Join Dr. Rimlawi and Dr. Benbow for a free discussion about the exciting new technology of adult stem cell therapy, which can help treat back and neck pain by using a patients own stem cells to promote faster healing for minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures.

When:  March 27, 2013  7:00 PM

RSVP: 1-855-GETSTEMCELL | 1-855-438-7836

(please RSVP by March 25)

LEARN MORE ABOUT ADULT STEM CELL THERAPY and how The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute is using this revolutionary therapy to significantly improve the treatment of back and neck pain.

According to the World Research Group, disorders of the spine are one of the largest public health problems in the U.S., while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that back pain is the most common neurological ailment affecting Americans, second only to headaches. Back pain is a leading cause of disability and lost wages through time taken off work.

At , we strive to do everything we can to help our patients live pain-free lives. We realize that adult stem cells have the remarkable potential to differentiate and become new tissue forming cells, including bone, tendon and cartilage, with Adult Stem Cell Therapy being studied for a host of treatments throughout the world today. The potential of stem cells in regenerative medicine is virtually limitless and is emerging as a promising field in which to augment spine surgery.

The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute doctors are leaders in cutting-edge procedures that utilize a patient’s own adult stem cells to regenerate tissue.

Technology is now available to procure adult stem cells from bone marrow and adipose tissue without challenging ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells. And the talented doctors at MicroCision have extensive clinical trial experience in harvesting a patient’s own stem cells and delivering those cells to aid in the treatment of severe back pain through the use of minimally invasive outpatient procedures. These procedures replace damaged cells and promote the growth of new tissues in order to help the tissue function at an improved level, while reducing or eliminating pain.

Positives of Adult Stem Cell Therapy:

• Can significantly enhance the quality of life of those affected with back and neck injuries.

• The ethical approach to using one’s own stem cells.

What does Dr. Rimlawi, founder of The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute and MicroCision Procedure have to say about stem cells?

“The medical community is now starting to take notice of the impact stem cells have on the future of medicine. Science has demonstrated the huge potential of stem cells in regenerative medicine and now the technologies are available to deliver these therapies to the patient. The breakthrough shows promising results and should ultimately lower costs. These therapies will become the standard of care in the future.” – Dr. Rimlawi

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Tommy Armour III (PGA Golfer) discusses the success he experienced while being treated by Dr. Michael Rimlawi of the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute.

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WFAA interview with Dr. Michael Rimlawi discussing the Microcison procedure developed by the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute.

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 The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute is 1 of only 18 Ambulatory Surgery Centers in North America that offers Physical Therapy Programs.

Minimally Invasive Spine Institute Health Campus (Dallas). This 48,000-square-foot center opened in April 2011. It features four ORs, one minor procedure room and 16 recovery areas — all of which are private rooms. As part of a phased opening, it started with self-pay patients and then began accepting private insurance patients. The facility takes a holistic approach to healthcare by providing a full spectrum of treatment options, from physical therapy to surgical intervention. It is among the first in Texas to host endoscopic laser spine surgery.

Full article on Ambulatory Surgery Centers with Physical Therapy.

Back Pain Relief

Back pain affects almost everyone at some point in their lives. Some treatments provide temporary back pain relief, while others work on long term. For people who suffer from back pain, there are several treatment options and home remedies that help manage the discomfort associated with this health condition.

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Ice Helps Reduce Discomfort

Applying ice causes the body to send more blood to the affected areas and warm them up. This helps heal the tissue and shuts down the nerves responsible for carrying pain signals. For back pain relief, ice should be applied soon after an injury occurs. A simple ice application helps reduce postoperative pain, neck pain, or lower back pain. The ice cubes should be wrapped in towels before applying them to the skin. This form of treatment is highly effective when combined with massage therapy.

Heat Therapy for Back Pain Relief

Heat therapy increases circulation to the areas affected. Research has shown that this form of treatment is beneficial for many types of back pain. To reduce discomfort and obtain back pain relief, patients can use heat wraps, heating pads, warm gel packs, and hot baths. These remedies are inexpensive and can be easily applied at home. Alternating heat and cold therapy can help reduce inflammation, heal muscles, and minimize discomfort.

Why our Spine Specialists are Different

Hamstring Stretches

Most people with back pain will benefit from incorporating hamstring stretching exercises into their daily routine. Tight hamstrings limit motion of the pelvis, which puts more stress on the lower back. However, there are several exercises that help increase flexibility and provide back pain relief.

Soothing Therapies with Proven Effects

Some of the treatments recommended for back pain relief are not only effective, but relaxing too. Massage therapy is by far one of the most popular forms of treatment for lower back pain. This therapy reduces anxiety and depression, and improves the quality of sleep. Some insurance companies provide coverage for this form of treatment. Patients with back pain can also benefit from water therapy. Due to water temperature and hydrostatic pressure, this treatment helps the body relax and reduces pressure on the joints.

Something more serious? Contact the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute Today

Lumbar Stenosis Treatment

When an individual’s spinal canal narrows to the point where the spinal cord and nerves of their lower back are compressed, they can be said to suffer from lumbar stenosis. While aging is the most common cause of this medical condition, this can also arise due to osteoporosis, tumors or spinal disc herniation. The affliction can cause pain in one’s back and lower extremities, as well as fatigue and loss of sensation in their legs. Fortunately, there are a number of treatment options available.

