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Went to sleep last night listening to Dr. David Hanscom and how he quit doing spine/back surgeries, says he didn't retire, just quit. The title of the thread is his book that comes out this month. I've made it over 60 yrs with back issues and so thankful I never did a procedure on my back/spine. The doctor talks about everything I've done in my life and talks a lot about the pain from anxiety and also how valuable SLEEP is for healing our issues. He discusses STRETCHING and I don't start my day without a 30 minute session in my bed. Do what you can do depending on your time issues.
The doctor didn't totally badmouth what he's been doing but kept talking about the Business of Medicine.
Guest in the first half, renowned spine surgeon of 30 years, Dr. David Hanscom, believes that surgery and medication have a role in healing pain. However, he claims the majority of spine operations are unnecessary, and many procedures are performed on spines with normal, age-related conditions. These "spinal fusion" operations are particularly unpredictable when embarked upon to reduce pain, he noted. Hanscom revealed that he's retired from conducting surgeries, as too often the results were unsatisfactory, and most of his patients stopped seeking out this option. "There's not one piece of data in 50 years," he remarked, "that says we should be doing spine fusion for back pain," and only 22% of such patients have a positive outcome. The chance of making the pain worse is actually 40%, he added, and can sometimes push people into opioid overuse.
According to Hanscom, chronic or physical pain is interwoven with the feeling of anxiety or mental turmoil, and that by treating the latter, the former will greatly improve. "The key is to rewire the nervous system," he stated, referring to the concept of neuorplasticity, in which the brain can adapt and make changes, potentially removing the pathways and associated chemicals of "memorized pain." He also addressed the related problem of osteoporosis, a condition where bones become weaker and more brittle.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 10-29-2019 at 12:03 PM..
I had back issues all my life. It's getting worse but I can still walk upright. Walking feels better to me than sitting or standing. Some day it will get bad enough I need a walker or wheelchair. If it ever gets so bad that I can't lay down to sleep without pain I'll consider surgery. Not there yet. Maybe in another 20 years when I'm 80
Yes I did, and I'm happy I did it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Mine was successful largely because I fit into the bolded category below (text in italics is directly from the Amazon description of the book you link). I think poor surgical outcomes for nonspecific back pain without a known cause do happen.
"When performed for a specific anatomical problem with matching symptoms, the outcomes are consistently satisfying. Conversely, when surgery is conducted to address pain without a clear source, the consequences can be unpredictable, with a high percent of patients faring poorly or becoming much worse (catastrophic). A failed spinal surgery can virtually destroy one’s life. Additionally, when a patient’s nervous system is fired up from stress, results are often poor."
Incidentally, of the 3 surgeons I consulted, one and only one, directly told me he thought I should have surgery. The two others (including the surgeon I used) were very conservative and left the ball entirely in my court about treatment options. As far as the business of medicine goes, writing books is a business as well, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the author has made far more money from his book sales than from his clinical practice (and there's nothing wrong with either, IMO).
Last edited by Texas Ag 93; 10-29-2019 at 12:13 PM..
I had back issues all my life. It's getting worse but I can still walk upright. Walking feels better to me than sitting or standing. Some day it will get bad enough I need a walker or wheelchair. If it ever gets so bad that I can't lay down to sleep without pain I'll consider surgery. Not there yet. Maybe in another 20 years when I'm 80
So you are only 60 now, as I've said I've dealt with a back issue for well over 60 yrs and at 81 can't imagine a surgery. I walk upstraight but I also do a lot of stretching and have for many yrs worked with chiro and osteopathic doctors.
He discusses STRETCHING and I don't start my day without a 30 minute session in my bed. Do what you can do depending on your time issues.
Absolutely agree about the stretching. Working on the core as well. I never did enough of either before my back problems started last Fall, now, they are part of my exercise routine 4-5 times per week. I try to spend 30-45 minutes at home working on core before even going to the gym.
Absolutely agree about the stretching. Working on the core as well. I never did enough of either before my back problems started last Fall, now, they are part of my exercise routine 4-5 times per week. I try to spend 30-45 minutes at home working on core before even going to the gym.
I was a gym member for probably close to 30 yrs and when my joints started to tell me "enough" I still went to the gym and did light work but headed for the mats to do Stretching work. I gave up my membership in my mid 60's but do my work at home for yrs now. All this work has kept my body stronger.
I injured my back about 30 years ago, that injury has stayed with me.
I stretch, eat a good diet, do strengthening-exercises specifically for my lower-back. Those things have helped a lot, but I do believe, in my situation, I would benefit from some sort of back-surgery.
It depends on what's wrong. I would never trust a radio or TV doc. Look ar Dr Oz, a great heart surgeon but a TV shill
Yeah, I trusted a highly recommended surgeon in my town, and I should have "heard" some MD who writes books on his history of ortho type surgeries. Or some radio or tv Dr.... They are all shills including the surgeon who did a "job" on me!!!!!!!!
The MD this post is written about appears to quit doing surgeries and it sounds like just too many bad outcomes vs good ones. I don't know how the surgeons keep doing them and get all the poor patients with such poor outcomes.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 10-30-2019 at 11:18 AM..
Dr. Sarno has written about the emotional causes of back pain - it's very interesting.
People who are hellbent on electing to have their bodies sliced and diced are probably not going to listen to other solutions.
Simple google research indicates that most back surgeries are not successful, yet the lack of a good success rate doesn't seem to deter the majority of people.
If they go for it, it's their own karma to then deal with the results.
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