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You've Been Told You Need Surgery - Have You Been Given All The Facts?

One of the most common things that I see as a physical therapist in private practice is patients that were let down by the traditional medical system.
In this post, I want to explain why surgery should never be the first option for pain.
My patients say they’ve had injections and medications, some have even had surgery, and they don’t want more. I've had patients come to me and tell me that they have been offered surgery before ever being offered conservative care. This makes me the most frustrated. But more than frustrated it makes me sad for the people who don't know any different. People who don't know they have options.
To me, conservative care is education, hands on exercise, etc. Conservative care is not injections, medications and especially not surgery.
One of the problems is that in the medical community, conservative care means medication (frequently in the form of opioids). In my world, it means modifying your exercise, massage, yoga, even chiropractic and acupuncture. The side effects of these things aren’t tragic like with the “conservative care” of the medical community.
Another thing I hear from my patients is that they get told it’s just a “routine surgery.” Yes, it’s routine to the surgeons, but not to you the patient. Being put under anesthesia and cut on isn't something your body should go through on a regular (i.e. routine) basis. If you’re ever being given an option of surgery without being given the option to do something first, like modifying your behavior, please get a second opinion.
(Side note: Of course, I’m speaking about orthopedic surgery here. If you have a brain tumor or need an angioplasty for a heart attack, get surgery! Surgery saves lives, no doubt about that. What I’m really talking about is surgery for back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, etc. Pain is not an indicator for surgery. If you’re being offered surgery because your main symptom is pain, they are not offering you conservative care. Run away.)
Physical therapy is not rehab after surgery, which is a way a lot of doctors define it as, or at least that is my perception. What we do here at Traction Pain Relief & Wellness is help active people stay fit, healthy and mobile. And we do it with our hands, with our conversations. By having a conversation with you, we can figure out what is really wrong. If we do think surgery may be a possibility, we will send you to the right person. But for us, that next person isn’t even the surgeon. It’s the sports medicine provider who can get you an ultrasound and maybe a guided injection. But not surgery straight away.
Overall, what I’m saying to you is this: if someone doesn’t offer you physical therapy first for an orthopedic problem or injury pain, get a second opinion.

If you’re experiencing pain and would like a second opinion, click here to talk to a PT!

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Location: Hampton, VA, USA

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