Are you experiencing back pain that’s causing you discomfort? There are plenty of underlying causes that could be the source of your issues. And while invasive surgery can solve many of them — you should know that this is far from your only option.
Dr. Shounuck Patel provides alternative options for non-surgical spine treatments in Los Angeles, focusing on nutrition, exercise, osteopathic manipulation, and natural remedies like stem cells for pain conditions and orthopedic injuries.
Is spine treatment necessary?
The most common symptom of spine disorders is back pain — and various diseases and physical injuries can cause it. Some of the most common ones include:
Spasms
Your back muscles may begin contracting if they’re overworked — this is most commonly referred to as “muscle spasms”. Until they’re resolved, they can result in extreme back stiffness and pain.
Strain
Back strains are injuries that appear due to injured or overexerted back muscles, also surfacing in the form of stiffness and back pain. Patients routinely develop this kind of injury after attempting to lift an overly heavy object.
Sprain
Back sprains result from torn or stretched back ligaments, and they manifest themselves in severe back pain around the damaged ligament.
Disc Herniation
The human spine contains flexible discs which serve to absorb shock and cushion bones. If these disks sustain damage, they could compress nearby nerves — resulting in tingling, weakness, pain, and numbness in the lower extremities.
What are the usual treatment methods?
Traditionally, plenty of physicians follow a course of treatment that involves pain relief through opioid medication, short-term cortisone injections, and invasive spine surgery.
And while these options are valid in some specific situations — Dr. Patel believes that these methods are used far too liberally, considering their numerous accompanying risks.
While pain medication can alleviate discomfort with back injuries, it is not a long-term treatment option. A sustained opioid use carries severe risks of addiction — and this type of medication sometimes also results in hypersensitivity to pain, causing more discomfort to patients in the long run.
Spine injections with cortisone are also sometimes the proper choice of action, primarily for healthy, youthful patients experiencing severe pain.
However, they have a limited period of effectiveness, while they also cause side effects such as reduced healing and hormonal changes. Cortisone is a treatment option that should be used with more caution than it generally is.
In the end, surgery is a necessity in some cases, particularly in emergencies or cases of progressive weakness. On the other hand, it’s worth exploring spine surgery alternatives in Los Angeles whenever possible — as spinal interventions carry immense risks, including paralysis and mortal outcomes.
These treatments should be used with extreme caution, which is why Dr. Patel is always ready to recommend alternatives.
Non-surgical spine treatments
Fortunately for patients experiencing spine issues, Dr. Patel provides innovative treatment solutions that don’t involve surgical procedures.
His specialty is regenerative medicine, with treatment plans that target spinal stenosis, back sprains, strains, spasms, and a host of spine-related issues. Spine injections with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are a worthwhile alternative — created for each specific patient using plasma extracted from their blood.
Bone marrow stem cell injections are another effective alternative to surgical spine treatment — delivered to problematic areas via injections and without invasive procedures. These stem cells boost and refresh local cells, and they’re the body’s natural reparative resource.
Lastly, and most effectively in many cases, Dr. Patel guides patients through physical therapy. In combination with the treatments above, this helps patients heal themselves without resorting to risky procedures when they’re not needed.
Learn more about alternatives to spine surgery
Do you want to learn more about non-surgical spine treatments in Los Angeles? Dr. Patel provides specialized holistic non-surgical therapy in Los Angeles, San Diego, CA, and Orange County. Contact our team to find out more about specific treatment options for your spine issues.