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Disc Tear Management Without Surgery In Winooski, VT

321 Main Street, Suite C Winooski, VT 05404

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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.

321 Main Street
Suite C
Winooski, VT 05404

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Doctors

Dr. Fenton has been performing fluoroscopic (X-ray) and ultrasound guided injections since 2003, platelet-rich plasma injections since 2006, and bone marrow concentrate injections since 2012. To date, he has successfully completed hundreds of bone marrow concentrate procedures and thousands of PRP procedures for a variety of joint, ligament, tendon, and spine conditions.

He teaches orthopedic medicine and diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal ultrasound for several organizations across the USA and Mexico. He was the ultrasound course director for the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine. He has also taught many physicians in the licensed Regenexx network diagnostic and interventional ultrasound. Dr. Fenton’s protocol for hip dilation and mobilization are now part of Regenexx’s proprietary methods.

He is an avid bicyclist and alpine skier, as well as a former certified professional ski instructor, and lives with his family in the Champlain Valley of northwestern Vermont.

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Kelsey Albert, DO is a fellowship-trained, board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician specializing in sports, spine, and orthopedic regenerative medicine. She strives to maximize function, performance, and quality of life for her patients and help them stay engaged in the activities and sports that they love.

Dr. Albert graduated from Union College in New York magna cum laude with a degree in neuroscience and then obtained her medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Maine. Following medical school, she completed her residency at Albany Medical Center in New York, where she served as chief resident. She then continued her training in Napa, California for a specialized fellowship in Interventional Spine, Sports and Regenerative Medicine where she worked with Dr. Marko Bodor to refine her skills in image-guided injections, utilizing both ultrasound and fluoroscopy.

Prior to her medical career, Dr. Albert grew up skiing in Killington, Vermont and competed as a freestyle/mogul skier at the World Cup level. After years of training, she is fortunate enough to return to Vermont as a physician in the licensed Regenexx network to practice medicine with her mentor Dr. Jonathon Fenton at Vermont Regenerative Medicine in Winooski, VT. Beyond her professional pursuits, Dr. Albert remains an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys mountain biking, backcountry skiing and adventuring with her friends and family.

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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
Mature couple looking at tablet with smile on face while watching a webinar

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Please note our procedures are only covered by self-funded health plans at this time.

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What about health insurance or medical benefits? What may be covered or reimbursed depends on the details of your plan. Insurance typically covers evaluations and diagnostic testing (if recommended) but most do not cover Regenexx Procedures. Some Employer specific Regenexx Benefits plans do also cover Regenexx Procedures. Your plan’s representative can help verify your benefits, out-of-pocket costs, and coverage.

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