Back Pain? Try Exercise, Not Surgery

October 10, 2014 | Crandall & Pera Law
Back Pain? Try Exercise, Not Surgery With increasing concern that doctors are too quick to recommend spinal surgery, exercise is being proven as a relief to not go under the knife in many cases, according to a recent article in The Columbus Dispatch.  Although exercise can seem like the worst idea when it hurts to move, spinal surgeons are finding that stretching and strengthening the core and other muscles that support the spine are essential to avoiding an operation. Surgery should be seen as the last route in most cases, according to Dr. Safdar N. Khan, an orthopedic spine surgeon with Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. In Khan's practice, surgery is only available when patients have had three to six months of unrelenting symptoms, followed by six to eight weeks of non-operative treatment. "As a spine surgeon myself, the last thing I would want is to go under the knife," said Khan, who advocates for low-impact exercise like water therapy. Physical therapy and weight loss should be the first steps for most patients, as well as quitting smoking, stretching, improving posture and getting good support during sleep, massage, yoga and acupuncture. Nonsurgical interventions, including steroid shots and chiropractic care, can also help alleviate pain in many cases. Read the full details here: Exercise can reduce need for spinal surgery Exercise can help improve back pain and avoid surgery. If you have been injured due to medical malpractice, including surgical errors, please call to investigate your matter fully. Crandall & Pera Law is available to help answer your questions and guide you in determining your next steps.