Implications Of Prolonging/Avoiding Treatment

Certain spinal and/or chronic pain conditions can be tricky for patients to manage. For example, if a patient is prescribed a pain medication and does not use it appropriately, serious health issues can occur. Another example may include a spine fracture patient forgetting or purposefully putting off a treatment or surgery for an extended period of time. No matter how you look at, spine and pain conditions can place a heavy burden on patients, and if not taken care of by a trained professional, can have serious implications. The specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are cognizant of this and want patients to understand the ramifications avoiding or prolonging the time between treatments can have.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoidarthritis is a progressive disease, which means if the appropriate treatment is not sought, joint damage will worsen causing major disability. Inflammation is a side effect of rheumatoid arthritis and if it is allowed to persist, the bone within the joint will wear away as well as surrounding cartilage, bone, tendons and ligaments. After 4 or 5 months of this, permanent damage may be inevitable and patients could lose mobility in their joints altogether.

Spinal Fractures
Spinal fractures can arise from degenerative disc and bones diseases like osteoporosis or from excessive pressure on the vertebral body from a traumatic injury like a fall, forceful jump or car accident. Symptoms may include weakness, numbness in the area of the fracture and severe pain in the back, legs and arms. Procedures like vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty may be recommended to prevent further damage, but if treatment is not received, spinal fractures could become worse and create additional spinal fractures. This could eventually cause one or more of the following: height loss, extreme neck and hip pain, thoracic kyphosis (hunched back), bulging abdomen, gastrointestinal issues. 

Fibromyalgia
Avoiding or stopping treatment altogether for fibromyalgia will not only result in worsening physical symptoms (increased pain), but it could also dramatically progress harmful mental and emotional symptoms like depression and anxiety. Abruptly stopping a prescription medication could have serious implications and cause symptoms like diarrhea, insomnia, nausea, and headaches. You could even suffer from seizures. Therefore, it’s important to consult your SWSP physician before attempting to stop a treatment or medication, because there are ways to do so safely and efficiently.

If you are unhappy with your treatment or would like to try a new one, do not stop your treatments/medications without consulting your physician. Serious health risks can occur, as outlined above, and the team at Southwest Spine and Pain Center wants patients to stay as safe and healthy as possible. Call to set up an appointment today to discuss some of your spine or pain therapy questions or concerns.

If chronic pain is impacting your life, don't wait to schedule an appointment at Southwest Spine and Pain Center. With three locations and growing, the pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are dedicated to helping those who suffer from chronic pain live the life they want to! To schedule an appointment, visit our locations tab!

The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.

©Southwest Spine and Pain Center, 2015

©Medical Marketing Solutions, 2015