This is the most common question I am asked. The fact of the matter is that most patients won’t need surgery to correct their ailments.
As it applies to spine health, only about 10% of the patients who are seen by a pain management specialist will need spinal surgery. The vast majority of patients will get better using comprehensive, conservative treatment techniques.
In order to augment the body’s natural healing process, I’ve come up with five treatment points that I employ in every patient care visit and those include: appropriate medication management, interventional pain management procedures, physical/occupational and cognitive therapies to restore natural function, further diagnostic tests including imaging, electrodiagnostic testing and various laboratory tests, and coordinating care with other experts. I feel that if I address each one of those topics, I’m giving the patient the building blocks necessary for them to make a complete recovery.
For patients where a surgical consultation is warranted, as part of the Hoag Spine Institute, I have the foremost experts in minimally invasive surgical procedures to complex spinal deformity at disposal to ensure a comprehensive treatment plan.
By Aaron Przybysz, M.D.
