Alternative Herniated Disc Treatments In San Diego, CA

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

11230 Sorrento Valley Rd.
Suite 120
San Diego, CA 92121

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Doctors

Dr. Cohen has had a distinguished career in medicine and has been recognized by his peers as an outstanding clinician, winning several distinguished awards, including the prestigious Master Clinician award, as well as being appointed as Assistant Clinical Professor (voluntary) at UCSD School of Medicine.

For the first 11 years of his medical career, Dr. Cohen was contracted by the Department of Defense to manage and direct the Sports Medicine and Reconditioning program for the Marine Corps recruits in the western United States, as well as to serve as a special consultant for the Navy SEALs. He is proud to be able to provide procedures using Regenexx injectates to patients from his San Diego location.

Dr. Cohen is a dedicated physician and passionate family man who is also an avid golfer, fisherman, and triathlete.

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Areas treated: Elbow, Foot & Ankle, Hand & Wrist, Hip, Knee, Shoulder

Dr. Costanzo has had a distinguished career in medicine and has been recognized by her peers as an outstanding physician. She is dedicated to and extremely passionate about whole-person wellness.

She has extensive experience and training in managing chronic pain conditions and is proud to be able to provide procedures using Regenexx injectates to patients in San Diego.

Additionally, she is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and has been awarded the prestigious Associate Master Clinician award.

She is also a certified Level 4 ESSENTRICS instructor and teaches weekly exercise classes.

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Areas treated: Cervical Spine (Not Upper Cervical or CCI)*, Hip, Knee, Lumbar Spine, Thoracic Spine

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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