New Hope for Back Pain Sufferers?

Yesterday, CBS News featured a story about Dr. Kevin Pauza, founder of Texas Spine and Joint Hospital in Tyler Texas.

This story focused on back pain sufferers and a new solution that Dr. Pauza has developed. Dr. Pauza developed an epoxy- type substance that he’s currently injecting into injured discs. This substance is a mixture of what is called thrombin and fibrinogen. These are naturally found in our body and enable us to heal a wound. When these products mix together they create what is called Fibrin, the main component used in the healing and growing injured tissues. Dr. Pauza’s goal with this epoxy is to heal and regenerate the injured tissue. Does this have the potential to be the most successful solution to “healing” injured discs? Is Dr. Pauza onto something captivating?

This brilliant doctor has discovered an approach that is more natural, does not requiring hardware for fusions, and aids in “healing” rather than “repairing” the injured disc. While I can see the potential and fully understand where this doctor is coming from, he is still missing one crucial puzzle piece: the underlying cause to herniated discs.

Many “Spine Specialists” treat herniated discs. They teach patients that there is a “jelly” substance inside the disc that begins to bulge outward towards the spinal nerves, putting pressure on them and causes debilitating symptoms. This is correct, yet the bigger question that should be answered is why the disc initially bulged? An inter-vertebral disc does not simply breakdown on its own. There is an underlying cause, and that is an abnormal posture placing an undue stress on the spine.

The human spine is equipped with three spinal curves that allow it to adapt to stresses put upon it. The spine is composed of the Cervical (Neck), Thoracic (Mid Back) and Lumbar (Lower Back) curves. The Cervical and Lumbar curves should be as close to a forty degree angle as possible. When we experience postural shifts due to changes in our nervous system, our spine begins to lose these proper curves. Loss of the proper curves begins to place abnormal pressure on the spinal discs and vertebra. This stress over time will begin to break down the disc, causing that “jelly” inside to bulge or herniate, potentially putting pressure on nerves, and causing some type of symptom. The solution to removing these abnormal stresses is to change the posture and correct the abnormal curve!

Finding a Chiropractor that specializes in Postural Correction is a more affordable, effective and permanent solution to treating herniated discs.