THE ROLE OF BACK SURGERY
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Except in a life-threatening situation or impending neurologic injury, surgery should always be a last resort and done only after all conservative treatments have been exhausted. Pain is not a life-threatening situation. It can be very anxiety-provoking, life-demeaning, and aggravating. Pain should not be an automatic indication that surgery is necessary. Conservative treatments such as vitamins, herbs, massage, physical therapy, chiropractic/osteopathic care, medications, and, of course, Prolotherapy should precede any surgical intervention. Conservative care for back pain is complete only after treatment with Prolotherapy.
It is not uncommon for patients to tell me that surgery has been recommended to resolve their painful back condition. Reasons for surgery may be herniated discs, compressed nerves, spinal stenosis, severe arthritis and intractable pain. Such conditions may have nothing to do with the problem causing the pain. As previously discussed, abnormalities noted on an MRI scan such as a pinched nerve or herniated disc rarely are the reason I find for someone's chronic back pain. I find that ligament weakness is the number one reason for chronic low back pain, and this diagnosis is not made by an X-ray. It must be made by taking a thorough history and poking the loose ligaments and looking for a positive jump sign."
Trying conservative treatments before undergoing surgery is only common sense. Surgery is fraught with many potential risks, one being the required anesthesia. General anesthesia greatly stresses the body and complications may occur while under, including kidney and liver failure or a heart attack. A significant percentage of anesthesia-related deaths result from the aspiration (swallowing) of food particles, foreign bodies like dentures, blood, gastric acid, oropharyngeal secretions, or bile during induction of general anesthesia. Other possible complications include damage to the mouth, throat, vocal cords, or lungs from the insertion of the anesthesia tube. If you have ever seen anyone after anesthesia, you know it's no Sunday picnic!
In more than 95 percent of my patients, I find that the true diagnosis causing the pain is different from the diagnosis the patients had been previously given. Rarely will a physician describe a ligament or tendon injury as a cause of chronic pain. Remember, ligaments and tendons often do not appear on X-rays. The diagnosis of ligament or tendon weakness cannot be made by a blood test, electrical test, or X-ray. It must be made using a listening ear and a strong thumb.
Even back in early 1981 as new and more effective methods of conservative treatments were being used (including Prolotherapy), the need for surgery was decreasing. Bernard P. Finneson, M.D., pointed out in a survey of surgical cases that "80% should not... have been brought to surgery." It is quite possible that with the widespread use of Prolotherapy this percentage would be even higher.
In more than 95 percent of pain cases, surgery can be avoided by utilizing Prolotherapy. Dr. Hemwall, having treated more than 10,000 pain patients, resorted to surgery for resolving a chronic pain complaint in only one percent of the patients. My experience has been similar. In the event that surgery is necessary, the previous Prolotherapy treatment will not hinder the subsequent surgical procedure. Prolotherapy causes normal ligament and tendon tissue to form. The surgeon will observe an area treated with Prolotherapy containing strengthened ligament and tendon tissue.
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