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Neck surgery and physical therapy

Neck surgery and physical therapy

Written by: Paul Kochoa, PT, DPT, OCS, CKTP, CGFI

This week, a patient of mine mentioned that her husband recently started having neck pain with numbness and tingling going down his arms.  As we talked more, she then stated that when he went to go see a doctor, the doctor told him that there was no other option than to have surgery right away…

I said, “What? No other option?”  Needless to say, my patient’s husband is already going for a second opinion, but this all brings up some strong points:  Surgery should never be the first option when faced with back or neck pain; orthopedic doctors love to do surgery (that’s where they get most of their revenue from); and physical therapy is a viable alternative to back or neck surgery.

I informed my patient of these points and that certainly her husband should get a second opinion, but also to think about coming in for physical therapy treatment.  (She had back pain and was progressing well, why didn’t she think about this before?)  I said, “I may be biased, but skilled, manual physical therapy offers an effective, high-value, conservative solution for musculoskeletal pain.” (Maybe not in those exact words, I’m paraphrasing.)

A randomized-clinical controlled study in Spine journal found that manual therapy and exercise significantly reduced pain and had better short and long term outcomes when compared to other treatment.¹  And with the rising cost of alternatives like doctor visits, medications, or surgery; why wouldn’t you try a more effective and affordable solution like physical therapy.  

A skilled physiotherapist can help you improve your mobility and quality of life without expensive surgery or dealing with the side effects of medication.  We also give you the tools to prevent or manage a condition and achieve long term health benefits.  That’s the ultimate goal.  Basically, I like to educate my patients and teach them how the body works and what they need to do to fix it.  

Having neck or back pain, try out physical therapy before going under the knife.

If you would like more information, please call Professional Physical Therapy and Training at 973-270-7417.  Our offices our located within the YMCA locations in Madison and Summit, NJ.  You do not need to be a member of the YMCA to visit with us.

 

1. Walker M, Boyles R, Young B, et al. Effectiveness of Manual Physical Therapy and Exercise for Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Spine. Oct 2008; 33(22): 2371-2378.

Image courtesy of graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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