Don’t Be Prisoner to Your Chronic Back Pain
There is no doubt that COVID-19 has caused our nation to slow down and press pause. For many that at risk, that means uncertainty, fear, and only further delay in seeking things like medical care for unrelated conditions. In fact, one poll found that 48% of Americans said they or a family member have skipped or delayed medical care in order to not be exposed to the pandemic, and 11% said the person’s condition worsened as a result of the delayed care [1].
Sadly, even pre-COVID, many Americans put off seeking treatment for various conditions such as chronic back pain. One expert from Harvard Medical School said that patients reporting back pain has only become common in the last 30 years or so [2]. Many try to “power through” it and hope the pain eventually goes away, but if the pain is chronic, it may only continue to worsen. In fact, around 16 million adults in the world experience persistent back pain so severe that it limits their ability to perform everyday activities and about 80% of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lifetime [3].
Traditional Treatment Options Are Not Ideal
Traditional back surgery can be pretty daunting. Not only can surgery be riddled with complications and requires a lengthy healing window (anywhere from six weeks to a full year), it isn’t guaranteed to alleviate pain [4]. This outcome is seen in cases such as spinal fusion surgery, which uses hardware to connect two or more vertebral segments together and prevent motion. Ultimately, this procedure places extra stress on structures above and below the fusion, as they take on more movement than originally intended [5].
While back surgery is one extreme, on the opposite side of the spectrum are primary care physicians or chiropractors and steroid injections. While back surgery can be effective it can be risky, and the effects of steroid injections are only temporary.
Long Term Reduction of Chronic Pain with Short Term Recovery
We know many can’t afford to take on the risks of surgery and yet you still need a long term solution to chronic back pain. That’s why Regenexx offers a range of procedures developed to help patients avoid spine surgery, using the body’s natural stem cells to treat bulging or herniated discs, degenerative conditions in the spine, and other back and neck conditions that cause pain. What’s more, the results of these treatments are proven and won’t take you out of the game long. Check out what our patients have to say about their back pain, function, and overall improvement after their procedure with us by tapping here.
COVID-19 Precautions: Keeping You Safe During Treatment
Don’t let COVID-19 keep you from seeking the treatment you need. We are foremost committed to the health and safety of our patients. Below are our newly implemented additional safety measures.
- Pre-appointment patient COVID-19 symptom-checks by phone.
- Patients go from car to one-at-a-time private exam room for check-in.
- On-premises patient temperature check and COVID-19 symptom re-check.
- All providers and staff wear masks and have daily temperature checks to reduce potential spread of virus to patients.
- All providers and patients use frequent handwashing.
- All common surfaces cleaned frequently with medical grade anti-viral disinfectants
The restrictions of the pandemic have given us more time at home, but what good is that time if chronic back pain is keeping you from doing the things you love? If you find yourself having trouble staying pain-free through your everyday activities, it may be time to see if one of our non-surgical solutions is right for you.
To find out if stem cell procedures are more right for you than other spine treatments, or for more information, please get in touch with us.
Or, you may want to listen in on one of our webinars. Please see if there is a webinar close to when you’re reading this blog.
References
[1] https://www.kff.org/report-section/kff-health-tracking-poll-may-2020-health-and-economic-impacts/
[2] https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/babying-your-back-may-delay-healing
[3] https://hpi.georgetown.edu/backpain/
[4] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000313.htm
[5] https://regenexxpittsburgh.com/what-can-i-do-for-my-aching-back/
