Southern California Spine Center

Chronic Low back pain?

It is very important that people recognize when a treatment is failing to deliver the result they want.  Chronic low back pain is low back pain of any quality that persists for more than 12 weeks.  Most low back pain is functional or structural in nature (muscle strains, muscle imbalance, joint pain and fixation)  and should respond quickly to appropriate care.  If the cause of your pain falls into that category you should start to feel better within 2-3 weeks of conservative care with a trained Chiropractor or Physical therapist.  If you have undergone 4 weeks of treatment with no change in your symptoms of if your condition has become worse, beware!   Your body is telling you that they're is something missing from the diagnosis.  You probably have a deeper problem that needs to be established by getting a MRI.  Disc bulges, herniations, annular tears, ligament injuries are just some of the conditions  that may need a different treatment to get the results that you will be happy with.  I meet alot of clients who have suffered for many months, even years going to a treatment that is giving them no relief because their doctor told them to.  Recoginze when it is time to move on and don't be afraid to get another doctors opinion.  Doctors and  HMO plans in particular are very hesitant to request an MRI because of the cost associated with it.

I am treating a patient who went to her primary doctor with chronic low back pain and was told it was a muscle strain.  She was treated with Physical therapy that aggravated her condition and resulted in her running to the emergency room,  she was told again that it was a strained muscle and given more medication.  She decided to act on her own and came into see us.  Upon examination it was readily apparent that she had a disc injury, we ordered an MRI for her.   She had a large disc herniation in the low back and was happy that she finally knew what the problem was and that we were going to address it with out surgery.  She took the MRI  to her primary who told her she needed emergency surgery or she would be paralyzed.  She chose to treat with us using non-surgical spinal decompression and is doing much better only 2 weeks into her treatment. 

Recognize when a treatment is not working, be diagnosed correctly by getting the diagnostic best used for these types of injuries (MRI).  Always consider your options, and act in your own best interest....surgery should always be the last option. 

Spinal Decompression Researchers talk

Spinal Decompression, especially with the DRX 9000 true spinal decompression system, has been getting very good results.  We at the Southern California Spine Center have been using these systems in conjunction with a comprehensive rehabilitation program for 4 years.  Our results are great.  The difference is not the  machine but in 1) Dr. Mountain selecting patients that stand the greatest potential for getting a great result 2) only a doctor performing all aspects of the treatment.

Studies are now validating the results that doctors have been getting using the DRX 9000.  Patients especially with single level disc herniations or disc bulges with or with out sciatica have been getting results that are just short of miraculous.  You can learn more about this study and the researchers associated with it at www.axiomworldwide.com/specialreport. 

There is now no need to suffer with chronic low back pain or lancinating pain that runs down your leg.  DRX 9000 technology is now leading the way with conservative treatment for disc injuries and sciatica.  Remember to give your self the greatest opportunity to end your suffering, be evaluated by a doctor with experience and who is careful in choosing patients for this treatment.  The doctor should also apply the treatment because there are subtleties that will effect your results that only an experienced doctor will be able to apply.  Low back strengthening and rehabilitation afterwards is very important, it helps prevent re-injury.  Feel free to call the Southern California Spine Center if you have any questions or would like to be evaluated.  Ask for Amy or Jennifer  619-692-0712

Has a Medical Doctor told you that if you don't undergo low back surgery then you will become paralyzed!

I seem to be meeting more and more patients whose Primary doctor or Orthopedic Surgeon have scared them into surgery because they have been told that if they don't have surgery then they will become paralyzed. 

James Weinstein - Is the head of Orthopedic Surgery at Dartmouth Medical School, Editor for Spine medical journal and author of the most recent and thorough study on effective treatments of disc herniations.  His study looked at 1200 patients with disc herniations who were treated conservatively or with surgery.  In all 1200 cases he did not see one person who became paralyzed and considers it to be an absolute rarity. He also found,  looking at outcome measurements, that surgery was not superior to conservative treatment. 

In my clinic, the Southern California Spine Center, I have met with well over 3000 disc injury patients and in all this time I have seen only one case that could be described as paralysis or Cauda Equina sydrome.  Contrast that to the number of patients I meet that were scared into surgery that are now worse off.  I meet at least 2-3 people a week who are looking for relief from ineffective, commonly botched low back surgeries.   Many of these patients are wheel chair bound or walking with canes as a result of surgery.  I have also met patients who are paralyzed following surgery, one even was paralyzed in one leg following an epidural injection that destroyed the nerve.

The Mayo Clinic study showed that Spinal decompression is effective approximately 9 times out of 10.    Therefor I believe this therapy should be considered the most appropriate conservative treament for disc herniations or bulges.  Surgery should always be the last option and every day our patients tell us how thankful they are that they were not scared into surgery, but instead took charge of their health and chose our Spinal Decompression and low back strength and health program!

Spinal Decompression: Risk vs. Benefit

This is an easy topic to comment on because the risk is next to nothing.  The real and only risk that is there potentially for patients is getting no benefit from the treatment.  I have taken care of and successfully treated hundreds and hundreds of  low back and sciatica cases and in all that time I have seen only one patient get worse.  Her pain level which became worse,  occurred as a result of my own inexperience.  She was one of my first patients' approximately 5 years ago.  Fortunately her increase in pain was only temporary.  But, it helped to guide my conservative approach to care with spinal decompression.  I also quickly realized as my skills in applying this treatment therapy improved so did my patient results.  That is why some 18,000 setups later, I continue to be the doctor (along with the other doctor in the clinic) that applies the therapy.  Our clinic has approximately a 90% success rate, except for that one case the other 10% does not get worse, their condition stays the same or gets better but not to the level that they are happy with.  This is in stark comparison to surgical results.  The risks are much greater and the results are less favorable.  The benefit of our spinal decompression program to low back pain sufferers is a no brainer.  Great results, no lost work days, no expensive recovery time, practically no risk and nobody ripping open your back.  For people who are active and health conscious, this treatment is the obvious choice. 

I had a really nice lady come in last week in a wheel chair.  She had undergone a 5 level laminectomy 4 years ago.  She was told that 6 weeks after surgery she would be back to playing tennis with out pain.  She had low back pain and leg numbness prior to surgery that made playing tennis uncomfortable but she could still play.  The surgeon made it seem that it was an easy surgery with good results a certainty.  She has been using a walker or a wheel chair ever since. 

Are you willing to jeopardize your quality of life when you don't have to? ....or are you looking for the healthy choice, a treament that will get you out of pain and back to living the life you choose!   Call and let's see if our spinal decompression and low back rehabilitation program is right for you!  619-692-0712