Avoiding Herniated Disc Surgery in a CrossFit Athlete

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -

Chris Centeno, MD - A Herniated Disc is usually one of those things that just happens either due to trauma or an “oops” moment. Back before 2000, it was almost a sure thing you would get surgery, but that’s changed quite a bit with modern Interventional Spine techniques. Today we’ll explore the case of a woman who avoided the knife by getting an Intradiscal PRP injection. Let’s jump in.

What Is a Herniated Disc?

The Discs act as shock absorbers between the Spinal vertebrae. They are made from a tough outer covering called the Annulus and a gel-filled center called the Nuclear Pulposis. When the outer Annulus tears, the inside gel can squirt out and that’s called a Disc Herniation. That’s different than a Disc Bulge which is when the Annulus is damaged and the Nucleas is still contained. If you want to learn more about different types of low back problems, see my video below:

 

Epidurals and Surgery

If you go through physical therapy and fail to have your back and leg pain resolve, usually the next step is an Epidural steroid injection. The good news is that this can provide enough relief to buy time and allow your body to clean up the mess in your Disc. However, the bad news is that the high-dose steroids can damage local natural repair cells and tissues. Hence, we stopped performing high-dose steroid Epidurals about 15 years ago and switched out to using Platelet-based procedures.

Karrah’s Story

Karrah was a 26-year-old woman with a several-year history of worsening low back pain for 6 years. She was an avid CrossFit enthusiast at the time and noticed low back pain when she increased her training regimen. In particular, a double-under jump rope workout seemed to cause the initial issue. When she would impact the ground while jumping rope, she began to get zingers down her left leg. Eventually, she was able to stop CrossFit and transition to bodybuilding, which helped. However, she went back to CrossFit and in March 2020, a kettlebell workout really aggravated her back. At that point, she began to get more intense numbness and tingling down her right leg. In March of this year, she aggravated the injury again. She tried Chiropractic and saw a Sports Medicine physician who recommended getting a corticosteroid Epidural, but after further research, she declined. Chiropractic care seemed to help, but Decompression therapy aggravated things.

She first saw Dr. Markle at our Colorado HQ site in May of 2021. In June of last year, Dr. Markle injected high dose PRP into her Herniated Discs and then injected other Platelet products Epidural and into the Facet joints and ligaments. This was her result below:

On the left is a large Herniated Disc at the bottom (L5-S1). 6 months after the procedure on the right, her Disc Herniation is now greatly reduced in size. She initially reported 90% improvement, but then after another crossfit injury she’s down to 70%. The goal now is to get her stronger in physical therapy and then see if she needs another treatment.

What Happened?

While some Disc Herniations can resolve with time, Karrah’s was there for a while and not changing. What we believe happened is that by injecting high-dose PRP inside and around the Disc, we were able to improve the blood supply and activity of macrophages who can dismantle and remove Herniated Disc material. This is obviously better than surgery, as this approach doesn’t leave the back wall of the Annulus weaker. Remember that the surgical approach removes part of the back wall, leading to frequent re-herniations.

The upshot? This is a great result for Karrah. Now hopefully between more physical therapy and perhaps another round of injections, we can help her avoid the knife!

Source: https://regenexx.com/blog/avoiding-herniated-disc-surgery-in-a-crossfit-athlete/


Comments

Post a Comment

Labels

Show more

Archive

Show more

Popular posts from this blog

12 Types of Zinc Supplementation and Absorption 2024

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
Zinc is a powerful immune nutrient known for its benefits for providing immune health support and anti inflammation as well as for improving cold and respiratory symptoms, wound healing, acne reduction, and lowering the risk of age-related diseases. Research on atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus suggests that zinc deficiency may contribute to low-grade systemic inflammation. Types of Zinc What's the best absorbed zinc supplement form?  We know there’s an ocean of information out there to navigate, so we’ve compiled a list of common zinc types and an overview on each zinc type below. There are several types of zinc supplements. Supplements contain several forms of zinc, including zinc gluconate, zinc citrate and zinc picolinate. The percentage of elemental zinc varies by form.  Choosing a zinc supplement can be confusing because there are so many different types. zinc acetate zinc angstro
Read more

