Disc Tear Management Without Surgery In Tampa, FL

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.

8600 Hidden River Pkwy.
Suite 700
Tampa, FL 33637

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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