I have been through the wringer over the past several years while dealing with chronic back pain caused by an annular tear in a disc in my lower back. I’m including all of my “pain in the back” related posts here, in one place, in hopes that this will be helpful to someone. As I continue to write about the rest of my experience with the Regenexx procedure, and any other treatments or therapies I’ve tried, I’ll continue to add links to the posts to this page so they’re all in one place.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Regenexx
A few years ago I tore a disc in my back. Typically, these things self-correct and heal over time. In typical Erin fashion, mine did not. Instead of healing, it continued to get worse. I tried Epidural Steroid Injections, Disc Decompression, yoga, massage, physical therapy, and good old-fashioned narcotics. Nothing worked. Apparently, my tendency to be a pain in the arse goes all the way down to a cellular level. I am a freakshow…
Bye Bye Bone Marrow
As mentioned previously, I am in the process of working on getting my back fixed. For the past three years, I have battled with a torn disc, and right around the time I didn’t think I could take any more poking, prodding, or pain, I was informed that I’d be a good candidate for Regenexx…
More On Regenexx… Later.
Just wanted to post a quick update and let y’all know that I’m in the 
middle of moving hosting providers. I hope to have this done by the end of the week and have new posts up by the end of the weekend. I’ve got at least 4 more parts of my Regenexx story coming soon…
The Reinject
The morning of my reinject, I was in pretty good shape. The soreness of the marrow draw had worn off, and I was prepared for recovery with some new jammies and a stack of great books, thanks to my amazing friends. (Seriously, I have the best friends in the world.) I worked on focusing on my energy on being excited to spend some time catching up on some great reading and some much needed rest instead of being nervous about the upcoming needle pokes. Tiny needles, very tiny needles. Tiny little needles that this wimp is terrified of. Irrational? Yes. Controllable? Not so much…
Progress Update
It has been ages since my last post, and I promise you, those follow up injection, IMS, and other treatment updates are coming soon. Everything is rolling around up in my brain, and until it is ready to come out, I figured I’d post a little update on how I’m feeling right now.
Regenexx Progress Update #2
To date, I’ve seen an impressive improvement in my pain levels. (see previous posts for the beginning of my bad back saga, if you’ve missed out..) I’ve cut my pain medication usage by over half, and have a much greater tolerance for activities that six months ago would have put me in bed for days at a time…
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hi there, I’ve been following your blog as you are one of the only people to post a personal experience with Regenexx for the treatment of spinal issues. I have had chronic pain for the last 5+ years and have exhausted all other options except for major surgery. I am extremely interested to know how your experience with Regenexx progresses – I am crossing my fingers for you (and me).
Hi Thandie,
I am a bit behind in my posts, but will continue to write about my experience with the Regenexx procedure. I’m very hopeful that this will be successful!
Thank you so much for your comment, please let me know if you have any questions about anything that I’ve overlooked!
Thanks,
Erin
Hi Erin,
I too have been eagerly awaiting any update to your Regenexx experience. I have three herniated discs in my back I have dealt with for 12 years now, refusing to have surgery, and am seriously considering the Regenexx stem cell treatment. I would very much like to know how your back is doing and what your thoughts are at this point in time about everything. I look forward to any news or updaye you might be able to share with us.
Thank You!
Lyon
Hi Lyon,
I am currently working on my next installment of the saga
I completely agree with you, I did not want to go the surgery route, and still feel like this was the best option for me. I do not yet have total relief from the pain, but was told to expect to see results more towards July or August of this year, which I am anxiously awaiting! I’ll continue to post updates, and please feel free to contact me with any questions you have about the procedure, I’d love to help out!
Erin
Like most of the others that have posted out here I too am interested in hearing how your back is doing and about the whole Regenexx experience. I herniated my L5/S1 disc last August while (improperly) lifting a box of glass vases (Damn lifting with your legs!) According to the MRI that I had a couple weeks later the disc is also fragmented. I knew I hurt it the minute I did it, but I really didn’t think it was that serious. I iced it immediately after I did it and when I finished and tried to stand up to put the ice away I wasn’t able to get up off the floor. I laid there for a couple of hours before I pulled myself up onto a chair. I seriously thought during the time I was on the floor that I was going to have to call an ambulance to help me. I was unable to sit in a chair for about two weeks after I did it. I either had to be standing or lying down and going between the two positions was, as I’m sure you know, painful to say the least. I had to work from home for about a month before I could come back to the office. Even then I had to take breaks to lie down and often had shooting sensations down my left leg.
What’s worse is my wife herniated the same disc about six months after I injured mine. Thankfully I do not believe her injury is as severe as mine, but we wouldn’t know that for sure unless she too was to get an MRI. We were both going to a chiropractor before we suffered our injuries and still continue to go. I spoke to two other chiropractors other than the ones we were/are seeing and each of them said I would need surgery. Our chiropractors are the only ones that say the disc will heal itself. The stupid orthopedist I was referred to actually told me that you don’t need your disc. Sad thing is I know there are people out there that wouldn’t even question it. We have also both went to physical therapy – her more than me. Both treatments have seemed to help tremendously, but there still isn’t a day that I don’t have some kind of pain/discomfort in my back. I wake up everyday very stiff and it still hurts to sneeze or cough. I have not had another MRI, but the x-rays that our chiropractor has taken over the past year have shown improvement – increasing space between the vertebras. Most of the numbness in my left thigh is gone, but I still have some numbness in my calve and foot. I have been able to exercise (cycle and lift weights) now for several months, but it still prevents me from doing other things such as running and other activities.
