Trial for Treating Painful Degenerative Disc Disease

Inclusion Criteria:

• Voluntary signature of the IRB approved Informed Consent,

• Skeletally mature Male or Female ages 25 to 65

• Maximum of 3 levels degenerative disc disease without significant spondylolisthesisin the area c/w the pain (grade 1 with less than or equal to 10% vertebral body)

• Chronic back and/or leg pain having failed conservative treatment (e.g. NSAIDs,physician initiated physical therapy) for at least 6 months

• MRI and physical examination consistent with painful Degenerative Disc Disease

• Failure of epidural steroid injection, facet injection, medial branch block,radiofrequency ablation or physical therapy

• Instability as seen on MRI, flexion-extension x-ray, or physical deformity as seenon MRI c/w degenerative instability (facet hypertrophy, loss of disc height,spondylolisthesis, laterolisthesis, osteophytes)

• A lumbar surgery candidate (will need to specify which surgery, ie. fusion,decompression, etc)

• Is independent, ambulatory, and can comply with all post-operative evaluations andvisits

Exclusion criteria:

• Evidence of more than moderate central canal or foraminal stenosis

• Smoker or cessation for less than 6 weeks

• Untreated underlying psychological conditions (e.g. depression, chronic painsyndrome, etc.) as a contributor to chronic pain

• Prior epidural steroid injection within the past 8 weeks

• Degenerative scoliosis if cob angle over 10 degrees

• Undergone previous Regenexx lumbar procedure

• Standing intolerance (patient cannot stand longer than 30 minutes)

• Inflammatory or auto-immune based pathology (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemiclupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, polymyalgia, polymyositis, goutpseudogout)

• Severe neurogenic inflammation of the cutaneous nerves

• Condition represents a worker's compensation case

• Currently involved in a health-related litigation procedure

• Is pregnant

• Bleeding disorders

• Currently taking anticoagulant or immunosuppressive medication

• Allergy or intolerance to study medication

• Use of chronic opioid

• Documented history of drug abuse within six months of treatment

• Central sensitization

• Hypermobile or EDS

19. Any other condition, that in the opinion of the investigator, that wouldpreclude the patient from enrollment