Regenexx Logo

Alternative Herniated Disc Treatments In Pittsburgh, PA

107 Gamma Drive, Suite 220 Pittsburgh, PA 15238

On This Page

 

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

107 Gamma Drive
Suite 220
Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Request an Appointment

Call to Schedule Schedule Online

Doctors

Dr. Lieber is a native of Pittsburgh who has dedicated his medical career to treating individuals who are experiencing spinal axis and musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. He has been recognized as one of Pittsburgh’s “Best Doctors” by Pittsburgh Magazine four years in a row.

He is an expert in performing regenerative orthopedic procedures, such as bone marrow concentrate procedures, PRP and prolotherapy, and specializes in interventional spinal procedures.

Dr. Lieber has trained local pain fellows, residents, and medical students in the approaches to interventional regenerative orthopedic medicine, pain treatment, and musculoskeletal impairment. He has served as an international professor instructing and mentoring physicians around the world.

View Full Profile

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

A native of Pittsburgh, Dr. Adelsheimer has dedicated his career to the non-operative treatment of musculoskeletal pain disorders.

He specializes in regenerative medicine and interventional pain management and has performed more than 25,000 fluoroscopically guided spinal procedures. He incorporates these procedures into an overall rehabilitation plan designed to decrease pain and improve quality of life.

Dr. Adelsheimer completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Tufts University, serving as chief resident. He currently holds board certification in both physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine.

View Full Profile

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

Dr. Sally offers treatment plans to optimize his patients’ physical function, as well as coaching to promote a healthier lifestyle with exercise, nutrition, and wellness counseling. He works with regenerative and performance specialists, specializing in the treatment of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal issues.

A native of the Pittsburgh area, Dr. Sally completed residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation and fellowship training in sports and spine medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he served as chief resident.

His expertise includes sports and spine medicine, diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound, ultrasound-guided procedures, platelet-rich plasma injections, prolotherapy, fluoroscopically guided spine procedures, concussion management, and electrodiagnostic medicine.

View Full Profile

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

How To Treat a Herniated Disc Without Surgery

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.

Treatment for herniated discs may include a Regenexx PL-Disc Procedure. The PL stands for platelet lysate, which is a highly specialized derivative of PRP.

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.

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

Request an Appointment

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

Learn More About Herniated Discs

How to Heal a Herniated Disc Naturally

Alternatives to Back Surgery for Herniated and Bulging Discs

Herniated Disc Recovery Time: More Whole Body Inflammation Predicts Poor Recovery From a Herniated Disc

TO TOP