DALLAS, Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Americans can be quick to resort to spine surgery.  However, some of those with back and neck pain could avoid back or neck surgery with home remedies and non-surgical treatment options that relieve the symptoms of a herniated disc, according to spine physicians within .

“Sadly, many people will be told they need a spine surgery,” says Dr. Mark Downey, a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation MD and founder of SpineGroup Alabama. “But in many cases, there are non-surgical options like spinal injections and spine therapy that can relieve some symptoms of a herniated disc without the need for spine surgery.”

Herniated discs can be a natural part of the aging process, and rushing to have an MRI can lead one to believe that a herniated disc is the cause of back pain symptoms when it’s not. Research studies have shown that one in three adults over age 40 with no back pain symptoms, have disc abnormalities that would show up on an MRI. 

“The second benefit of using a non-surgical option like a spinal injection is that it can determine if a suspected herniated disc at a certain level is indeed the pain generator,” explains Dr. Downey. “So the best part of this type of non-surgical option is that it increases the likelihood of a successful surgery at the correct level.”

 is the only national listing of spine centers that meet credentialing criteria. The participating centers feature multi-disciplinary spine teams of board-certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation MDs working closely with board-certified and fellowship-trained ortho and neuro spine surgeons. All of the spine centers emphasize non-surgical treatment options and extensive patient education in advance of spine surgery.

For example, a free 36-page Home Remedy Book is distributed by many of the regional spine centers to residents of their state as a free community service.  According to Dr. James Lynch, a fellowship-trained spine surgeon and founder of SpineNevada, one of the largest spine specialty centers in the nation, the Home Remedy Book has special stretches that can relieve back and neck pain along with symptom charts that show when a person should go to the doctor. 

“People don’t understand that with back or neck problems, pain is not a good indicator of when you need to see a doctor,” explains Dr. Lynch. “With back or neck problems, the emergency signals are weakness or numbness in the hand or foot. If emergency symptoms like these are not addressed promptly, this numbness and weakness can become permanent and lifelong. Unfortunately, people don’t associate those symptoms with a back or neck problem. So we have a challenge to educate people, and this Home Remedy Book does that.” As a community service, SpineNevada each year distributes more than 10,000 free Home Remedy Books to those in Nevada with back or neck pain symptoms.

If spine surgery is necessary to repair a herniated disc, the spine centers use the most advanced minimally invasive techniques like tubular retractors that enable the spine surgeon to operate through a 1-inch incision allowing patients to be home the same day for a fast recovery.  Advanced technology like the artificial disc and robotic surgery is also provided by many of the spine centers.

According to Dr. Lynch, the multi-disciplinary spine center approach eliminates a lot of the fragmentation and frustration experienced by those with back or neck pain.  “Too many times the person with back or neck pain has to drive to a doctor’s office, then back into the car for a drive to a diagnostic center, then to a different location for therapy,” says Dr. Lynch. “Because the clinicians are not connected, the patient has to explain their problem multiple times to providers who don’t communicate with each other or share the same patient chart. This fragmentation can result in the patient being told different diagnoses and treatment plans.”

People can see the locations of the spine centers and request a free Home Remedy Book from a spine center in their state at SpineCenterNetwork.com.

Contact: Bob Reznik, MBA,   817-481-2450

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SOURCE SpineCenterNetwork.com