Like you I am not a big fan of needles so this whole process scares me to say the least. Unlike you I opted out of the cortisone epidurals so I really have no idea or experience of what kind of pain to expect from the marrow draw or the injection of the stem cells. To give you an idea how bad I am I have to lie down to get blood drawn and even then I still typically break out in a cold sweet. What can I say I’m a puss – I know.
Have you spoken to any other Regenexx patient to compare your progress to theirs? How many times and over how many sessions have they injected you with the stem cells? Have they taken any follow up MRI’s or something to show whether or not the bulge is closing up and healing? BTW what kind of dog is Harley?
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your comment! Harley is half Lab, half Weimaraner. I haven’t gotten any photos of her recently, she is getting big!
As for the Regenexx procedure, I had one stem cell reinjection followed by two more injections meant to feed the stem cells and encourage growth. The initial reinject was painful, the followups were not. They did take a lot of blood from me as well, nearly every time I went in.
One nice thing about being afraid of needles, having the procedure done on my lower back, I didn’t have to look at any of it. It is much easier for me if I can’t see what is going on! While the reinject was painful, I don’t feel that it was so unbearable that I’d opt for being in pain every day instead. I am seeing improvement from the procedure, although it has been slow going.
I have not spoken with any other patients, and at this time I have not yet gotten a follow up MRI. In addition to my needle fear, I have a real problem with tight spaces! I’m going more off of how I feel, than how the pictures look, as that is what is most important to me.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions or comments, I appreciate you taking the time to read about the procedure!
Erin
Erin –
Like everyone here, I’m in some pretty severe back pain (12 years; I’m only 37!) — and considering Regenexx.
So glad to hear you’re improving, even if everything is slow going. In the last post you made you noted 15-or-so percent improvement. Any more since then? Or, as a better sign, have you been able to return to somewhat normal activity (sitting in chair at work without pain, et. al.)?
Look forward to your next installment of, as you called it, *the saga*
; or, a possible response to the above question. Truly hope all is well…
Zack
Hey Zack,
Sorry about the delay in posting, things have been a little crazy around here lately. I have definitely seen more improvement in the past few months. I would say somewhere closer to 30-40% now. I am still taking medication for the pain every day, but not until late afternoon, and I’ve cut what I’m taking by half, sometimes more.
I still have pain, but the intensity has decreased quite a bit, and my activity level has gone up a lot. Last weekend I went on a 3 hour rafting trip, and spent the majority of the next day in the car on a four wheel drive trail. Six months ago that would have put me in bed for two days, this time, I was a little sore, but it did not affect my routine at all.
Regenexx was not the magic fix I’d hoped for (even though the doctors told me it wouldn’t be, I still hoped!) but I am seeing improvement. If it is within your budget, I would recommend it. The monthly payment is the only complaint I have right now
Thanks for the comment! Please let me know if you’d like any more info, I appreciate hearing from you!
Erin
Erin, is there any progress to update?
Hi Erin,
I enjoyed reading your “saga.” I am in the middle of my own Regenexx back procedure. I just had the Marrow draw and PRP injection and am awaiting the Stem Cell reinjection. Glad to hear that you are feeling considerably better. I wish I would’ve tried the Regenexx procedure before having other treatments, but thankfully they were minor procedures and not a dreadful fusion. Dr. Schultz is such a great doc too. Hope to hear more about how you are feeling and I wish you the best.
~BK
Thanks BK! I hope the procedure goes well for you, and I agree, Dr. Schultz is wonderful! I will continue to post updates as I see progress.
Hi again Erin,
Did your first PRP injection (that you had the same day as your marrow draw) irritate your nerve roots for awhile (as in days or weeks)? I understand that they inject the Platelet Rich Plasma in the epidiral space (posterior to the disc) and not actually IN THE DISC which is near the already pissed off nerves. Just wondering how you felt then before the stem cell re injection.
Thanks. BK
The author of goteamjones.com has written an excellent article. You have made your point and there is not much to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not argue with: The existence of universal truths is based on the non existence of cultural relativism. Thanks for the info.
Erin,Hi…How are you doing now? It’s Feb 26th 2010 and I’m very interested in the Regenexx treatment. I’m not a doctor,just someone who’s in pain with DDD….Thanks…Lonn
Hi Lonn,
I was starting to see some good results, but have had a hard time discerning if they were due to Regenexx or from early pregnancy. I am now in my third trimester and am in a lot of pain again, but it is not the same pain I had before the treatments, which leads me to believe that they really did help. Unfortunately, I won’t know much until after this baby is born! I’ll post an update after I’ve recovered from the pregnancy and get back to “normal” -I’m still hopeful that I’ll see continued benefits after the baby gets here!
I am sorry that you’re dealing with this pain, it is awful!