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Recent Information on Back Pain
St. George Hospital's Orthopedic Research Institute reports a discovery that may provide pain relief for anyone suffering from degenerative disc disease, slipped disc or sciatica without involving major back surgery. Lead orthopedic surgeon Dr Ashish Diwan and his team have discovered a natural human growth hormone, bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7), that reportedly stops degeneration or death of disc cells and may even cause production of new disc cells replacing the cushioning effect lost in these diseases. Injection of the protein into the spine could cause thousands of patients to avoid risky spinal fusion surgery or artificial disc implants. Currently used instead of bone grafts, BMPs are the only proteins known to induce new bone formation. Theoretically a simple disc injection could be used to prevent chronic or reoccurring back pain and avoid surgery which in turn would help cut down on hospital stays and time off from work. The St George researchers are working with Stryker Corporation, one of the world's largest medical device companies, to begin clinical trials in humans. It is not expected that the drug will be on the market for at least 5 years. The Sydney Morning Herald
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