Herniated Disc Treatment Specialist in San Ramon, CA
Are you looking for a herniated disc specialist in San Ramon, CA? Come to Golden State Medical Center because you deserve to find an experienced doctor who understands the unique hurdles of treating acute and chronic pain symptoms and conditions. Let our pain doctors help you with managing your chronic pain with our expert solutions specifically tailored to your needs. We are located at 2551 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Suite 108. San Ramon, CA 94583. For more information, contact us or request an appointment online.
Table of Contents:
What are spinal discs?
How are spinal discs injured?
What kind of symptoms can an injured disc cause?
How do the doctors treat disc injuries?
How does regenerative medicine help disc injury sufferers?
How does chiropractic care help disc injury symptoms?
How does physical rehabilitation therapy help disc injury symptoms?
How is regenerative medicine a breakthrough for disc injury sufferers?
What are spinal discs?
There are 23 spinal discs in the human spine. The function of the discs in your spine is mainly for shock absorption but also helps with movement. The discs have two components to them, an outer tough fibrous layer called the annulus fibrosus and a spongy gelatin-like inner layer called the nucleus pulposus. By age 25 you lose the blood vessels to the disc. This is problematic since your discs rely on water and nutrients for healing injuries. After age 25 your discs rely solely on a passive diffusion process to get water and nutrients into the disc, to repair an injury. This process is called imbibition. Imbibition works by a pumping action that occurs when we move around, doing our daily activities. Water and nutrients are squeezed from adjacent vertebrae into the disc to heal any tear in the annulus fibrosus. This process does not work well for people who have sedentary jobs or have dysfunctional joints that are restricted in their motion.
How are spinal discs injured?
Although, you can injure a disc by trauma or a lifting injury. Research tells us it may be more common for disc injuries to occur over a long period with prolonged flexion postures. The most common example of this would be sitting at a desk. Contributing factors would be deconditioned muscles, smoking, and being overweight. Disc damage can vary from a small disc tear, disc bulge, or disc herniation. A disc tear in the annuls fibrosis could heal on its own if the conditions for imbibition are intact or progresses to a disc bulge. A disc bulge is when a tear is large enough to allow some of the inner layer of the disc (nucleus pulposus) to squeeze through the annulus fibrosus but does not protrude through the outermost layer of the annulus fibrosus. A disc herniation is when the inner layer of the disc now protrudes through the outermost layer, setting up an enormous inflammatory reaction.
What kind of symptoms can an injured disc cause?
Spinal discs have pain fibers located in them. As discs are damaged, inflammation occurs, and the fibers are excited causing pain. More seriously, the disc can protrude outwards from a severe injury or an accumulative injury(s) over time. This results in a more severe inflammatory reaction that can directly encroach upon a nerve, causing more intense symptoms down the length of the nerve. Symptoms usually depend on the severity of the damage. Examples are low back pain, gluteal pain, hip pain, leg pain, calf pain, leg numbness, muscle weakness, changes in bowel or bladder function, etc.
How do the doctors treat disc injuries?
The use of regenerative medicine has helped many patients, in decreasing the symptoms of lumbar disc injuries. Chiropractic doctors are experts in correcting dysfunctional joints that are a cause of many of the disc injury symptoms. Physical rehabilitation therapy helps to resolve muscle weakness and tightness, which can be a cause of joint dysfunction in disc injuries.
How does regenerative medicine help disc injury sufferers?
Regenerative medicine is the most exciting branch of medicine that holds hope for many disc injury sufferers. Current research suggests that HCTP and PRP can help decrease inflammation and increase the regeneration of tissue. HCTP and PRP are both naturally occurring and have no known side effects. Disc injuries can take up to 12 months to heal and many people with chronic disc injuries end up having surgery. Researchers hope that regenerative medicine can help speed up the healing process.
How does chiropractic care help disc injury symptoms?
The cause of disc injury symptoms is usually inflammation resulting from torn cartilage and joint dysfunction (the joint moves too little or too much). Chiropractic care can help restore the process of imbibition by improving the motion between the vertebrae. This will allow water and nutrients to diffuse into the disc for potential healing. Chiropractic doctors are the experts in correcting the joint dysfunction in the spine that can be adding to the stress on the bulging/herniated discs. Correcting the joint dysfunction results in the relief of pain and a return to life’s activities.
How does physical rehabilitation therapy help disc injury symptoms?
Muscle imbalance and joint dysfunction are associated with disc injuries. They can be the cause of a disc injury or result from a disc injury, due to atrophy from disuse. This results in the muscles being very weak and tight causing more muscle imbalances. If not corrected immediately it may result in chronic pain and disability. Physical therapy rehabilitation can correct the muscle imbalance resulting in less inflammation and less pain.
How is regenerative medicine a breakthrough for disc injury sufferers?
Disc injury sufferers can become dependent on taking pain relief medications to get through their daily lives. These pain medications have many side effects that can create more health problems. In addition, disc injury sufferers may times end up with chronic injuries, even after treatment. Regenerative medicine is natural and appears to be a more effective approach to not only pain relief, but to reduce inflammation, and regenerate healthier tissues without the dangerous side-effects of pain medications.
If you are tired of depending on prescription drugs and disc injury pain prevents you from fully enjoying your life, regenerative medicine treatments may be the right solution for you. Come to Golden State Medical Center for high-quality regenerative medicine services! If you would like to learn more about our services or make an appointment with us, you can do so through our website or by calling us. You can find Golden State Medical Center at 2551 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 108, in San Ramon, California. We serve patients from San Ramon CA, Dublin CA, Blackhawk CA, Danville CA, Alamo CA, Diablo CA, Dougherty CA, Tassajara CA, Livermore CA, and Pleasanton CA.