What is degenerative or bulging disc?
Degenerative disc is an age related problem. With the increasing age, there is an increasing risk of breaking down of various discs between the vertebrae of spinal cord. These breaking or deteriorating discs are called bulging or degenerative discs. Many changes arise when the discs
The outer tough part of disc called annulus fibrous is torn or cracked at several places and then the inner soft jelly like material called nucleus pulposus leaks out of the cracked disc. This leakage causes the bulging discs.
There is marked loss of fluid from the degenerative or bulging disease. With the progressive loss of fluid from the discs, they become thinner and the resulting distance between the discs decreases. This factor causes the discs to become less effective shock absorbers.
Symptoms of degenerative or bulging disc
These degenerating discs cause the extreme degree of numbness and pain that follows down the length of leg. The normal discs are responsible for the routine flexion and extension of vertebrae and act as shock absorbers. Whereas, the degenerative and bulging discs do not support these functions and hence the spinal column is left unprotected.
Possible treatments of degenerative or bulging disc
The best possible treatment is the use of prolotherapy. But some other treatments are also present such as:
Chiropractic or Physical therapy
Medications such as pain killers and non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs are also used.
Annuloplasty
Rhizotomy
Surgery
Use of prolotherapy for degenerative or bulging disc
What is prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is actually an all natural injection based technique that is used to get relief from the chronic pain and inflammation in arthritis and disc degeneration. The injections in prolotherapy are formulated with some or combination of local anesthetics, natural sugars like dextrose, vitamins, growth factors and many other natural components to improve the condition of disc degeneration. Prolotherapy is also used to strengthen damaged ligaments and tendons around the spine.
Prolotherapy is the best opted procedure for the treatment of degenerated discs. We offer one of the leading and successful prolotherapy procedures at the Venturis Chiropractic and Acupuncture clinic in the Oklahoma city. We offer the best prolotherapy techniques using collagen and ozone by our experienced Doctor Alvin Philipose who has performed thousands of successful treatments for patients from all over the world from the last 20 years. Prolotherapy is considered the best method because of many advantages discussed next.
Prolotherapy using ozone
The prolotherapy procedure using ozone is commonly called Prolozone. This procedure is now very common in use for the treatment of degenerated or bulged discs. The prolozone treatment involves the injections of ozone gas, natural collagen, minerals and vitamins, and various proliferative agents into the injured or degenerated tissue.
This treatment is widely opted as it causes the permanent cure of the severe pain and marked proliferation and regeneration in the damaged tissue area.
How does prolozone works?
The combination of prolotherapy with ozone works by many ways. Each of them is discussed below:
Enhancing utilization of oxygen by converting NADH TO NAD
Ozone is an unstable triatomic molecule made from combination of three oxygen atoms. The remarkable un stability of ozone counts for its powerful actions on the degenerated discs. Ozone is capable of donating its extra third atom of oxygen and reducing itself to oxygen molecule. The oxygen atom is donated to lipids and various amino acids converting them into strong peroxides. These peroxides are short chained and can easily cross the cellular membranes where they display their oxidizing effect by converting NAPDH to NAD.
While doing this oxidation , the prolozone therapy actually enhances the oxygen utilization by the degenerated disc tissues and in this way the ratio of NAD/NADH is also increased. This enhanced ratio counts for the magical effects of prolozone therapy because when the oxygen utilization is increased all the cellular functions including cell proliferation, cell differentiation and cell growth increase, thereby repairing the degenerated or bulging discs. All the normal cellular membrane potentials and the tissues natural healing property returns to normal after the prolozone therapy.
Restoration of blood flow
In the degenerated or bulged disc, there is a trapped area where blood flow is halted and oxygen utilization is also poor. The prolozone therapy when injected causes the restoration of blood flow and enhancement of proliferation of damaged tissue around the disc. This immediate effect of prolozone therapy is due to the ability of injected ozone to improve the oxygen utilization and hence the blood flow. This effect is commonly used to get relief from the chronic pain and inflammation that develops with the degenerated disc.
Pain, inflammation and swelling treatment
Whenever there is a degenerated disc, chronic inflammation develops in the tissue area followed by swelling and throbbing pain. After the injection of prolozone, all these effects subside instantly. This enormous attribute goes to the natural minerals present in the prolozone therapy. The presence of various non steroidal and other natural components in the prolozone injection subsided the inflammation at the disc site.
Stimulation of growth factor
This is one of the striking features of prolozone for the treatment of degenerative discs. The injected solution of prolozone cause the increased production and release of large number if growth factors. All these growth factors stimulate the epidermal and endothelial growth thus contributing to regeneration in the damaged disc area.

Prolotherapy using collagen
At the Venturis Chiropractic and Acupuncture clinic, we offer Prolotherapy working through the application of collagen. This prolotherapy in combination with collagen is one of the most widely used techniques to get relief from the pain resulting from the degenerated and bulged discs.

How does prolotherapy with collagen works

This method of prolotherapy includes giving an injection in an area where the disc is degenerated or bulged due to the leakage of inner jelly like material. This injected is basically formulated to induce the inflammatory response in the tissue. As a result of this response collagen fibers and augmented which then promotes the regeneration and strengthening of discs.
The inflammatory response resulting from the injection also causes proliferation of many blood vessels thus further reducing the back pain.
Advantages of prolotherapy over surgery and drugs

Prolotherapy injections cause the immediate decrease in pain sensations. Initially the injection pains for some minutes but later on about 80% to 90% of the pain subsides. In contrary other medications and surgical methods have delayed and temporary effects.
Several anti inflammatory medications cause over expression of the pro inflammatory cytokines and corpuscle whereas this aspect is avoided in prolotherapy.
A remarkable increase in the thickness of cartilage and ligaments thickness is seen after the prolotherapy with ozone. This fact leads to the strengthening of inter vertebral discs and prevents their degeneration further.
Prolotherapy is less expensive and faster than surgery and drugs usage.

Thus, Prolotherapy is one of the best advised methods for treatment of degenerated discs. It has wonderful long lasting and permanent results!!
If you or a loved one would like to see if Dr. Philipose can help you with Prolotherapy, Call Venturis Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Oklahoma City at 405-848-7246 Today!