Low Back Pain & DRX

What causes lower back pain?

In young to middle-aged adults, back pain is often caused by soft tissue injuries such as stretched or torn muscles. As you get older, however, degenerative changes tend to be the primary cause of back pain.

These conditions commonly cause age-related lower back pain:

Herniated and degenerative discs

Spinal discs are made of a gel-like center enclosed in a tough outer layer. You develop a herniated disc when the inner material pushes through a weak or damaged covering. The herniated part protrudes into the spinal canal.

Disc degeneration develops over the years as discs dry out and lose strength. This type of degeneration makes the disc collapse, causing inflammation and pinching nerves.

Osteoarthritis

Just like every other joint in your body, facet joints in the spine can become arthritic and gradually develop bone spurs, causing pain and stiffness.

Spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis refers to a narrowed spinal canal, which leads to compressed nerves.

Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy, or a pinched nerve, develops due to any change that narrows the spinal canal.

Will I have symptoms other than pain?

Lower back pain alone is enough to stop you from enjoying everyday activities, but it’s not the only symptom you may experience. When a nerve is compressed, you can also have pain anywhere along the nerve. The best example is sciatica, which causes intense pain that travels down your leg.

Pinched nerves also cause tingling and numbness. In some cases, a severely compressed nerve can result in weak muscles.

How is lower back pain treated?

The specialists at SoCal Regenerative Medical Clinics develop a treatment plan based on the cause and severity of your lower back pain. They offer a range of nonsurgical and nonsteroidal treatments that target the root cause of your pain, including:

DRX9000™ True Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression™ System

The DRX9000 is a state-of-the-art traction system that nonsurgically decompresses your spine. As the machine gently stretches your spine, it creates space between the vertebrae. This action relieves pressure on nerves, which in turn alleviates your pain. The DRX9000 also treats a herniated disc by eliminating the protrusion.

Your treatment with the DRX9000 is completely customized as your doctor adjusts therapeutic factors such as the amount of pull, length of time, and traction angle.

Perineural injection therapy (PIT)

PIT, also called neural prolotherapy, is a procedure in which your doctor injects pharmaceutical-grade dextrose at the site of inflamed and damaged tissues. The dextrose produces a healing response, which ultimately relieves your pain. This type of injection is used to treat injured connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons, as well as nerves.

PRP and stem cell injections

When platelet-rich plasma and stem cells are injected, they migrate to damaged tissues, where they release substances that reduce inflammation and promote tissue regeneration. As PRP and stems cells naturally heal diverse types of tissues, including nerves, muscles, and connective tissues, they help relieve your lower back pain.

Ozone therapy

Ozone therapy consists of injecting a highly concentrated form of oxygen, which improves circulation, triggers antioxidant production to reduce inflammation, and promotes the release of growth factors needed to heal damaged tissues.

As part of their comprehensive treatment, you may also receive therapies such as:

• Ultrasound therapy, which uses sound waves to reduce inflammation and relieve pain
• Iontophoresis, to induce better absorption of topical medication using electrical stimulation
• Red light laser therapy, which reaches deep below the surface to reduce inflammation, relax muscles, and stimulate healing
• KT tape, to reduce pressure on injured tissues, relieve pain, and support muscles
• Manual therapy, which includes many techniques to reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, and promote healing

Lower back pain is notoriously hard to treat with conventional options, but you’ll find relief with the nonsurgical and regenerative treatments available at SoCal Regenerative Medical Clinics — call the office or book an appointment online today.

What happens during spinal decompression?

The doctors at SoCal Regenerative Medical Clinics provide spinal decompression using the most advanced equipment available: the DRX9000™. During your session, you’ll lie on the comfortable treatment table, where you’re fitted into a support system that stabilizes your body.

Your doctor sets the controls on the DRX9000 based on your back condition. Therapeutic factors such as the amount of pull, traction angle, and the length of time are all adjustable. Then the state-of-the-art traction system built into the DRX9000 stretches your spine using gentle movement.

You shouldn’t feel any pain during your spinal decompression treatment, but it’s good to know that you have some control with a patient safety switch. One session generally lasts about 30-45 minutes, but it depends on your condition.

To achieve optimal results, most patients have a series of spinal decompression treatments on the DRX9000, but like all aspects of your care at SoCal Regenerative Medical Clinics, your therapy is customized to meet your health needs.

Spinal decompression can help provide long-lasting relief from your back pain. To learn more about the innovative DRX9000 or to schedule an appointment, use the convenient online booking feature or call SoCal Regenerative Medical Clinics.