Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Before You Sign for Back Surgery, Listen To This
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Before You Sign for Back Surgery, Listen To This
š Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com
The surgeon has your MRI on the screen. There is a bulge, a herniation, degeneration right there. They say you need surgery.
Here is what they are not telling you: three out of ten people with no back pain at all show disc herniations on their MRI. The image shows what your spine looks like. It does not show where your pain is coming from.
In this episode, I'm going to explain the surgical myth most patients never question, the gate you need to pass through before any surgery conversation, and exactly what to do if you have a surgery recommendation right now.
ā±ļø TIMESTAMPSĀ
0:00 Before You Sign for Back Surgery, Listen To This
1:15 The surgical myth: imaging shows structure, not pain sourceĀ
2:00 Why 30 percent of pain-free people have disc herniations on MRIĀ
3:52 The advanced diagnostics that standard doctors rarely orderĀ
4:18 The gate concept: what you have to try firstĀ
5:54 The REGENERATE approach to diagnosing and treating back painĀ
7:29 When spine surgery is genuinely necessary
8:44 Five steps to take if you have a surgery recommendation now
ā QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Can a disc herniation on an MRI not be causing my pain?Ā
Yes. Studies show roughly 30 percent of people with no back pain at all have disc herniations on imaging. An MRI shows anatomy, not pain source, so a visible herniation and your actual pain can be two separate issues.
What should I try before back surgery?Ā
Targeted epidural injections, medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation, and regenerative medicine with growth factors are all minimally invasive options that should be explored before surgery. Most patients who try them in the right order see significant improvement without going under the knife.
When is spine surgery actually necessary?Ā
Surgery is genuinely necessary in cases of progressive weakness in the arms or legs, loss of bowel or bladder control, or loss of motor and sensory function. Short of those emergency signals, most patients have not yet passed through the full gate of minimally invasive options.
š± RESOURCES
Website: https://www.raowellness.com
Website: https://painandspinespecialists.com/
š Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines.
ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO:Ā
I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com.
#chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity
View all episodes
By Sudhir Raoš Learn more about Dr. Rao's integrative approach: https://www.raowellness.com
The surgeon has your MRI on the screen. There is a bulge, a herniation, degeneration right there. They say you need surgery.
Here is what they are not telling you: three out of ten people with no back pain at all show disc herniations on their MRI. The image shows what your spine looks like. It does not show where your pain is coming from.
In this episode, I'm going to explain the surgical myth most patients never question, the gate you need to pass through before any surgery conversation, and exactly what to do if you have a surgery recommendation right now.
ā±ļø TIMESTAMPSĀ
0:00 Before You Sign for Back Surgery, Listen To This
1:15 The surgical myth: imaging shows structure, not pain sourceĀ
2:00 Why 30 percent of pain-free people have disc herniations on MRIĀ
3:52 The advanced diagnostics that standard doctors rarely orderĀ
4:18 The gate concept: what you have to try firstĀ
5:54 The REGENERATE approach to diagnosing and treating back painĀ
7:29 When spine surgery is genuinely necessary
8:44 Five steps to take if you have a surgery recommendation now
ā QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Can a disc herniation on an MRI not be causing my pain?Ā
Yes. Studies show roughly 30 percent of people with no back pain at all have disc herniations on imaging. An MRI shows anatomy, not pain source, so a visible herniation and your actual pain can be two separate issues.
What should I try before back surgery?Ā
Targeted epidural injections, medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation, and regenerative medicine with growth factors are all minimally invasive options that should be explored before surgery. Most patients who try them in the right order see significant improvement without going under the knife.
When is spine surgery actually necessary?Ā
Surgery is genuinely necessary in cases of progressive weakness in the arms or legs, loss of bowel or bladder control, or loss of motor and sensory function. Short of those emergency signals, most patients have not yet passed through the full gate of minimally invasive options.
š± RESOURCES
Website: https://www.raowellness.com
Website: https://painandspinespecialists.com/
š Subscribe for honest, clinically grounded answers on chronic pain, regenerative medicine, and longevity from a doctor who has spent 20 years on the front lines.
ABOUT DR. SUDHIR RAO:Ā
I'm Dr. Sudhir Rao, triple board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and functional medicine. Over 20 years and more than 50,000 patients, I've seen what actually moves the needle for people living with chronic pain. My practice combines precision diagnostics with targeted, integrated treatment to help patients stop managing symptoms and start getting to root cause. Learn more at https://www.raowellness.com.
#chronicpain #chronicpainrelief #functionalmedicine #painmanagement #longevity