| Chronic Low Back Pain-Regenerating the Degenerated |
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Despite the relentless nature of lower-back pain, the most common cause is a relatively minor problem -- muscle strain -- not disc irritation, disc rupture, or even a bone problem.
This painful but relatively minor cause of back pain is best treated with light exercise and natural anti-inflammatories such as arnica, omega 3 fatty acids and proteolytic enzymes. Even pain caused by a bulging or herniated disc typically resolves on its own within a year in approximately 60 percent of cases," orthopedists claim. But the question always remains, what if the pain doesn't resolve? The next step is to identify the cause with the goal of correcting, regenerating this underlying problem. Seventy-five to eighty-five percent of the time we can clarify a concrete diagnosis, find a way to manage pain, and get patients off the drugs without surgery. "We used to prescribe 30 days bed rest for patients with herniated discs, but that was 15 to 20 years ago," says Venu Akuthota, M.D., medical director of the Spine Center at University of Colorado Hospital and associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "Actually, movement is very helpful for treating back conditions. Nowadays, we prescribe moderate, low-impact exercise, like walking, or working out on an elliptical trainer or treadmill." Traction, once thought to be an antiquated treatment for low back pain, has gained new interest with decompressive traction machines such as Accu Spina and DRX 9000. This new form of traction is applied via a computer that pulls and oscillates stimulating rehydration and healing of injured spinal discs and nerves. Recently, a regenerative first was performed at the Centeno-Schultz Pain Center where autologous or self adult stem cell will be transplanted to help degenerative discs regenerate. This is part of an ongoing study approved by the medical research institutional review board and hopes to break new ground into an old area of limited treatment options. The patient is a 54-year old weekend athlete who has been forced to the sidelines by chronic low back pain. She underwent one of the first ASC orthopedic transplants in the nation. Early MRI images of similar procedures have shown impressive results with evidence of regenerated normal tissue. By using the patient's own cells the surgical team avoids the ethical debate over embryonic stem cell tissue and the potential complications of using tissue other than your own. The future treatment for many common degenerative diseases will be regeneration through the use of your own blood or stem cells. Currently, Platelet Rich Plasma obtained from your own blood is being used to successfully treat degenerated and injured tissues such as achilles tendon tears, knee injuries, plantar fasciitis and shoulder injuries. Follow-up MRI's and Ultrasound reveal new normal healthy tissue after the treatment and patients have been able to return to all levels of activities without pain. I have been following this research for 3 1/2 years and have now integrated this into my practice to help people return to active lifestyles. More to come in the future as the research evolves. |
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