Experiencing Lower Back Pain? Consider These Treatment Options

By: Our Medical Team

6/30/2022

Spinal pain, including lower back pain, can be debilitating and wreak havoc on your daily function and quality of life. In some cases, men and women with lower back pain may feel highly discouraged after exhausting their available intervention options. At Southwest Spine & Sports, Dr. Michael Wolff and his team offer The Discseel® Procedure to alleviate spinal pain through disc repair and growth in Scottsdale, AZ.

What causes lower back pain?

Lower back pain has numerous root causes and comes in two forms: acute and chronic. Acute lower back pain generally has an immediate onset and lasts for a short duration. Lower back pain is considered chronic if the pain lasts for three months or longer. Causes may include:

  • Poor body positioning or body mechanics

  • Trauma or injury to the spine or surrounding muscle tissue

  • Pinched or damaged nerves

  • Herniated disc(s)

  • Disc tears

  • Fractured vertebrae

At Southwest Spine & Sports, Dr. Wolff performs thorough initial examinations to identify the exact cause of your lower back pain before proceeding with any intervention plans.

What are common treatment options for lower back pain?

Prospective patients seek out intervention plans based on their unique lower back pain symptoms. Treatment options may include:

  • Physical or occupational therapy

  • Physical agent modalities: ice, heat, electrical stimulation, ultrasound application

  • Manual therapy techniques: KT taping, myofascial massage

  • Therapeutic exercise

  • Surgery: spinal fusions

  • Steroid injections

In some cases, these interventions prove helpful and alleviate discomfort. Unfortunately, if the intervention doesn’t match the source of the problem, then the intervention often produces ineffective results.

What is The Discseel® Procedure?

The Discseel procedure is an outpatient, non-surgical technique that uses concentrated fibrin to repair damaged discs in the spine. Fibrin is an element made of two components, prothrombin and fibrinogen, and is directly injected into torn, degenerated, or damaged disc tissue to seal it off and stimulate new growth. The Discseel procedure has proven to be an excellent alternative to spinal fusions, in which damaged discs are removed and replaced with artificial fusion equipment. Patients don’t lose the range of motion in their spine from the fusion and can recover natural and virtually pain-free spinal mobility.

What are the benefits of The Discseel® Procedure?

Individuals can experience multiple benefits from The Discseel® Procedure, including:

  • Alleviation of debilitating lower back pain

  • Results in as little as six weeks

  • Fast outpatient care

  • No scarring

  • No physical therapy after treatment

  • Customized intervention

  • Limited downtime

How is The Discseel® Procedure performed?

The Discseel procedure is a carefully laid-out, four-step process:

  1. Consultation

Patients speak directly with Dr. Wolff at Southwest Spine & Sports to discuss their current symptoms, medical history, and treatment or surgical history. Patients are also free to ask any questions about the Discseel procedure and what to expect.

  1. Annulogram

The annulogram is a test that closely examines each individual disc for minute damage that an MRI or discography could not detect. Even the most subtle tears need to be identified and treated early to prevent future damage and herniations.

  1. Treatment

During the injection process, the patient receives mild sedation for increased comfort. Dr. Wolff utilizes x-ray fluoroscopy and contrast to identify each disc tear. As each tear is identified, Dr. Wolff will inject fibrin to seal off the tears. Over the next few months, the fibrin will further seal off the damage and promote tissue growth.

  1. Recovery

Before returning home, patients rest in our recovery room for approximately 30 minutes. With Dr. Wolff’s approval, you may return home with a responsible driver to begin your in-home recovery.

What can I expect during recovery at home?

Patients' recovery time will vary between a few days to a few weeks, depending on the number of discs treated. Patients should expect mild discomfort that will dissipate over a few days. Although some patients may return to work after several days, others may consider taking a few weeks off if their job responsibilities are physically strenuous.

Learn more about The Discseel® Procedure for lower back pain

If you have been living with lower back pain or other spinal pain and wish to learn more about The Discseel® Procedure, contact our team at Southwest Spine & Sports in Scottsdale, AZ and schedule a consultation today. Dr. Michael Wolff will work with you, discuss your current symptoms, explore your available options, and help you determine if the Discseel procedure is right for you.

* All information subject to change. Images may contain models. Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary.