Regenexx Alternative to Spine Surgery or Steroid Epidural Injections
A steroid epidural is an injection that places steroid medication around irritated or inflamed nerves in the spine. While they do help patients avoid surgery, epidurals use very high-dose steroids that can cause severe side effects and actually reduce the body’s ability to heal.
Regenexx offers a variety of minimally invasive procedures that deliver ultra-precise spinal injections of platelet lysates (or in fewer cases, bone marrow concentrate) where needed, utilizing advanced imaging guidance to ensure precise placement into the injured area.
Platelet Treatments for Pain from Bulging or Herniated Discs
Bulging & Herniated Discs Explained
A bulging disc is also called a disc protrusion or bulge. This means that the outer covering of the disc (annulus) is partially torn or damaged and the inner gel is causing the area to bulge. This can put pressure on a spinal nerve and cause numbness and tingling (sciatica).
A herniated disc is also called a disc extrusion, slipped disc, sequestration, or “HNP” (Herniated Nucleus Pulposis). This means that the outer covering of the disc (annulus) is completely torn or damaged and the inner gel squirts out. This can put pressure on a spinal nerve or cause severe swelling and lead to numbness and tingling (sciatica).
Treating Bulging and Herniated Discs
Platelet Lysate is often used in the treatment of Bulging and Herniated Discs. This very specialized Regenexx-developed procedure utilizes natural growth factors from the patient’s own blood platelets. Regenexx’s extensive experience in Platelet Lysate, Platelet-Rich Plasma, and Bone marrow Concentrate from the patient’s own body, enables us to determine the best treatment options to address your source of pain.
Platelet Lysate Spinal procedures are administered with precise imaging guidance to target the specific areas needing treatment and may offer relief from lower back or neck pain, buttock and leg pain, or numbness and tingling in the arms, hands, legs, or feet. It’s a highly specific, precise image-guided non-surgical treatment alternative for patients suffering from bulging discs and herniated cervical, thoracic, or lumbar disc-related problems, performed only by specially trained Regenexx Physicians.
Platelet Lysate vs. Steroids Infographic
Better than Steroid Epidurals
A steroid epidural is an injection that places steroid medication around irritated or inflamed nerves in the spine. While they may help patients avoid surgery and can provide pain relief temporarily, epidurals use very high-dose steroids which can reduce the body’s ability to heal and can lead to severe side effects.
Regenexx Platelet Lysate is a very specific, precise image-guided injection-based alternative to a steroid epidural injection. It uses natural growth factors from the patient’s own body, derived from their own blood platelets, helping patients avoid surgery and the negative side effects of steroids.
Using Your Body’s Own Healing Agents for Degenerated Disc Pain: Bone Marrow Concentrate and Platelets
Advanced Treatments for Degenerative Discs
Degenerated disc patients tend to lose disc height which can lead to a wide range of complications.
- Compressed nerves (stenosis)
- Facet joint overload leading to arthritis
- Lax ligaments that result in overall spinal instability
Our advanced Interventional Orthobiologic treatment protocol focuses on Platelet and/or Bone Marrow Concentrate from the patient’s own body deployed to treat disc movement due to lax ligaments and arthritic facet joints.
Each of these critical areas above may benefit from different types of procedures.
Because Regenexx was the first to develop this type of treatment modality, we have the experience and the broad spectrum of procedures that allow for the treatment of all of these conditions. Regenexx procedures provide highly specific, precise image-guided, non-surgical treatment options using the healing agents from your own body for patients suffering from the complications associated with degenerative disc disease. Our highly skilled Physicians carefully target the right procedure to the impacted areas of the spine using precise imaging guidance, so that patients may avoid spinal fusion surgery or frequent high-dose steroid epidural injections and their associated side effects.
Degenerative Disc Procedure Infographic
Advanced Treatments for Torn & Painful Discs
Torn and Painful Discs Explained
Disc tears are also called annular tears or HIZs (High Intensity Zones) on MRI images. A patient with a painful and torn disc has “disogenic pain”. The outer covering of the disc can be torn due to injury and painful nerves can grow into the area, leading to low back pain, usually with sitting or activity. In addition, the tear in the disc may lead to noxious chemicals escaping and irritating the spinal nerve, which can lead to sciatica.
Patients with this type of disc damage and pain may benefit from a Regenexx Bone Marrow Concentrate injection procedure.
This highly specialized precise image-guided non-surgical procedure uses cells isolated from the patient’s own bone marrow. The bone marrow is collected using a special needle and advanced imaging guidance during an in-office procedure with your Regenexx Physician. The harvesting procedure is well tolerated by patients and many patients report experiencing no pain. After collection, the Bone Marrow is centrifuged to concentrate the healing cells, and unneeded cells are removed. These cells, along with a preparation of concentrated blood platelets, are injected the same day into the damaged disc, using precise advanced imaging guidance.