Consider this: Approximately 80% of the adult population in the United States will experience low back pain in their life. Low back pain also accounts for one of the main reasons for missed work days nationwide. Furthermore, of that 80%, about 8% of back pain sufferers will experience chronic, reoccurring back pain to the point their activities become extremely limited.
So, what do the majority do when they experience back pain? Unfortunately is the same circular routine that has been the “standard of care” for far too long. It typically looks like this:
Sound familiar? Maybe this has been your experience.
The main thing to note about this typical process is that none of these methods, other than physical therapy, directly influence healing or change to the actual cause of the pain. Medicines and steroids only help with symptoms — such as sciatica and general back pain. They do not address the cause of the pain which usually means these treatments only provide relief short term.
What about surgery? Doesn’t surgery help ‘fix’ this issue? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no.
Researchers believe that failed back surgery occurs anywhere between 10%-40% of the time. Other studies show that between and %5-36% of people who undergo surgery saw their leg pain (sciatica) and back pain return just two years after surgery.
And with a growing aging population, the number of spine surgeries is increasing—and that means the number of failed back surgery cases is also growing. Between 1998 and 2008, the annual lumbar fusion rate skyrocketed by 170.9%.
Furthermore, more surgeries don’t always deliver better results, especially when you look at the recurrent surgery rate. With each spine surgery you have, the chance of success drops.
It is important to note that failed back surgery doesn’t suggest that you or your surgeon have failed. Simply put, failed back surgery means you have persistent back pain after surgery. In other words, your and your surgeon’s expected surgery outcome—that your spine pain would be minimized or eliminated—didn’t happen.
So if meds and surgeries are not the answer, where should we be looking for help?
Our orthopedic specialists who believe in a more natural approach to back pain, offer a variety of remedies - all of which remove the potential of post-surgical complications, additional steroid injections, and long term use of pain medications.
When it comes to tissue rebuilding and repair, your body often has the necessary resources, just not in the numbers you need. Through platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and stem cell therapy, these resources can be redirected for better effect, addressing back pain at its core cause.
PRP comes directly from your blood and is used to ignite the body’s own natural healing process. Think about it like this — you get a cut on your arm and through your blood, the body sends signals to begin the healing process. White blood cells and platelets help clean and clot the area as well as fight any foreign bodies that might cause infection. These platelets also signal to the body to begin laying down new tissue to repair what has been damaged.
Stem cells are unique in that they can become any type of tissue in our bodies. They are cells with blank slates essentially, and the body uses them to form new tissue — bone, muscles, cartilage, etc. When we are young our stem cells are very active because we are growing and constantly replacing old tissue. As we age, our stem cells become less active and usually come to the party only when there is an immediate injury versus responding to long term chronic pain symptoms. The majority of the stem cells we use in our facility are found in your bone marrow.
By harvesting either platelets from your blood or stem cells from your bone marrow, we can inject these little healers directly into the area that is causing your pain. This has a profound impact on the healing process as we are supplying the affected area with a healthy dose of regenrative soup. This procedure doesn’t involve injecting drugs or cutting away like surgeries offer — instead it supplies the body with its own healing factors, igniting the restoration potential.
We use this medicine to effectively help with these types of conditions:
These efforts can help you experience long-lasting relief from your back pain, avoid recurring doctors visits, and get you back to enjoying life the way it was meant to be enjoyed - free of restrictions from pain.
