Consider These Alternatives Before Saying Yes to Spinal Surgery

If you’ve been dealing with back pain for a while, you will likely do anything to alleviate it. Spinal surgery is a traditional method to treat back pain, however, it comes at a high cost, a painful recovery, and a high failure rate—up to 40%! 

At Orthobiologics Associates, we believe in giving patients the knowledge to make their own decisions. So before you say yes to surgery, consider these alternatives instead:

PRP Injections

A fairly newer alternative that is starting to become widely available to back pain sufferers is PRP injections. PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma, and it’s injected into your joints and soft muscle tissue to promote bodily healing. PRP, also referred to as regenerative medicine, is manufactured from the patient’s own blood.

Your technician at Orthobiologics Associates in Spring Hill, FL, will remove blood from your body and input it into a machine known as a centrifuge. This essentially spins your blood extremely fast to separate all the other components from the plasma and platelets. Then, the platelet-rich plasma is injected into your lower back. The high concentration of healing compounds in PRP helps to promote healing and tissue repair where it’s injected into the body.

PENS or PNT

Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) and percutaneous neuromodulation therapy (PNT) both refer to the method of using electrical stimulation to treat chronic back pain. For many people with chronic back pain, the source of the pain is the pain nerves. After the initial injury heals, the pain nerves are stuck in a constant “on” position.

PENS and PNT both utilize small needles that send an electrical current through the deep tissues of the spine. These electrical currents help to eliminate the pain signals that are sent to the brain. 

It’s important to note, however, that PENS and PNT must be utilized for at least three to four different sessions lasting a minimum of 30 minutes. While some patients do report a decrease in their chronic back pain after their first 30-minute session, most don’t feel the full effects until after three to four sessions.

Routine Massages

Another alternative therapy that various chronic back pain sufferers have stood by is therapeutic massages. When performed by a licensed professional, orthopedic massages can alleviate back pain and discomfort. Patients who experienced the most success with this method attended routine massages over a lengthy period of time.

The frequency of your visits will highly depend on your level of pain. For those who suffer from severe pain, getting a massage twice a week to start with will provide the best results. Eventually, you may get to the point where you can schedule a massage once a month to manage your chronic back pain.

When dealing with chronic back pain, you don’t have to settle for the traditional route of spinal surgery. Instead, reach out to the experts at Orthobiologics Associates to learn more about your condition and the different ways you can treat it. Call us at (877) 381-4200 or contact us online today.