Non-surgical Options

Many patients I see have suffered with back pain for months or even years and are desperate for relief. Spine surgery may seem like a magic pill when other treatment options have failed, but patients still need to be sure that their condition is one that surgery can address effectively.

Back pain can be debilitating, making it difficult to work, exercise or even sleep. If you experience pain after a fall or injury, tingling or numbness or severe pain that doesn’t improve with rest, it’s time to seek help. But before you rush off to a spine surgeon to treat your pain, there may be some other options to consider. In my experience, I’ve found that only about 10 percent of the patients I see truly need to be treated by a spine surgeon.

It is common to experience back and neck pain after a fall or an accident. Although it can take a few days to manifest, in most cases the pain resolves itself in several weeks. If it does resolve in a short period, it generally indicates a low level of injury.

It is amazing how many of us live with constant pain. More than 80% of Americans complain about back and neck pain at some point in their lives. It is one of the leading causes of missed time from work is one of the main reasons that people get up "on the wrong side of the bed." Left untreated, back pain can lead to migraines and other serious health conditions.