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Is there a regenerative strategy for bulging and herniated discs that are causing neck pain?
When you review the standard degenerative cascade that leads to bulging and herniated discs, there is one cause that many back doctors overlook, and that is a ligament injury.
But necks and backs are all about bones, right? What do ligaments have to do with bulging and herniated discs?
As it turns out, quite a bit which is why there are so many problems with diagnosing and treating necks and backs, and also why there are conditions called Failed Back Syndrome, and Failed Neck Syndrome. Many doctors are looking for the root cause of neck pain but in all the wrong places.
The 3-joint-complex of the cervical spine consists of an intervertebral disc and two facet joints. Any degenerative spine disease such as osteoarthritis will disrupt the kinetics of the spine and loosen the ties that bind the bones of the neck together, which are the highly enervated capsular ligaments. When the ligaments are injured due to trauma or disease, they become lax, which loosens the vertebrae so that they begin to pinch adjacent nerve structures and generate local or radiating pain down your arm. Damage to ligaments and facet joints can also loosen and destabilize discs in your neck, causing them to bulge and eventually herniate.
For over twenty years, Dr. Greenberg has helped patients heal themselves using their own healing factors and cells. By regenerating their own cartilage, bone, and ligaments, they strengthen the 3-joint complex of their vertebrae, eliminate structural looseness, repair spinal kinetics and improve joint function and reduce back and neck pain.
The long term success of Dr. Greenberg’s patients is attributed to a specialized approach to the examination process. Deemed “The Greenberg Method,” this diagnostic approach not only looks into the area of damage and pain, but also evaluates the mechanics and structure of the bone and joints related to the area of the pain. For instance not only do we want to look at the disc, but we have been able to show that treatment of the joint is paramount to support the disc and that regeneration of the joint can help the body pull the disc back into place on its own. In the cervical region, incongruence of the scapula can pull on the neck region while an abnormal pelvic tilt can create shearing forces across the lumbar spine and sacrum. In executing The Greenberg Method, Dr. Greenberg often discovers that conditions experienced in one area of the body are often rooted in a different area that hasn’t been treated before. While an isolated joint treatment ignores physiology and the evaluation of movement, The Greenberg Method’s full-body examination produces a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan. In return, the patient experiences a greater reduction in pain and improvement in function, which helps them get back on their feet to resume their daily routines, pain free.
Dr. Greenberg’s team will perform The Greenberg Method, including a review of your most recent radiographs. They will carefully examine and palpate your neck, back and shoulders for a comprehensive understanding of the systems involved.
Dr. Greenberg’s team may recommend The Greenberg Method, including prolotherapy, with an emphasis on Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) as the first treatment regimen for the inflamed capsular ligaments along your neck. PRP synergizes prolotherapy’s healing process with powerful healing factors that include the Interleukin cytokines of IL-1, IL-4, and IL-6, plus FGF-2 (fibrin-growth factor) and TGF-β1 (tissue growth factor)which support the regeneration of cartilage, ligaments, tendons and local muscles. PRP also contains BMP (bone morphogenic protein) to strengthen and regenerate bone structures.
For patients with bruised or herniated discs with severe neck pain, radiculopathy (pain down the arm or hand) and indications of arthritis, Dr. Greenberg may include a stem cell treatment. The Greenberg Method (TGM) stem cell treatments developed by Dr. Greenberg useadipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) that are taken from your own fat cells. ADRCs contain multipotent stem cells and additional healing factors, plus bone morphogenic proteins (BMP), transcription factors and exosomes. In addition, there are several cytokines or healing factors such as A2M that block arthritic proteins, and IL-1RA, which moderates inflammation. They all combine to give the stem cell treatment its regenerative power.
Dr. Greenberg will discuss the objectives of each treatment and explain the therapeutic options that are most appropriate for your case. You may receive a treatment every three weeks or so over several months.
The Greenberg Method is a good choice for people who are looking for a non-invasive alternative to surgery. TGM treatments have lower infection risks than surgeries, shorter recovery times and are opioid-free. Dr. Greenberg is a holistically-centered physician who not only treats your physical injury but he also addresses You. We support your recovery through proper nutrition, supplements, and innovative therapies to nurture a sense of wellness for your body and mind.
If you or a loved one is looking for a new strategy to treat chronic aches and pains, fill out the form on this page to schedule an appointment or call Dr. Greenberg’s office today at 833-440-4325.
A prospective study of shoulder pain in primary care; Cadogan, Laslett, Hing, McNair, Coates BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2011; 12: 119.
Dextrose Prolotherapy for Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Case Report; Seenauth, Inouve, Langland; Altern Ther Health Med. 2018 Jan;24(1):56-6