CrossFit and enjoys eating good food, listening to good music, and exploring the world with his family.

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Dr. Melanie Worley completed her fellowship at the Centeno-Schultz Clinic, the nation’s leading interventional orthobiologics fellowship, where she trained in advanced image-guided procedures, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and bone marrow concentrate treatments for orthopedic and spine conditions. She is dual fellowship–trained, also completing a sports medicine fellowship at West Virginia University, and is board certified in both Emergency Medicine and Sports Medicine.

Dr. Worley has presented nationally at The Orthobiologic Institute (TOBI) and the Regenexx Conference, and earned the Top Research Award from the Interventional Orthobiologics Foundation (IOF) for her work on biologic treatments in sports medicine. Her practice emphasizes a personalized and holistic approach, with a focus on helping patients heal without surgery and get back to the activities they love.

As a lifelong athlete, Dr. Worley has run the Boston Marathon three times and has a PR below 3 hours in the marathon. She has won multiple triathlons and competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. She is currently training for a HYROX competition and also enjoys snowboarding, exploring new trails, Nordic skiing, plant-based cooking, playing guitar, and is a coffee connoisseur.

Originally from Ohio, Dr. Worley is excited to make California her new home and to bring her expertise in regenerative and sports medicine to Derrington Orthopedics.

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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).

During Regenexx’s outpatient procedures, custom concentrations of your body’s natural healing agents are injected into the exact areas of damage in the spine. Treatments use only your own blood to make super-concentrated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or your own bone marrow concentrate (BMC), which contains stem cells.

Best of all, your downtime will be a fraction of what it is with surgery and generally requires little to no opioid pain medications or time off of work.

Am I a candidate?

Watch a real Regenexx spinal procedure performed by a certified Regenexx physician:

Our goal is to use the least invasive, least expensive procedure to get the desired results. Your Regenexx physician will work with you to determine whether that would be a platelet procedure or a BMC procedure.

At Regenexx, we are dedicated to giving you the information you need to make an informed decision about your best treatment option.

During your initial appointment, your Regenexx doctor will use our four-part SANS (stability, articulation, neuromuscular, and symmetry) evaluation to identify the underlying causes of your pain. Your doctor will examine your injury through a full range of motion and may use ultrasound to observe the inner workings in real time. 

Once the evaluation is completed, your doctor will determine if Regenexx is right for you and will discuss your customized treatment plan based on your specific needs.

Am I a candidate?

Join Chris Centeno, MD, founder of Regenexx, to learn how Regenexx procedures can help treat your back pain 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
Watch Webinar
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