1) See if you can find a good neurosurgeon, that is where my path lead.Originally Posted by 135sohc
2) Avoid or at least be skeptical of "back centers or orthopedic centers" my experience is they don't want you fixed, they want you in orbit around their facility indefinitely so they can shake down your insurance for as long as possible. They call it "shaking the money tree" and you're the tree.
3) Insurance companies want to do least expensive first and this can drive the people you interact with. Also if you see a pill pusher, they are going to want to push pills rather than hand you off. Handing you off doesn't pay their bills. There are other factors of course, but a good general rule of thumb. Document everything.
Depending on your condition the path might look like this;
Physical Therapy -> Oral Medication -> Shots -> Ablation -> Surgery.
In my case I had ironclad proof something was physically wrong (MRI showing damage & shots to verify it) so it was go time. I never even made it to ablation as the MRI clearly showed things were going to get worse.
Ablation is where they "cook" the nerve ends so they reduce the amount of pain information transmitted. Like when you have a rod knock and you turn the radio up. Its temporary though and doesn't address the root cause. It maybe appropriate for some folks depending on what their root cause is.
Happy to answer any questions, here or in private if you prefer.
Gary
Reply With Quote
