Most patients with back and spinal pain do not need surgery, and I make sure to enter every patient encounter with that mindset. In fact, I think many of the patients coming into my office are first and foremost seeking a true diagnosis, not necessarily a definitive treatment plan, let alone surgery.

In full understanding of this, I spend much of the visit listening to my patients and looking for physical exam signs that help form the diagnosis, and then I spend the rest of the time going over imaging findings (such as on xrays or an MRI) to solidify the diagnosis and help it make sense in context. Once we have a proper diagnosis that makes sense, the best treatment plan is usually readily apparent.

Many patients improve with non-narcotic medications such as prescription NSAIDs and/or physical therapy, and others may benefit from injections, but as noted above, few actually need surgery. For those that do indeed require surgery, I try to talk through all of the surgical options and do my best to explain my logic aloud, so that we (patient and surgeon) feel comfortable and empowered in our surgical plan. Once surgery day comes, I then utilize the operative microscope with tremendous skill to offer the most precise surgery possible for the quickest return to normal life.