Alternative Herniated Disc Treatments In Tampa, FL

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

8600 Hidden River Pkwy.
Suite 700
Tampa, FL 33637

Request an Appointment

Call to Schedule Schedule Online

Doctors

Dr. Leiber believes that the key to treatment is a collaborative relationship between doctor and patient and an understanding that every person and situation is unique.

The first provider of procedures using Regenexx injectates in Florida starting in 2012, Dr. Leiber is the founder and medical director of Regenexx Tampa Bay – one of the longest-running clinics in the licensed Regenexx network – and Regenexx at New Regeneration Orthopedics in Florida.

Additionally, he is a former officer, physician, and educator in the Air Force and was a consulting physician to a former vice president and president at the White House.

He is originally from New York City (with strong family ties to Argentina) but has lived in all regions of the U.S. He resides on the southwest coast of Florida with his wife and two daughters and enjoys spending time with his family.

View Full Profile

A native Floridian, Dr. Papas is a non-surgical orthopedic physician specializing in interventional musculoskeletal and rehabilitation medicine at New ReGeneration Orthopedics.

He focuses on interventional regenerative orthopedics and offers the nation’s most advanced non-surgical treatments for injuries and arthritis under image guidance using ultrasound and fluoroscopy (live X-ray).

When he isn’t practicing medicine, he enjoys spending time with his child, playing soccer, practicing guitar, and listening to history podcasts.

View Full Profile

Dr. Torrance is a non-surgical orthopedic physician specializing in Sports Medicine at Regenexx at New Regeneration Orthopedics. His clinical practice focuses on Interventional Orthobiologics, offering procedures using Regenexx injectates, highly specific, precise image-guided injection procedures.

He is President of Hillsbourough Osteopathic Medical Society and a Board of Trustee Member of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association. He is also Chair of the Health and Wellness Committee for American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.

He has published in peer reviewed journals, co-authored Exercise 2.0 for Regenexx, and has spoken at medical conferences across the country. In 2016, he was invited to work on the medical staff at the CrossFit Regionals and CrossFit Games.

Alongside his medical career, Dr. Torrance enjoys many athletic pursuits. He has achieved a ranking as a semi-professional beach volleyball player and trains as a competitive CrossFit athlete. Dr. Torrance enjoys staying physically fit and spending time with his wife and two children.

View Full Profile

Dr. Valastro specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation, with a focus on regenerative medicine via orthobiologics. Throughout her osteopathic training, she developed an appreciation of the body’s innate ability to heal and regulate itself. These principles led her toward her ultimate career goal of providing care through regenerative medicine.

Dr. Valastro’s extensive training in orthobiologics for the musculoskeletal system includes a fellowship with Dr. Marko Bodor in Napa, California, that focused on spine, sports, electrodiagnostics, and regenerative medicine. She was involved in various research projects with Dr. Bodor and the Napa Medical Research Foundation and developed advanced skills in image-guided injections, both with ultrasound and fluoroscopy.

Dr. Valastro grew up in upstate New York and loves spending time in the Adirondacks for hiking and snowshoeing. In her spare time, she also enjoys kayaking, weight lifting, and volleyball. She has settled in Tampa, Florida with her husband and Labrador Retriever.

View Full Profile

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
Watch Webinar
TO TOP