Do injections help relieve back pain?

In new research, Presented At the Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting in Phoenix on March 1, researchers examined the efficacy of a treatment called viable disc allograft replacement.

In this technique, cells obtained from intervertebral discs of donor tissue are mixed with physiological saline (salt water). This mixture is then injected into the patient’s damaged disc to promote the growth of healthy disc tissue.

The study included 46 adults with degenerative disc disease who underwent disc therapy. In addition, her four patients received saline injections only.

After three years of treatment, researchers found that 60% of patients who received disc tissue injections reported an improvement in their pain symptoms of 50% or more.

In addition, 70% had a 20-point or greater reduction in back pain disability.

obstacles are questionnaire Patients were asked about their pain levels and their ability to perform activities such as washing and dressing, lifting, walking, and working.

“Significant improvements in pain and function are promising for chronic back pain patients, who have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. Douglas beerChief of the Department of Radiology, Clinical Radiology, Edmund Oklahoma.

A new, non-peer-reviewed study was a follow-up to a randomized controlled trial published in the journal in 2021 pain doctor.

This early trial found significant improvement in pain and disability one year after receiving allograft treatment compared to people receiving saline injections.

Both studies were funded by VIVEX Biologics, Inc., a company that has developed a viable disc allograft replacement therapy.

The treatment has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but Beall told Healthline the company is seeking approval through the FDA’s Biologics License Application (BLA) pathway.

He estimates that the agency could approve the treatment in 2026. However, that is subject to change.

Doctor Nick JaneAn orthopedic and spine surgeon at the DISC Sports & Spine Center in Newport Beach, Calif., said the new treatment showed promise but needed additional randomized controlled trials involving more patients.

“While this therapy offers exciting potential benefits, I don’t think there is sufficient scientific evidence at this time to support its use in lumbar disc degenerative disease,” he told Healthline.

However, he agreed that new treatments for the condition were needed.

according to According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 4 in 10 adults in the United States will have back pain in 2019, and it can have a significant impact on people’s lives.

“Patients with symptoms of lumbar disc degeneration can have severe back pain and disability, disability, inability to work, and loss of function,” said Jain.

Treatments for degenerative disc disease include physical therapy, medical pain management, and other non-surgical therapies. However, Jain said these do not reduce pain in patients and can impair function.

If nonmedical treatments fail, a spine doctor may recommend surgical treatments such as spinal fusion or artificial disc replacement.

While these treatments can reduce pain and restore function, they can cause other problems, such as surgical complications and degeneration of adjacent discs, Jain said.

As such, “there is definitely a great need for more advanced interventions that are minimally invasive and less destructive than traditional surgical techniques,” he said.

Doctor Michael Van HullAn assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, says being able to regenerate healthy disc tissue is the ultimate goal of treating disc disease.

“I think stem cell therapy has a lot of potential, but I think it still has a long way to go before it can complement or repair degenerative conditions in the spine,” he told Healthline.

In addition to stem cell therapy, regenerative therapy It is being investigated for intervertebral disc disease. These have had “various reports of success,” said Dr. Karik ChanAn interventional pain management specialist at the Atlantic Spine Center in New Jersey told Healthline.

These types of regenerative treatments include: not approved by the FDA For degenerative disc disease, some clinics still offer it as a self-pay service.

However, “there was not enough evidence for insurance companies to approve these procedures,” Chan said. “Therefore, if cash-only procedures continue, there will be limited improvement in the general population.”