Abstract: Spinal pain is treated non-invasively by operating a scanning apparatus to locate a spinal disc afflicted with cracks or fissures, and applying waveform energy to the afflicted spinal disc to heat the spinal disc sufficiently to modify collagen fibers of the spinal disc and destroy pain receptors in the spinal disc. The scanning apparatus may be an ultrasound scanner, while the treatment waveform energy may be ultrasonic waveform energy. The applying of the waveform energy includes generating ultrasonic pressure waves in the spinal disc.

Abstract: A process including providing a hollow cvlindrical substrate, the substrate having a dry outer surface describing a curvilinear plane, a dry inner surface describing a curvilinear plane, a first end opposite a second end, and an imaginary axis extending from the first end to the second end, supporting the substrate, machining at least a portion of at least one end of the substrate with at least one dry polycrystalline diamond cutting tool in the absence of liquids to remove material from the substrate, and simultaneously maintaining, during machining, the dry inner surface of the cylindrical substrate free of the material machined from the at least one end of the substrate by the at least one dry polycrystalline diamond cutting tool.