Fenbendazole Cancer Success Stories and Treatment Testimonials: Case Series (2024)

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
The inspiring testimonials (below) you are about to read are shared by individuals who have generously recounted their remarkable journeys with the hope of motivating and uplifting fellow patients. It’s essential to acknowledge that while these case studies offer incredible hope, the Fenbendazole protocol isn’t a universal solution. Related:  Best Anti Cancer Supplements Below is the list categorised by different cancer types alphabetically. Fenbendazole Breast Cancer Success Stories December, 2022 Condition: Stage 4 ER+PR+HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer to bones A friend told me about the Joe Tippens Protocol and ivermectin the day after I got my diagnosis for a third bout with breast cancer. I started both immediately. I saw my oncologist a week later. She added Faslodex, Kisqali, and Femara. She supported me added the JTP and the ivermectin. In 8 weeks I was in remission as measured by my CA2729. At week 11, a PET scan showed NED. Which of the protocol components
Read more

How to Detox Spike Protein After COVID - Dr Mercola

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
The spike protein is naturally found in SARS-CoV-2, no matter the variant. In its native form in SARS-CoV-2, the spike protein is responsible for the pathologies of the viral infection. As of October 30, 2023, federal  data  published by the US CDC found that 14.3% (National Estimate) of adults who previously had a COVID-19 infection are currently experiencing symptoms of long COVID.  In its wild form it’s known to open the blood-brain barrier, cause cell damage (cytotoxicity) and, as Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of the  mRNA and DNA vaccine core platform technology , said in a commentary on  News Voice , “is active in manipulating the biology of the cells that coat the inside of your blood vessels — vascular endothelial cells, in part through its interaction with ACE2, which controls contraction in the blood vessels, blood pressure and other things.” It’s also been revealed that the spike protein on its own is enough to cause inflammation and damage to the vascular system, even i
Read more

Lumbrokinase vs Nattokinase vs Serrapeptase: What's the Difference?

By -
Image
Lumbrokinase, nattokinase, and serrapeptase are all enzymes that have been studied for their potential health benefits. They are all considered as proteolytic enzymes. Proteolytic enzymes have a variety of roles in the body, from helping to digest food to taking part in the immune response. What is Lumbrokinase? Lumbrokinase (LK) is an enzyme derived from earthworms is thought to aid in blood clot prevention, inflammation reduction, and circulation problems.  Lumbrokinase for Blood Clots Thrombolytic agents typically used to dissolve clots are urokinase (u-PA), streptokinase, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). These drugs, however, are not specific for fibrin and have adverse and dangerous side effects including severe bleeding and heavy blood loss which may result in death. In contrast, LK is very specific to fibrin as a substrate and it does not cause excessive bleeding. It can dissolve the fibrin itself or convert plasminogen to plasmin by inducing endogenous t-PA activity to
Read more

Fenbendazole vs Mebendazole: What is the Difference?

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
Fenbendazole for Humans Fenbendazole (also known as fenben) is a veterinary medication used to treat parasites and worms such as tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms, in animals. It is commonly used under brand names like Panacur C and Safe-Guard. Recently, researchers have been experimenting with fenbendazole for humans cancer. Though the studies are limited, what researchers have found so far is promising for cancer patients. Many cancer patients have been following the Fenbendazole for cancer Protocol . However, fenbendazole isn’t the only worming medication that has the potential to fight cancer. Researchers have also been studying how Mebendazole, a drug that can treat worms in humans, could be just as, or even more, effective at shrinking tumors and killing cancer cells. Here’s what you need to know about each of these medications: Fenbendazole vs. Mebendazole Fenbendazole is part of a larger group of drugs known as benzimidazole, which are anthelmintic dr
Read more

NAC vs NAD vs NR vs NMN? What are the Differences?

