Annular tears are very common. I have yet to see a professional athlete without one. By definition, you had a through and through annular tear as this is what is required to have a disc herniation.
Back pain typically needs to be treated with a good physical therapy or chiropractic program with rehabilitation. See the section “conservative treatment of lower back disorders”.
Injections can be quite helpful to reduce pain. I am not a fan of prolotherapy for any back conditions except sacroiliac syndrome which is rare. PRP is generally ineffective for lower back treatments. Fibrin sealant is the same (I previously prescribed both but found them to be ineffective). Stems cells are in the same boat.
There is no “cure” for an annular tear as it is permanent (there is no blood supply to the disc so tears cannot heal). Nonetheless, almost everyone you see walking around has a tear that is asymptomatic. Work toward a painless goal using the conservative tools outlined in the section above.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