Meet the MISI team

Activity modification and exercise are the simplest treatment options. As individuals afflicted will generally feel more at ease when flexed forward, many patients can ease their discomfort by leaning forward on a walker, cane or even a shopping cart.

Since inactivity amongst patients can lead to further debilitation, it is also important for patients to devise an exercise regimen as part of their treatment. A physical therapist or spine doctor can recommend a number of spinal stenosis exercises for a patient to try.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are another non-surgical lumbar stenosis treatment option. These drugs combat the inflammation that accompanies most cases and include brands such as Advil, Celebrex and Aleve.

Outpatients can be given epidurals for their lumber stenosis treatment. With this treatment, a doctor will stick a needle into a patient’s spinal canal and inject a steroid solution into it. These injections help to reduce inflammation and may also provide temporary pain relief.

If one’s lumbar stenosis has left them unable to participate in their normal everyday activities, they may turn to surgery for their lumbar stenosis treatment. Through surgery, one’s spinal canal will be widened until the pressure on their spinal cord or spinal nerve is decompressed.

The most common form of surgical lumbar stenosis treatment is a laminectomy. Other surgical options include a foraminotomy, a laminotomy, an interspinous process spacer and microendoscopic decompression.

With the many lumbar stenosis treatment options available, it is possible for patients to effectively cope with their affliction.

Contact the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute Today

Alternatives to spinal fusion

Spinal fusion surgery, also known as spondylodesis, uses bone tissue to fuse at least two vertebrae. A technique used to prevent undesirable, painful vertebrae movement, spinal fusion surgery is helpful for patients suffering from many spinal ailments, including kyphosis and scoliosis. However, spinal fusion is not the only option available to patients suffering from vertebrae pain. Other alternatives include intradiscal electrothermal coagulation (IDET), artificial discs, posterior dynamic stabilization and disc regeneration.

During IDET, also called annuloplasty, a catheter passed through a needle that has been inserted into the lumbar disc space heats its outer core (annulus). IDET is thought to relieve pain by cauterizing nerve endings, as well as contracting and thickening the disc wall’s collagen fibers. This may help close painful cracks in the disc. IDET treatment is generally geared toward people who have degenerative disc disease that is less severe.

Unlike spinal fusion surgery, disc replacement surgery focuses on preserving normal spine motion rather than eliminating disc movement entirely. The procedure involves replacing problematic discs with artificial ones such as the PRODISC-L and Charite lumbar artificial discs. Although it puts the patient at greater risk during the procedure, disc replacement surgery also helps prevent parts of the lumbar spine from wearing down too quickly and may reduce more pain than spinal fusion.

Another alternative to spinal fusion surgery, posterior dynamic stabilization aims to preserve spinal motion while simultaneously relieving pressure from the troublesome area. This approach focuses on reducing pain by using movable stabilization devices, comparable to knee or ankle braces.

Finally, the regeneration process attempts to render spinal fusion surgery (and other types) unnecessary. Cellular and molecular biology researchers are studying gene therapy that might naturally slow or cease disc degeneration, as well as stimulate regrowth. Thus far, the BMP-12 gene, a bone morphogenetic protein, has proven successful in regenerating cells in the nucleus and annulus of spinal discs in animals.

Spinal fusion surgery is not the only option available to those suffering from vertebral disc pain. While many alternatives are still in the research stage, the possibility of eliminating spinal surgery altogether seems promising.

Contact the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute Today

Minimally Invasive Spine Specialist:  What’s different.

A minimally invasive spine specialist can provide spine surgery with far less damage to tissue and blood loss than a more invasive technique. A shorter hospital stay, reduced post-operative pain, smaller scars and quicker recovery are also benefits of obtaining spinal surgery from one of these spine specialist.

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In the past, spinal surgery could require as much as a year of recovery before a patient could return to normal activity levels. Minimally invasive techniques have altered the landscape of spinal surgery, improving a patient’s quality of life more rapidly than conventional techniques. Traditional spinal surgery, of necessity, requires a long recovery period and involves a lengthy patient incision. Minimally invasive surgery involves significantly smaller incisions, approximately 1 to 1.5 centimeters in size, and the use of a small instrument similar to a tiny telescope, called an endoscope. The endoscope is attached to a small video camera – smaller than a thumbnail. The camera then projects an inside-look at the patient’s body on television monitors in the operating room. These images serve as a guide to lead the minimally invasive spine specialist through the procedure. Minimally invasive spinal surgery is as safe or safer than traditional spinal surgery when performed by a qualified minimally invasive spine specialist.

Should a spine fusion be required once of these spine specialists can reduce the risk of ligament disruption and muscle retraction, loss of support and stability which can occur from traditional open spinal fusion procedures. A minimally invasive spine specialist will utilize a fusion system designed to place pedicle screws on either side of the vertebral bone and rods connecting the screws into the spine. This precise procedure uses several small skin incisions rather than one long incision. The minimally invasive spine specialist is guided in this process by anatomical images projected in the operating room. The advantage to this technique is that overall trauma to the back muscle and tendons is reduced and post-operative pain and scarring is also lessened greatly. Deformity corrections and herniated disc surgery can also be addressed successfully by this type of procedure.

Contact the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute Today

Back Pain for 30 years Resolved – Carolyn P.

I lived with back pain for 30 years.  I feel so fortunate to have found my doctor and his staff.  He did a wonderful job of explaining everything about surgery and wanted to make sure i was pain free. By the time i went in for my two week checkup, i was feeling so good and no pain in my back.  Thank you for my new back.
- Carolyn P.