When answering the question posed in the title of this article, most people believe that it is a herniated disc or pain radiating down the leg. Unfortunately, more people will get back surgery in the United States today because of one VERY STRANGE CAUSE. Most people will get back surgery because THEY HAVE ALREADY HAD BACK SURGERY!!!
Yes, a second, third, or fourth back surgery is the most common reason for another back surgery. If this weren’t such a serious matter, I would find it comical. This would be like having the most common reason for car repairs being you had your car repaired!
Now, here is the INCREDIBLE PART! Orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons are not supposed to operate on someone for back pain! There are two qualifiers for back surgery and pain is not one of them. What are those two qualifiers? They are a loss of bowel and/or bladder control or the neurogenic weakness of an extremity.
So, why aren’t surgeons supposed to operate on patients for back pain? Because there are no scientific studies indicating that the course of the condition is improved by the surgical intervention. In other words, two years post-operative, 95% of the patients who were operated on have the SAME AMOUNT OF PAIN OR MORE! Now, there are two valid reasons for surgery. If someone cannot control their bowels or bladder, or if they are having extreme weakness of an extremity that can become irreversible, surgery is warranted.
Yes, I will quote a study published online on July 29, 2013, in JAMA Internal Medicine. Harvard researcher, Dr. John Mafi, indicates that referrals from PCPs to specialists such as orthopedic surgeons are a “WORRISOME TREND” because there’s little proof that back pain surgery, such as lumbar fusion, actually works. In addition, it’s costly and can be life-threatening.
So, what’s the answer? Always try the fly swatter before the bazooka!!!! Try conservative before radical. Our ADVANCED DISC DECOMPRESSION PROTOCOL has the ability to reverse herniations, bulges, and radiculopathies (radiating pain). Make no mistake, this is not Chiropractic Care. This is a multi-modality, therapeutic approach to CORRECTING THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF BACK PAIN, not a short-term fix like surgery.
In other words, WE TREAT THE CAUSE OF BACK PAIN, SURGEONS TREAT THE EFFECT!!!