EXPERT
Dr. Sean Wheeler, M.D.
Physiatrist (Physical Medicine)
<p>Dr. Sean Wheeler is a sports medicine and pain physician practicing in Overland Park, KS. He was one of the first doctors in the county fellowship trained and board certified in both of these practices. His non-narcotic, exam-centered, motion-based, patient empowering approach led to an award winning book "Uprise" that was Publisher Weekly's national book of the week. He treats low back, hip, neck, shoulder pain and sports injuries of all types. </p>
29 years
Experience
Dr. Sean Wheeler, M.D.
- Overland Park, KS
- KUMC
- Accepting new patients
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Can a damaged back disc be fixed?
The question is broad, because sometimes the disc is causing nerve pain, sometimes (rarely) it is the cause of pain, but most commonly, the disc is just worn down. Most degenerative READ MORE
The question is broad, because sometimes the disc is causing nerve pain, sometimes (rarely) it is the cause of pain, but most commonly, the disc is just worn down. Most degenerative discs are not the cause of any pain. The problem is one of stability. Your spine is supposed to be stable. Do this: sit up straight and hold your shoulders and pelvis motionless. Now try to move your lower back without moving your shoulders or pelvis at all. You can not because your lower back is supposed to stabilize you when your shoulders or pelvis moves. Also, when we move a joint, heat is generated from the motion. Lubrication in the joint keeps the heat down and a little blood flow removes the heat that is generated. Discs have no lubrication and, by age 35, no blood flow. So they were poorly designed to tolerate motion. If they move, they heat up and break down. If we begin to look at every disc issue as a stability issue, we can, in many cases, cause a significant improvement. We make things worse, however, if we try to improve stability by breath-holding. But that is a much longer answer. See my podcast at Spine & Body podcast for more.
