Surgery is not always the best answer for orthopedic problems. Often behavior modifications that help with losing weight and increasing mobility, such as exercise, stretching and making dietary improvements, can successfully address musculoskeletal issues while also reducing healthcare spending.
MedCity News recently published an article by Dr. Alan Daniels, Chief of University Orthopedics’ Division of Spine Surgery, in which he discusses why surgery is not a first-line treatment and how people suffering from pain can find relief without undergoing surgery.
About Dr. Alan Daniels
Alan H. Daniels, MD is a Board-Certified spine surgeon who specializes in adult spinal deformity and other complex spinal disorders. He serves as Chief of Spine for the Orthopedic Department at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital. He is also Director of Spine Surgery Research, an Associate Professor at The Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and co-director of the Brown Spine Surgery Fellowship.
Dr. Daniels is a high-volume spine surgeon, performing over 450 spine surgeries per year. His practice focuses on patients who suffer from scoliosis, kyphosis, flatback syndrome, failed spinal surgery, degenerative spinal disease, as well as spinal trauma and spinal tumors. Many of his patients have undergone one or more previous spinal surgeries, although he also performs primary spinal surgery.