Many people suffering from chronic pain hope to avoid surgery at all costs and will continue to explore alternative treatments. While all options should be considered, there are certain times when surgery becomes the recommended one.
If you have chronic pain and are wanting to know if surgery might be the answer, ask yourself if any of the following criteria applies to you.
Other methods have proved unsuccessful
Surgery is often a last resort, but it can be the only resort if other treatment methods have proven unsuccessful. If pain medications, massage therapy, physical therapy, and other treatments have been tried to no avail, surgery may be the last – and best – option on the table.
Changes to your diet and lifestyle haven’t worked or are not possible because of your condition
Diet and lifestyle changes can sometimes improve chronic pain and other conditions. But other times, they have no such effect or the pain makes it impossible to make any real changes. For instance, losing weight may help alleviate chronic pain, but the pain makes exercising unbearable.
Your pain or condition is getting worse
The more your quality of life deteriorates, the harder it is to get it back. If your pain or condition is getting worse, it’s typically better to have surgery too soon than too late. If you let things drag on for too long, you might reach the point where surgery becomes too risky or can be limited in its help.
Your doctor recommends it
Most doctors will want to help you avoid surgery whenever possible and will first recommend some alternative treatments. If they have reached the point of recommending surgery, that can be a telling sign that it may be the best option.
Schedule your consultation today
Schedule a complimentary consultation today with the team at Carolinas Center for Surgery. Our pain management specialists can evaluate your condition along with your prior treatments and discuss the surgical options that may be able to help. Our team will answer any of your questions and address any of the concerns you may have about pain management surgery.
Contact us at (252) 247-2101 or schedule an appointment online to learn more about how you can re-discover a pain-free life.