Is Spinal Fusion Baltimore MD Over-used?

A spinal fusion Baltimore MD surgical procedure can be a blessing for individuals suffering from back pain resulting from osteoarthritis or other degenerative bone conditions that cause changes in the vertebrae (which are the small bones in the back).  Surgery, though, like many other services that used to be largely altruistic, has, in recent years, become a consumer product.  Therefore, it is just as important for the buyer to beware when considering surgical procedures as they do when buying used cars.  Lumbar spinal fusion for lower back pain has increased by almost 70% in recent years.  This short article is intended to help consumers of medical services determine when a service may benefit them as opposed to when it is being offered to financially benefit the provider.

Ask Questions about Spinal Fusion Baltimore

The decision to have an elective surgery like lumbar spinal fusion Baltimore should not be hurried by authoritarian providers.   Doctors who want to prescribe surgery as a first-line treatment for lower or other back pain should be avoided.  Well-trained, ethical practitioners will try multiple, non-invasive treatments for back pain before offering surgery as an alternative.  Many patients are surprised to see how much improvement they experience by simply learning and consistently practicing an exercise routine designed by a physical therapist.

Another red flag to look out for with regard to a recommendations of back surgery is location.  While that sounds very strange, it is true.  Medical care and the actions of insurance companies have long been the focus of politicians, who sometimes base entire campaign strategies around them, especially when it comes to "reaching out" to potential voters. Public health researchers conducted longitudinal studies of the rates of spinal surgery in different parts of the United States.  They found the highest rates of these kinds of surgeries in Florida.  Medicare recipients in Florida received surgery to treat back pain at a rate of 127.5 per 100,000 beneficiaries.  This was more than 12 times the rate for individuals in the part of the country who received surgery as an intervention at the lowest rate.  Only 9.2 of 100,00 Medicare recipients in Maine received a surgical intervention.  Based on these numbers, it is easy to see that, perhaps, spinal surgeries are more aggressively marketed in parts of the U.S. where older folks who are likely to have more back pain are expected to live.