Don’t let scary words doctors use spook you

Degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, chronic degenerative changes, bone on bone, herniation, torn, effusion, or even… “you are going to have to live with this”. If you have heard these terms or phrases from your doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, personal trainer, massage therapist or whoever without giving you hope that you can overcome these things, you need a second opinion.

These are very real conditions but they are often overused to scare patients into believing they are broken and in need of drugs or some type of routine care to alleviate their symptoms. The prescription of a pain pill is an easy way out for medical doctors, whereas chiropractors using indistinguishably repetitive adjustments is no better treatment. If you aren’t experiencing relief from these services, don’t waste your money.

Understanding your pain is vital to developing a plan as to how you can manage it. Some cases definitely need surgery, or multiple visits to the same provider, but if your symptoms aren’t changing and you’ve received the same treatment for far too long for a condition you were diagnosed with that you didn’t fully understand; you should be asking questions.

Degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease are NORMAL age-related changes; no different than hair turning gray as we age. Unfortunately these terms are used to create “fear-avoidance behavior” in patients to provoke a sensed need for continued care or treatment. Tendons and ligaments do tear, sometimes repair is necessary, sometimes it is not. Osteoarthritis can present as bone on bone, but why pigeonhole a patient into giving them the belief they have no other option but surgery. 97% of herniated discs can be treated without surgery, and without repetitive chiropractic adjustments.

We can use movement to decrease pain intensities, strengthen weakened areas, increase range of motion in stiff regions and increase overall function. Please re-consider your current treatment protocols if they aren’t providing you the relief you initially sought. A good doctor should teach you about your condition and offer you the same treatment they would give to a family member of their own without using medical terminology to inadvertently scare you.

If you have any questions, always feel free to call the office, or schedule an appointment online. Thanks for reading.