Posted April 6, 2011 - 10:24am by Tracy
Same old back pain? It's time for a new approach
A recent report in the Chicago Tribune, “Back pain is a complicated issue” delves into the complex issue of back pain, which affects more than 80 percent of Americans at some point in their lives.
The article focuses on many aspects of back pain and treatment options, including surgery. The reporter explains that surgical treatments available for back pain are more advanced than ever before, but should be used only as a last resort.
Dr. Fred Geisler, a neurological surgeon at the Chicago Back Institute and a pioneering physician in his field, couldn’t agree more. He explained that only 2 percent of his patients, and back pain sufferers nationwide, actually need back surgery.
“Sometimes an abnormality will show up on a patient’s [X-rays], but that doesn’t mean it is the source of their pain,” Geisler said. “That is why you don’t automatically try to ‘fix’ every spine problem you see with surgery.”
Instead, Dr. Geisler and his colleagues at the Chicago Back Institute have built their practice around the policy that in almost every patient case, less aggressive, non-surgical and complementary measures are tried and exhausted before surgery is considered.
“Everyone knows someone who has had back pain, and everyone knows someone who has had a bad experience with back surgery,” Geisler said. “That is why, in our practice, we customize each treatment for the patient to focus on lifelong pain management, delay surgery as long as possible and facilitate the fastest recovery.”
Have you experienced back pain in your life? Have any treatments worked for you? Tell us about it.
To learn more, check out these related article on Well Community:
Back Surgery techniques are advancing, but should still be last resort
The Chicago Back Institute Blog
Acupuncture helps relieve back pain
Back to school, back packs and back health
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