Another Study Showing an Increase In The Number of Back Surgeries
By Randall C Pruitt, DC,DACNB,FACFN,DAAPM,MUAC
It never ceases to amaze me how much money is wasted in the treatment of back pain. In my practice alone, I see patients every day that have been through the most idiotic treatments just because their insurance covered it. It’s not their fault, but doctors out there that offer things like epidurals, facet blocks, spinal cord stimulators as well as some of the newer spinal fusion technologies just keep going until the patient is out of options.
This happens way more often then you think, and everyday my job is to try to regain the patients trust in doctors again and come up with a game plan to help them with their suffering.
Recently, in the April 7th Arizona Republic a small article discussed how complex spinal surgeries in older adults have gone up 15 times in the period between 2002 and 2007, and complex spinal fusions accounted for 14.6 percent of all back surgeries for Medicare patients in 2007. Compare this to just 1 percent in 2002.
There is no reason for this other then money. As these big medical manufacturing companies come up with new technology they persuade doctors to use the technology by showing them how much money they can make and next thing you know a patient who never would have been recommended for a fusion in the past is now getting a fusion.
There are better solutions out there, that don’t come with the risk associated with a spinal fusion. Treatments like high powered laser and spinal decompression. These treatments work for the majority of back pain patients and at a fraction of the cost of a spinal fusion. Not to mention they are safe.
