Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments affecting US adults. It can be caused by a variety of issues and conditions, like degenerative disc disease, sciatica, and herniated discs. Unfortunately, many treatments for these conditions, especially surgical treatments, don’t have particularly high success rates. This leaves patients wondering how they can get effective lower back pain treatment.
Fortunately, the Discseel Procedure is finally here at the Center for Sports Medicine and Wellness in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Patients now have hope for relief from lower back pain with a spine procedure that won’t limit their ability to lead an active lifestyle. Keep reading to learn more about the Discseel Procedure and how it works.
What is the Discseel Procedure?
The Discseel Procedure is a minimally invasive and non-surgical lower back pain treatment designed for conditions like degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, and sciatica. It treats these conditions by utilizing fibrin, a natural biologic formed from fibrinogen during the blood clotting process.
Fibrinogen is a protein that is present in blood plasma from which, using the enzyme thrombin, the body creates fibrin. Fibrin then forms a fibrous mesh that blocks blood flow and encourages new tissue to grow, healing cuts and tears.
Essentially, the Discseel Procedure utilizes your own body’s natural healing processes and applies them to your spinal discs, which are unable to heal cuts and tears on their own. This procedure is an excellent choice for anyone living an active life because it allows patients to restore their mobility once they’ve fully recovered. If you’re an athlete living with back pain and looking for a lower back pain treatment that will allow you to get back to the activities you enjoy, this procedure is a great option.
You may be a candidate for the Discseel Procedure if you have any of the following conditions:
- Annular tears
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated discs
- Sciatica
- Chronic lower back pain
What to Expect
This lower back pain treatment begins with a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Shiple himself. During this consultation, you and Dr. Shiple will discuss your prior tests and procedures, injections, and even surgeries if you’ve undergone other procedures. Dr. Shiple will also perform a physical examination of your back, and after this, you’ll have as much time as you need to ask him any questions you may have. During this time, you’ll be able to receive detailed answers to all your questions that other physicians may not have explained to your satisfaction.
Following your consultation, and once you’re fully confident and comfortable with the procedure, you’ll undergo the Discseel Procedure. This starts with an Annulogram, which is a pain-free test used to identify subtle annular tears in your spinal discs that MRI and discography can’t detect. X-ray contrast is mixed with antibiotics, and this mixture is injected into the annulus fibrosus, the outer portion of your spinal discs. This makes the tears visible. Every spinal disc in the region of your pain will be tested to find even the most subtle annular tears. Doing this allows Dr. Shiple to take a proactive approach, addressing small tears before they lead to herniation or degeneration.
Once tears are detected, X-ray fluoroscopy is used to inject the two components that make up the orthobiologic fibrin (prothrombin and fibrinogen) are simultaneously injected into the annular tears. This immediately seals the tears and stops any leaking caused by them. Over the following months, fibrin will promote disc tissue growth as well, which will complete the healing process in your spinal discs over 3-6 months.
The Discseel Procedure takes approximately 40 minutes to complete and is performed in an outpatient facility. After your procedure, you’ll rest in recovery for about 30 minutes and you’ll be able to go home or to your hotel room the same day. After undergoing the Discseel Procedure, most people experience temporary discomfort before feeling improvement. Please keep this in mind as you recover.
We recommend walking with assistance the day after your procedure and slowly increasing your activity level as tolerated. Increase your activity level in 10% increments until you get back to 100% of your desired activity level.
Why the Discseel Procedure is an Effective Lower Back Pain Treatment
So how does the Discseel Procedure actually work as a lower back pain treatment? It all starts with your spinal discs.
Your spinal discs are made up of 2 layers: the annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus. The annulus fibrosus is the outer portion of the disc, made of 22-25 layers of fibrous collagen rings that encase the nucleus pulposus. The nucleus pulposus is the inner layer of your spinal discs and is a jelly-like substance that will leak out of the disc if the annulus fibrosus sustains enough tears. This leakage can then cause inflammation and irritation of surrounding spinal nerves and nerves contained within the annulus fibrosus. This can cause back pain as well as pain in your extremities, such as your arms, hands, legs, and feet.
Although your spinal discs are meant to absorb shock, repeated stress or traumatic injuries can wear them down over time. This eventually leads to the development of annular tears, but pain isn’t felt unless the nucleus pulposus begins to leak through these tears.
Annular tears are one of the most common causes of spinal disc conditions like degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, sciatica, and general chronic lower back pain. Unfortunately, your spinal discs can’t naturally heal without assistance due to their lack of blood flow. In addition to this, these tears cannot be sewn because of how fragile the outer layer of the spinal disc is.
Just about every adult has annular tears. While for some people, these tears go unnoticed and produce no pain, for others, these tears lead to painful and debilitating symptoms that affect their quality of life. That’s when a solution like the Discseel Procedure is necessary.
Get Lower Back Pain Treatment in Southeastern Pennsylvania
At the Center for Sports Medicine and Wellness, our doctors are authorities in non-operative orthopedic sports medicine and minimally invasive treatments. This is exactly why Dr. Shiple chose to become a licensed Discseel Procedure physician. This procedure is one of the most effective and revolutionary treatments for spine conditions caused by disc issues. Trained by Dr. Pauza, the inventor of the Discseel Procedure, Dr. Shiple is more than qualified to administer this innovative regenerative procedure.
In addition to this, Dr. Shiple is the only licensed Discseel Procedure provider in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. If you’re living with lower back pain and have been led to believe that surgery is your only option, find out if you’re a candidate for this lower back pain treatment.
If you’d like to learn more about our services or contact us to schedule an appointment, please call our office in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, at (610) 459-4200 or fill out our form. We welcome your inquiry and we look forward to helping you find relief from your pain!