Discseel® for Military Operators: Spine Care Built Around the Job
Few careers are harder on the spine than the operator's. Years of heavy rucks, fast-rope and parachute operations, hard landings, ejection forces, breaching, dive work, and the constant vibration of aircraft and vehicles add up. The result, for many special operations, aircrew, and dive-community members, is chronic back and neck pain that lingers long after the last deployment — and that hasn't fully responded to physical therapy, injections, or medication.
If that describes you, the Discseel® Procedure may be worth understanding as a non-surgical option. And it matters who you talk to: at Emerald Coast Integrated Care, the procedure is performed by Dr. Gerald Mastaw — a retired Navy Lt. Commander and military physician who is a lead trainer for the Discseel® Procedure, training other physicians in the technique. As a veteran caring for the military community, he understands operator wear-and-tear from the inside.
Why the operator's spine takes a specific kind of damage
The injuries that end up in front of us often aren't from a single event — they're the cumulative product of a career:
- Axial load and impact — rucking, jumps, hard landings, and fast-rope work repeatedly compress the spine.
- Ejection and shock forces — aircrew and pilots absorb forces that concentrate on the discs and vertebrae.
- Repetitive flexion and rotation — breaching, lifting, and load-bearing under body armor stress the disc walls.
- Vibration exposure — long hours in aircraft, boats, and vehicles are an established contributor to disc degeneration.
Over time, this can produce tears in the outer wall of the spinal disc (the annulus). Those tears can cause pain directly, and can let the disc leak and degenerate. This is exactly the problem the Discseel® Procedure is designed to target — and it's frequently the source of pain that standard imaging misses.
How the Discseel® Procedure fits
The Discseel® Procedure is minimally invasive and non-surgical — performed through a needle, not an incision. A specialized dye and imaging first identify which discs are actually torn or leaking, then a biologic fibrin sealant is injected to seal the tears and support the disc's natural healing.
For an operator weighing options, the appeal is the philosophy: rather than fusing or removing disc material — surgery that permanently changes how the spine moves — the Discseel® Procedure aims to repair the disc you have. For the right candidate, that may mean avoiding or delaying more invasive surgery. Whether it's appropriate depends entirely on an individual evaluation, and an honest provider will tell you when it isn't the right fit.
Fitness-for-duty and getting back to what you do
Many operators aren't just looking for pain relief — they want to keep doing the job, or return to the activities that defined it. We can't promise outcomes, and no responsible provider should. What we can do is evaluate the real source of your pain and give you a straight answer about whether the Discseel® Procedure is a reasonable option in your case. Dr. Mastaw's background means that conversation happens with someone who speaks your language and understands what "back to full capacity" actually means to you.
Care through VA Community Care
If you're a veteran, you may be able to access this care through VA Community Care, which allows eligible veterans to be seen by community providers when certain conditions are met. Eligibility and authorization are determined by the VA on an individual basis, typically starting with your VA care team. Emerald Coast Integrated Care is contracted with VA Community Care and is familiar with the referral process. (For more, see our guide on Discseel® for Veterans: VA Community Care Coverage.)
Where to Find the Discseel® Procedure
The Discseel® Procedure is available at both of our Florida locations, performed by Dr. Gerald Mastaw:
The Coast — Destin (Emerald Coast Integrated Care) 3999 Commons Dr W, Ste B, Destin, FL 32541 Serving Destin, Shalimar, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Crestview, Pensacola, and the greater Emerald Coast — including the Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field military communities.
The Heartland — Land O' Lakes (Veterans Spine and Discseel® Center of America) 16703 Early Riser Ave, Land O' Lakes, FL 34638 Serving Land O' Lakes, Pasco County, and the greater Tampa Bay area. View location details
Both locations: (800) 931-6086 · Mon – Fri, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm · Request an Appointment
To find out whether you may be a candidate, call (800) 931-6086 or explore the Discseel® Procedure.
About the Provider
Dr. Gerald Mastaw is a retired Navy Lt. Commander and military physician who serves as a lead trainer for the Discseel® Procedure, training other physicians across the country in the technique. As a veteran himself, he brings a particular focus to caring for the veteran and military community across the Emerald Coast and Tampa Bay. He performs the Discseel® Procedure at Emerald Coast Integrated Care.
This article is educational and is not medical advice. It is not an official statement of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Individual results vary, and whether any treatment is appropriate depends on an evaluation by a qualified provider. Eligibility for VA Community Care and authorization for any specific treatment are determined by the VA on an individual basis.