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
NAC vs NAD vs NR vs NMN ? Due to the small alphabetical differences, these supplements are often mixed up and confused by most consumers. We will cover the essentials and explain about each of these supplements below. NAD NAD is derived from Nicotinamide Riboside (NR). The levels of NAD in our body determine the speed of aging process. In younger cells and tissues, the levels of NAD are higher. As a result, younger people tend to have better physical activity, cognitive function and potential for cell repair and regeneration. As we grow, the levels of NAD in our body start to decline. This is reflected in the form of slowed cognitive response, loss of memory and reduced agility. Research suggests it may be possible to reverse mitochondrial decay with dietary supplements that increase cellular levels of a molecule called NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide).  NAD is a linchpin of energy metabolism, among other roles, and its diminishing level with age has been implicated in mitochond
Read more

How Linoleic Acid Wrecks Your Health (2024) - Dr Mercola

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
The majority of Americans might be misled by official health recommendations to eat “healthy” vegetable oils. Even the term “vegetable oil” is misleading because it gives you the impression that you are receiving vegetable micronutrients when these oils are actually highly toxic, industrially-processed seed oils. Seed oils are some of the most dangerous items you could eat. Tucker Goodrich and Dr Mercola discussed what will be the topic of Dr Mercola's next book, namely linoleic acid (LA), which he believed is likely the leading contributing cause of virtually all chronic diseases we've encountered over the last century. Unfortunately, this is a topic that most clinicians and health care practitioners who focus on natural medicine have only a superficial understanding of.   Goodrich has a business background as a stockbroker and asset manager, and developed an IT risk management system used by two of the largest hedge funds in the w
Read more

FLCCC I-MASK+ Protocol for COVID-19

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
FLCCC (Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care) I-MASK+ Protocol I-MASK+ Prevention & Early Outpatient Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 was designed for use as a prevention and in early outpatient treatment, for those who test positive for COVID-19. Component nutrients include vitamin D, C, melatonin, quercetin and zinc . All the component medicines are FDA-approved (except ivermectin), inexpensive, readily available and have been used for decades with well-established safety profiles. Please take note that I-MASK+ protocols are now: I-PREVENT protocol for prevention (prophylaxis) I-CARE protocol for early treatment . PREVENTION PROTOCOL As rates of infection with influenza and RSV rose in fall/winter 2022, FLCCC adapted th
Read more

The Key to Reversing All Autoimmune Diseases - Dr Mercola

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
It has been estimated that over 54.4 million people in the United States have an autoimmune disease  ( R ).   Some of the major ones would be rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. Since I have a massive clinical experience with RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis), I am going to use it as an example of how all autoimmune diseases can be treated. Why? Because they all have similar origins which are related to an antigen sneaking into your body and your immune system confusing it as a foreign invader. The antigen that gets into your system determines which of your body's tissues will be impacted. From the late 1980s and for the following 10 years, I treated over 3,000 patients with rheumatic illnesses, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, polymyositis and dermatomyositis. RA has a devastating prognosis in many patients. Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1% of our population
Read more

Fenbendazole Joe Tippens Protocol: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide

By Dr. Frank Yap, MD -
Image
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, or have a loved one that is suffering from cancer, chances are you have heard about the Joe Tippens Cancer Protocol. The Fenbendazole Cancer Protocol has been gaining rapid interest over the past years following some fenbendazole advanced cancer success stories. Joe Tippens  founded the protocol  after he was told a story about a scientist at Merck Animal Health that had been performing cancer research on mice. The research included injecting different types of cancers into different mice body parts. The scientists discovered, through trial and error, a product in their canine product line, fenbendazole, that was batting 1.000 in killing these different cancers in the mice. The scientist was later diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer and was given a grim prognosis of only three months to live. She decided to try the fenbendazole, and after six weeks, showed a clean scan. Joe Tippens had been initially diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. The can
Read more