Greathouse Chiropractic & Physical Therapy

Can we really help you avoid back or neck surgery?

The answer to that question is, in many instances, yes! 

When you consider the cost, the post surgical recovery time and possible side effects of surgery (death - permanent nerve damage - worsening pain and disability); the following options are well worth consideration!

As a matter of fact, the prognosis with our assessment in most cases, is determined in 3 to 6 visits. 

*Patients with large compressive lesions (disc herniation with nerve impingement) are generally believed to be more ideally suited to surgical intervention.  However, these same patients are those most likely to have a high rate of clinical improvement with nonsurgical  treatments.  (Nevan G. Baldwin, M.D., Neurosurgical Focus 13 (2), 2002.  American Association of Neurological Surgeons).

There are two conservative (safe) non-surgical treatment procedures that have been around for 30+ years.  Both have proven to be effective and are still successfully utilized in physical medicine today.

Both are underutilized by mainstream healthcare (medicine). Dr. Greathouse has been successfully utilizing these procedures for many years along with individualized physical therapy programs with good results.

One of the treatment procedures was developed by a physical therapist, called the McKenzie Method or Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment protocol and is based on response to loading strategies; the other was developed by a chiropractor, the Cox Distraction Technique and based manual on decompression of the disc.

Hands on treatment provides a significant benefit over mechanized devices such asVax-D & DRX 9000). In both the Cox and McKenzie procedures, the doctor (not a technician) receives immediate feedback to directional preferences and forces that are more effective the individual on a case by case basis.  As the disc herniation is many times dynamic (changing) in nature, subtle changes in the treatment procedure can be made on a visit-by-visit basis for better outcomes.

Cost Comparisons
Cox or McKenzie procedures & management $300-$1,200.

Decompression (Vax-D & DRX 9000) $3,000 to $5,000.

Back Surgery $8,000.00 to $85,000.00

Please consider these options for disc herniation care, especially before surgery!