Know What the Right Recovery Processes Are Best for You

When you are injured on the job, and you file a claim for workers’ compensation, you will have a medical review first with the insurance doctor who looks at your case and examines your physical condition, in relation to the job accident. When you are approved for benefits, the next step after receiving initial emergency medical care is to consult with your doctor about the process of recovery, which is generally determined by the insurance guidelines.

KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE RECOVERY PROCESS YOU WILL GO THROUGH

Review carefully all the items listed for the process to be used in helping you recover. Any surgeries should be carefully reviewed and fully understood by you as to what the procedure will accomplish. Invasive solutions are not always what they seem, particularly if it is being outsourced to another medical entity that puts it outside the control of your own doctor.

Always do your own research and look at information as objectively as possible, instead of viewing solutions as a miracle opportunity. There should be research studies available that you can find on the internet that give you some oversight about recovery outcomes and percentages, including why some surgeries, for example, worked well and, in other cases, did not.

LASER SPINE SURGERY

A news story out of Scottsdale, Arizona earlier this year, reported that the Laser Spine Institute suddenly closed its doors, leaving patients without the help they thought they would get from upcoming scheduled surgeries. As it turned out, all offices across the country were closed the same day leaving many patients to speculate as to what had happened. Nearly 500 employees were laid off from these offices. While there may be an explanation stemming from a recent verdict against the group in a lawsuit to the tune of over $264 million, there may be other issues that should be looked at instead.

First, advertising and marketing always present medications (opioids) and new procedures in a positive light without referencing formal studies that may show a less than rosy outcome. The opioid epidemic has turned out to be a medical nightmare as recently noted in our other posts here. Second, medical outcomes from laser spine surgeries have not been as successful as marketing and advertising suggest, as stated by medical research.

Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (Laser) has been used in other surgeries such as eyes, kidney stones, brain tumors, and other cases; laser spine surgery is not determined to be any better than traditional surgeries for the same spinal issues. Instead, there are some dangers in laser spine surgery, whereby surrounding nerves, tissue, and cartilage may be inadvertently burned in the surgical process, creating a greater problem, according to a recent article on WorkersCompensation.com.

You can read the abstract of the medical study here at the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or ask your doctor for a full copy of the journal’s research study.

BRAIN SURGERY

Both brain and spinal surgeries are delicate and must be carefully done, due to the importance of both for maintaining the health of the patient. When surgeries go wrong, the outcome can impact a patient to the point of ruining the patient’s life irreparably. Some patients can be paralyzed for life or unable to fully function mentally.

It is a heartbreak for the patient’s family from which they may never recover. You must always know the good and the bad of any surgical solution that is offered to you and avoid relying solely on marketing and advertising materials for your information.

If you need help with your workers’ compensation claim or have problems with medical care, call us at once for a consultation. (480) 535-3482.