Disease and injury in the lumbar spine can be difficult to treat and recover from because of the lower spine's complex anatomy and its important role in supporting body weight and movement. Traditional treatments often involve steroid injections and orthopedic surgery.
Steroid injections may provide temporary relief from inflammation and pain. Still, they do not address underlying disease processes and, with repeated use, they can lead to weakened spinal structures and other unwanted systemic side effects. Orthopedic surgery can be a more definitive solution than steroids but surgery can entail important risks, such as infection, blood clots, and nerve damage. Surgery also requires general anesthesia, which can be risky for older individuals and those with existing health conditions. Surgical fusion of vertebrae can also lead to adjacent disc disease, where discs adjacent to the surgical site may degenerate at an accelerated rate due to altered spinal mechanics. Also, fusions employing metal appliances are likely to preclude a patient’s future use of effective medical technologies that use electric muscle stimulation (EMS) or pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) to rehabilitate or strengthen muscles, to treat level one incontinence or to aid in bone growth or healing.
As an alternative to catabolic injections or surgery, at Regenesis Stem Cell Center we offer our patients autologous stem cell therapy (the stem cells come from the patient’s bone marrow) and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP is processed from the patient’s blood) therapy to reverse the effects of osteoarthritis, stenosis, injury, and other diseases of the lower spine. Since 2014 we have provided hundreds of patients with regenerative therapies to significantly reduce or eliminate their lower back pain, allowing them to regain lost lower back function and a regain a healthier and more active life.
Our autologous stem cell and PRP therapies use a patient’s tissue to promote healing. Since we administer these tissues using precision, image-guided injections, our procedures are minimally invasive, avoiding the creation of scar tissue that surgery can entail. As a result, our therapies typically avoid the need for post-procedure physical therapy. Consequently, our bone marrow stem cell and PRP therapies offer the potential for a quicker, less painful recovery period. Our therapies encourage the natural regeneration of damaged tissues, including discs, muscles, ligaments, and even bone. These benefits are particularly appealing to individuals seeking to maintain an active lifestyle and minimize downtime. Indeed, our patients return to work and their daily routines within days following a regenerative procedure.
Our regenerative procedures reduce the risk of allergic reactions or rejection by using the patient's tissue. They also avoid the risks associated with general anesthesia since bone marrow stem cell and PRP therapies are performed using local analgesia and/or “twilight” sedation. Autologous stem cell and PRP therapies may also reduce the likelihood of adjacent disc disease by restoring the structural integrity and functionality of the lumbar spine more holistically, potentially preventing the cascade of degeneration that surgical interventions can accelerate.
While Cortisol type steroid injections and orthopedic surgery have been staples in treating lumbar spine diseases, autologous stem cell, and PRP therapies offer a significant step forward in significantly reducing low-back pain and improving function while affording lower risk profiles, shorter recovery times, and avoidance of complications associated with traditional treatments.
