- Anatomy of The Spine
- Back Pain in Children
- Caring for your Spine
- Emerging Spinecare Trends
- Evaluation of Spinal Disorders
- Exercise and The Spine
- Intervention - Spinal Disorders
- Intervertebral Disc
- Non Surgical Options
- Nutrition and Spinecare
- Options for Spine Treatments
- Pregnancy and Back Pain
- Prevalence of Spine Disorders
- Sleep and the Spine
- Spinecare Introduction
- Spinehealth and Disease
- Surgical Interventions
- Treatment with Medications
- Understanding Back Pain
Spinecare Topics
Spinecare Introduction
Getting a Second Opinion
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Getting a Second Opinion
Is there a University or Medical Center that could provide more efficient care? Ask your doctor if there is a University or Medical center that could provide a more efficient diagnostic workup or care such as Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic. If your condition is complicated, your physician may help facilitate a referral to a university facility. If you do not ask the question your doctor will likely assume you are content with the local care and therapeutic options whether they are superior or not.
Are you failing to respond to care? If you are not getting better with care it may be because the diagnosis was wrong or that that there are contributing factors that have not been identified. You also may not be responding because the chosen treatment approach is not the right one for your condition. Obtaining a second opinion may help get you on the right track.
Are you going to be exposed to risky tests or procedures? Ask your physician about the risks associated with recommended tests or therapeutic options. If you are uncomfortable with the risks presented you may wish to obtain a second opinion prior to moving forward. You can inquire as to whether there are alternate testing procedures that could provide the same results.
Are there any new procedures for which I am a candidate that are not offered locally? If your doctor responds by telling you about a new and very effective option that is not available locally, you may wish to get a second opinion where the procedure is available.
Do you want to consider another approach? If your doctor is unwilling to discuss or consider another approach that you have heard of or believe may be a reasonable option, consider getting another opinion. For example, a sixty-year-old woman with heart disease might be diagnosed with significant spinal stenosis. Spine surgery has been recommended but the woman is told that she is a high-risk candidate for surgery because of her heart condition. As a result her doctor might believe that not doing surgery is the right decision despite the risk of progressive spinal cord damage. Another opinion may reveal alternative options, possibly an alternative approach to surgery or a treatment for her underlying heart condition prior to reconsidering surgery.
Are you failing to respond to care? If you are not getting better with care it may be because the diagnosis was wrong or that that there are contributing factors that have not been identified. You also may not be responding because the chosen treatment approach is not the right one for your condition. Obtaining a second opinion may help get you on the right track.
Are you going to be exposed to risky tests or procedures? Ask your physician about the risks associated with recommended tests or therapeutic options. If you are uncomfortable with the risks presented you may wish to obtain a second opinion prior to moving forward. You can inquire as to whether there are alternate testing procedures that could provide the same results.
Are there any new procedures for which I am a candidate that are not offered locally? If your doctor responds by telling you about a new and very effective option that is not available locally, you may wish to get a second opinion where the procedure is available.
Do you want to consider another approach? If your doctor is unwilling to discuss or consider another approach that you have heard of or believe may be a reasonable option, consider getting another opinion. For example, a sixty-year-old woman with heart disease might be diagnosed with significant spinal stenosis. Spine surgery has been recommended but the woman is told that she is a high-risk candidate for surgery because of her heart condition. As a result her doctor might believe that not doing surgery is the right decision despite the risk of progressive spinal cord damage. Another opinion may reveal alternative options, possibly an alternative approach to surgery or a treatment for her underlying heart condition prior to reconsidering surgery.
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