Surgery saves lives every single day, but it isn’t always the best answer for non-life-threatening joint and spine issues. In fact, you may never have considered the true dangers of surgery for orthopedic reasons. The number of spine surgeries performed in the United States is double the amount of most other developed countries, and the number of joint replacement surgeries surged 50 percent in just one decade. These trends may indicate that surgery is being utilized as the final option when more effective yet less invasive treatments are actually available!
Joint Surgery Rarely Solves the Problem
Joint problems are incredibly common, but there is very limited information available regarding the long-term outcomes of joint surgery, like residual pain, disability, and recurring problems. In fact, a study of 200 patients with knee or hip replacements recently found that only half of the patients reported improvement to their condition after surgery. What’s worse, many of the surgeries performed do not actually slow down the underlying cause of damage. Knee surgeries to repair meniscal tears, for example, do not slow the progression of osteoarthritis. Of course, the risks of surgery are also alarming, like blood clots, pulmonary embolism, infections, and nerve damage.
Spine Surgery Isn’t Backed By the Numbers
Spine surgery is incredibly difficult and risky, and it isn’t even backed by evidence of efficiency. Up to 40 percent of spinal surgeries fail, which means that almost half of patients will not experience improvement to their condition or pain levels, yet they will open themselves to the risks of spinal surgery. Even worse, lumbar spine fusion, which is the most popular surgery to address chronic back pain and disc degeneration, has failed to consistently prove its efficiency in clinical trials.
Regenerative Medicine Safely Delivers Better Results
Regenerative treatment is an innovative and state-of-the-art option that serves as an alternative to risky surgery. It uses the body’s own healing powers to restore function in damaged joints or spine discs. This means that regenerative medicine can address orthopedic problems at their root cause, decrease pain, and increase range of motion. All of this is possible without any pain, risk, or hospital stay! RegenaJoint and RegenaSpine are regenerative treatments that combine stem cells, platelets, and growth factors and inject them directly into the affected structures and tissues in the body with the help of ultrasound or X-ray guidance. One treatment only takes about an hour from start to finish, and you can return to your normal activities immediately!
Since RegenaJoint and RegenaSpine are performed exclusively at the Florida Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, call Regenerative Orthopedic Institute to learn more and make your appointment. Why put yourself through a risky and painful surgery if a better option exists? Call (813) 868-1659 to get started.