The Minimally Invasive Discseel® Procedure
Repairs Herniated Discs Without Surgery.
Herniated Discs Occur as a Result of Annular Tears
Herniated discs do not cause symptoms;
it is leaking liquid gel, known as the nucleus pulposus, that causes symptoms and weakness.
Because annular tears cause herniated discs, only sealing and healing those tears can heal herniations.
Only the Discseel® Procedure seals these tears, healing herniated discs.
What is a Herniated Disc?
Herniated disc pain occurs when the gel-like inner portion of the spinal disc leaks out through tears in the annulus fibrosus alongside a herniated disc. This gel, which the body perceives as a foreign substance, caused inflammation and irritation of the disc as well as surrounding spinal roots. Pain related to a herniated disc is not caused by a nerve being physically pinched.
causes
A herniated disc occurs when the center of the disc, called the nucleus pulposus, pushes through tears in the exterior of the disc, called the annulus fibrosus.
Sometimes people herniate a disc gradually through wear and tear of the disc by compressive forces (bending forward) or shear forces (twisting), and some herniated discs occur abruptly.
The pain associated with herniated discs is most often caused by the nucleus pulposus leaking through disc tears in the annulus fibrosus onto the spinal nerves, inflaming those nerves. This inflammation of the spinal nerves is what causes most pain and symptoms that patients experience, and not the mechanical pressure of the herniated disc, as many surgeons historically thought.
diagnosis
Like most conditions related to annular tears, herniated discs can be diagnosed with a physical exam and imaging tests, such as MRI, CT scan, or X-ray. Nerve tests may also be conducted if your doctor feels that your nerves have been impacted by the herniated disc.
There are also many common symptoms associated with herniated discs, including arm and leg pain, tingling or numbness, and weakness and muscle fatigue. Though it is not often the case, an individual can suffer from a herniated disc without knowing it. This could be due to minor herniation or a lack of pressure being applied to the spinal nerves. This type of herniation may only be found with x-ray images of the cervical or lumbar spine regions.
more on herniated discs
Most herniated discs occur in the lower back (lumbar spine), but it is also possible to have a herniated disc in your neck (cervical spine). Regardless of where your herniated disc is located, the pain you feel is caused by the irritation and inflammation of surrounding nerves. This explains why epidural steroid injections provide temporary relief despite the fact that they do not address the herniated disc’s underlying cause. These injections temporarily stop inflammation, thus stopping the pain or numbness short-term.
Common treatments for herniated discs may include
Discectomy
Spinal Fusion
Chiropractic Manipulation
Cortisone or Steroid Injections
Medication
Unfortunately, these methods
Do not address the underlying cause of herniated disc pain
only the discseel® procedure is known to heal annular tears that cause herniated discs
THE DISCSEEL® PROCEDURE uses Fibrin, an FDA-approved substance that is used off-label in this procedure, to seal and regenerate tissue. Fibrin is injected into disc tears, typically taking less than an hour. You’ll be walking the same day. The disc continues healing over 3-12 months as you increase your activity.
find out if you are a discseel® candidate
patient success
After being told his only cure was spinal fusion surgery, Jim searched for an alternative and found the Discseel® Procedure. He is now back to his active lifestyle and has been pain free since his procedure.
Sean wanted to find a solution to his back pain that didn’t involve putting hardware in his spine, so he chose the Discseel® Procedure. Now he’s living pain-free and has been able to return to the lifestyle he loves.
When Erica began developing spinal pain, she felt that the activities she loved were taken away from her. Erica now says that the Discseel® Procedure has “100% turned her life around” and allowed her to get back to the things she loves, like running.
ARTICLES ON HERNIATED DISCS
News articles and blog posts by Dr. Pauza & Team
Herniated Discs - The Facts
By Dr. Kevin Pauza
The correct term for this condition is a herniated disc. Incorrect and misused terms include disc protrusion, prolapse, slipped disc, or pinched nerves. Further, disc herniation does not cause symptoms. It is the leaking nucleus pulposus that causes symptoms and weakness. The liquid gel leaking out of discs alongside the herniated disc inflames spinal nerves, causing sciatica and weakness. It’s not the nerve being physically pinched, but leaking gel that causes these symptoms. This is why the MRI appearance often does not correlate with symptoms.
For this reason, when the disc herniation level seen on the MRI matches up with the patient’s symptoms, it’s usually coincidental. The MRI appearance of the herniation is not necessarily reflective of that specific disc causing symptoms. READ MORE
Causes of Herniated Discs
By Dr. Kevin Pauza
A person can avoid developing herniated discs by avoiding flexing forward and rotating whenever possible. This is because forward flexion and rotation place compression and shear forces on the disc’s annulus fibrosus. This causes annular tears which lead to herniated discs.
Herniations are also unrelated to how much weight one lifts. Rather, what’s important is how one lifts that weight. It’s safe to lift 300 lbs, provided one lifts the correct way without bending forward or twisting. Bending forward and twisting while lifting only 30 lbs is more damaging; causing annular tears and herniated discs. READ MORE
Symptoms and Treatment for Herniated Discs
By Dr. Kevin Pauza
There are many options for treating a herniated disc, but dealing with herniated discs is complex. Any comprehensive procedure needs to restore a significant portion of the original disc height while repairing the annular tear that is causing the nucleus pulposus gel to leak. This is what can make treating herniated discs difficult, and limits the amount of treatment options that will be effective. READ MORE
Pinched Nerve or Something Else?
There are many different terms used to refer to herniated discs, such as a disc protrusion, disc prolapse, ruptured disc, or slipped disc, but the only correct way to refer to this condition is as a herniated disc. Using these other terms to refer to herniated discs will not only confuse patients’ understanding of what herniated discs actually are, but it can also confuse patients’ understanding of what causes pain related to herniated discs, such as a so-called “pinched nerve”. This confusion can result in patients failing to get the proper treatment for their herniation, leading to unnecessary pain and discomfort. READ MORE
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