Disc Tear Management Without Surgery In Pittsburgh, PA
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.
How Are Disc Tears Commonly Treated?
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.
107 Gamma Drive
Suite 220
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
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Call to Schedule Schedule OnlineClinic Hours
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 8AM–4:30PM |
| Tuesday | 8AM–4:30PM |
| Wednesday | 8AM–4:30PM |
| Thursday | 8AM–4:30PM |
| Friday | 8AM–4:30PM |
| Saturday | Closed |
Treating Disc Tears 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.
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.
Is Regenexx Right for Your Disc Tear?
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?Webinar: Treating Back Pain Without Surgery
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
